Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching

It sounds unlikely, and would probably be news to the chihuahua himself, but Loki has been a catalyst for a new way of working. In particular, a handcrafted version of Loki offers a new way to help colleagues to develop their understanding of GenAi and what it can mean for their teaching practice. My chapter in Creating Wellbeing. The role of Making Practices in Academic Contexts, Loki’s Tail explores not only the wellbeing associated with hand crafts, but also the intellectual bridges that can be built, when we bring our understanding of our own ‘craft’ into the academic space we inhabit. 

In early 2023, when ChatGPT 3.5 had emerged, there was considerable discussion about how it, and GenAI more widely, would influence our lives. As an Academic Developer, I was particularly interested in how it could inform the practice of teaching. However, as a crafter, I was also quite keen to learn the implications for my crafting. So, what did I do? I asked ChatGPT3.5 to produce a crochet pattern for a chihuahua, and then I crocheted it! I chose a chihuahua as I am the proud owner of a very naughty chihuahua, named Loki.

Crochet Loki became rather famous rather quickly, as I realise that in making him, I had informed my own understanding of GenAI – and I began to share this with colleagues, internally at first– and then more widely. My article in THE Campus was a starting point – which led to conference presentations, and even a keynote at the SEDA Autumn Conference 2023

I realised that using crochet allowed me to address all disciplines in a supportive, non-threatening way. Crochet does not fit into any discipline, it is not in the slightest threatening, and it is surprising. This helps to create a non-hierarchical space of curiosity. From the front of the room, as I share the image of Crochet Loki Figure 1, there is some incredulity, but this very quickly moves on to understanding, as I move into the shared language of assessment. We can identify how crochet Loki can gain credit in some areas of marking criteria – but then agree that it’s not a chihuahua. This understanding, and the conversation it provokes provides a starting point for the most useful discussions around crafting assessment questions and marking schemes. 

For me, Crochet Loki has become a Rosetta Stone, a way to illustrate the affordances of AI, but also to break down barriers in communication. If I walked into a room of academics promising to teach them all about AI in a 50-minute workshop I would fail! Using my craft as a communication tool creates a kind of creative equality, it reaches a positive space in the audience and encourages positive meaning making.