Built by Brickfield for higher education
Why we built this, how to use it, and the things worth keeping in mind before you start.
Why we built this
At conferences and events over the past couple of years, the questions from higher education staff about AI have been consistent. How do I handle it in assessments? What do I tell my students? Can I use it in my research? What does my institution actually require?
This site is our attempt to answer those questions honestly, in one place, without institutional hedging. It is not a policy document. It is a set of approaches — things that reflect what responsible, informed AI use looks like for lecturers, tutors, and researchers who want to get this right.
Everything here is free. No login required. No personal data collected.
How to use this site
Think of this as a colleague who has spent time thinking carefully about AI in higher education and is sharing what they have found useful. It is not a mandate. It is a starting point.
Check your institution's policy, your programme regulations, and your discipline's professional body guidance before acting on anything here. Where those are silent, this site gives you a framework for thinking — not a substitute for institutional guidance.
Three things to keep in mind
- If in doubt, do not do it. If you are not sure whether a particular use is appropriate, sanctioned, or safe — stop. Ask your research office, your data protection officer, or your institution's academic integrity lead. No efficiency gain is worth a professional or legal problem.
- Do not share data you do not have permission to share. Student work, research participant data, unpublished research, commercially sensitive institutional information — none of this belongs in a free AI tool. The data protection guide covers what this means in practice.
- You remain professionally responsible for everything you produce. AI does not transfer your accountability as a researcher, teacher, or author. If you use AI to draft something and it contains an error, the responsibility is yours. Review everything before it goes anywhere.
About Brickfield Education Labs
Brickfield Education Labs is an education technology company specialising in making digital learning more accessible and effective. We work with universities, colleges, and training organisations on accessibility, Moodle, and digital learning quality — with a particular focus on finding, fixing, and future-proofing online learning content.
This site applies the same values — practical, evidence-based, accessible — to the challenge of helping higher education staff use AI well.
Visit Brickfield.ie (opens in new tab)Accessibility commitment
Every page on this site is designed to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility standards. Brickfield's core expertise is in accessibility — this site is built to the standard we hold others to.
If you encounter an accessibility issue on any page, please contact us and we will address it promptly.
Contact
For questions about this resource or to get in touch with Brickfield Education Labs, visit brickfield.ie/contact-us (opens in new tab).