Hi, I’m MairÉad.
I’m an AI education strategist and digital learning advisor helping institutions prepare for a world shaped by artificial intelligence. I work with governments, universities, research bodies and organisations to rethink education and align programmes and pedagogy with the future of work, learning, and society.
I’m a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Data Science Institute and at Abertay University in Scotland.
I’m a Research Fellow at the National Science Foundation-funded AI Institute for Adult Education and Online Learning (AI-ALOE) in the U.S.A.
I am a member of the Advisory Board at AI-ALOE, the Irish Digital Learning Institute’s Industry Advisory Council, and the Government of Portugal’s National Council for Pedagogical Innovation in Higher Education (CNIPES).
My work
I am an expert in digital education, learning innovation and a pioneer in the field of AI pedagogy. I have spent the last 25 years working at the intersection of digital technology and learning. My focus is on meeting rapid technological change with practical, future-facing action — whether that’s at the level of a single course or programme, or an entire national framework.
I’m the author of Generative AI and Education: Digital Pedagogies, Teaching Innovation and Learning Design (Springer, 2024), and I guide educators and leaders across sectors to move beyond outdated teaching and learning models, to build curriculum strategies that prepare learners for the AI-driven world, with the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to succeed.
My report, New Horizons for Higher Education (N-TUTORR, 2025), explores emerging AI capabilities, evolving teaching practices, future skills for the AI-driven workplace, and the implications of these shifts for institutional strategy.
Generative AI and Education offers an introduction to generative AI in education through the lens of digital education and digital pedagogies, situating generative AI as an emerging technology within the landscape of learning innovation and learning design. Grounded in educational theory and practice, it contextualises the implications and opportunities presented by generative AI, providing concrete guidance and actionable pedagogy-informed advice to education practitioners exploring AI as a collaborator in the construction of knowledge.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67991-9 (paper or ebook format)
New Horizons for Higher Education focuses on three key areas: the impact of GAI on current teaching and assessment practices, current applications and the shift to more learner- centred approaches; emerging GAI pedagogy, international best practices and early research findings on risks; and GAI and digital transformation, international regulation and the future skills agenda. It distils the key findings into actionable recommendations and provides clear guidance and direction aimed at assisting institutional leaders shape policy and strategy for GAI integration into teaching practice in a way that aligns with their institutional values and strategic priorities.
https://www.ndln.ie/teaching-and-learning-with-generative-ai (free download)
vision
We are at an inflection point — not just because of what AI can do, but because of what that means for how we prepare people of all ages to thrive in this rapidly emerging world. This means we have a decision to make, between automation or collaboration with AI. Learning with AI is not about automation - it’s about generation. The future of work will be defined by human collaboration with AI. Future-ready education empowers learners for this new hybrid with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to thrive in the AI-driven world.
Background
I’m multilingual and a citizen of Ireland, the European Union and Canada. I hold a PhD in History from McMaster University and a Master’s in European Studies from KU Leuven. My first book, Visions of Ireland, explores the relationship between media, language, culture, and identity. I began my career in Brussels, Belgium, working at European committees, and have developed my expertise over 25 years in higher, further and corporate education, as a digital educator working across multiple sectors, in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland and Spain.