EDEN NAP Webinar – Critical GenAI Literacy in Online Education, February 4 at 16:00 CET
February 4 @ 16:00 – 17:00
Visual Metaphors and Critical Visual Literacy as Pathways to Critical GenAI Literacy in Online Education
Generative AI is often introduced in education through powerful visual metaphors, such as co-pilots, digital brains, or helpful assistants, that shape how learners and educators understand, trust, and use these tools. While such images make GenAI more accessible, they also embed assumptions about agency, intelligence, and risk that often go unexamined.
This webinar explores how visual metaphors influence perceptions of GenAI in learning contexts and why critical visual literacy is essential for developing critical GenAI literacy. Drawing on examples from educational platforms and AI tools, the session invites participants to look beyond surface-level visuals and interrogate the ideological and pedagogical messages they convey. The webinar concludes with implications for teaching and learning design, supporting more reflective, ethical, and informed engagement with GenAI in education.
Moderator
Mark McCormack is a Ph.D. Candidate of Maynooth University, Ireland. His research focuses on the collaborative use of Generative AI technologies in the Higher Education context, and how they may be leveraged for advancing students learning. With a background in Computer Science and Software Engineering, as well as experience in teaching Higher Education courses, he looks to develop pedagogies and practices to incorporate Generative AI into the classroom and guidelines to adapt our assessment practices accordingly. He is working toward his ultimate goal of academic work and aims to collaborate internationally with institutions on the aforementioned practices and findings. Mark has been actively involved in EDEN activities for the recent years both in PhD Symposiums, the conferences and Research Workshops to collaborate and discuss futures in e-learning education together with peers.
Presenters
Maria Avgerinou, Ph.D., teaches and directs the MA in Learning Design and Technology, at the American University of Greece- Global Campus. A seasoned academic and researcher with over 25 years of experience across universities in the UK, US, and Greece, she specializes in online and blended learning, action research, and visual literacy. Maria has held leadership roles with AERA, AECT, and IVLA, and has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Visual Literacy, a Q1 journal, since 2012. A Master Reviewer for Quality Matters® and external specialist for the European Commission, her recent research focuses on the transformative impact of Generative AI on learning design, professional development, and education.
Sissy (Chryssoula) Karakitsou received her PhD in Developmental Psychology and her MSc in Health Psychology from the University of Stirling, UK. She has been a member of the Deree Psychology faculty since 2000, where she primarily teaches undergraduate courses and supervises both undergraduate and graduate theses. She has served as Department Chair for three years and has worked for five years as a research consultant in mental health settings, as well as on advisory boards for European projects focusing on internet addiction and school bullying. For the past eight years, she has served as a scientific reviewer for psychological journals (including Frontiers in Psychology and New Trends in Qualitative Research) and for qualitative research conferences. Her research and academic interests focus on non-experimental research, with an emphasis on qualitative and mixed-methods approaches examining the life histories, attitudes, and practices of emerging adults. She has thirteen peer-reviewed publications and has presented her work at numerous European and international conferences.
Irene Karayianni (IK) is an assistant professor in the psychology department of The American College of Greece and served as a member of the institution’s AI Taskforce, where she has contributed to research on GenAI adoption among students and faculty to enhance curriculum development. Her current research explores the impact of GenAI on HE, focusing on GenAI fluency, technology anxiety, academic engagement, and self-efficacy. She has led two nationwide projects examining usage patterns and attitudes toward GenAI in Greek HE. With an academic background in experimental cognitive psychology and industry experience in business analytics and consumer research, she brings a data-informed, student- centered approach to learning and applies active learning strategies and educational technologies to enhance student engagement and improve academic outcomes. She is a member of the International AI in Education Society, the Researching, Advancing and Inspiring Student Engagement (RAISE) network, APA’s Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and the Informing Science Institute. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3307-3455
Konstantinos Leftheriotis, MSc, is Lecturer in Management Information Systems at Deree College, the American College of Greece. He holds a Master’s degree in Information Management from Lancaster University and is currently completing his PhD in Computer Science, focusing on knowledge transfer through community Q&A platforms. Mr. Leftheriotis serves as a Fellow of the Teaching and Learning Center and as liaison for the SAP University Alliance and Microsoft Learn for Educators programs. Currently he is working on the integration of generative AI tools in higher education curriculum. Recent publications include co-authored articles in the Journal of Visual Literacy on faculty perceptions of AI through visual metaphors (2025) and proceedings from EDULEARN and ICERI conferences on information systems pedagogy and information quality assessment. Mr. Leftheriotis has served as a guest editor and reviewer in peer-reviewed journals and holds AI fluency certifications from Anthropic, Microsoft, and LinkedIn.
Anastasia Logotheti, PhD, is Professor of English at Deree College, the American College of Greece. She studied in the US as a Fulbright scholar and holds a doctorate from Goldsmiths, University of London. Dr Logotheti served as the Coordinator of the two ACG Writing Centers (2003-2010) and as the Director of the Teaching and Learning Center (2012-2025). Currently she is a member of a research team exploring aspects of Generative AI tools in the context of higher education. Recent publications include chapters in the volumes Critical Perspectives on Resistance in 21st-Century British Literature (2024); Post-Millennial Cultures of Fear in Literature: Fear, Risk and Safety (2024); and Fairy Tales as Social Critique in Adaptations by Women Writers (2025). Dr Logotheti has published thirty-seven articles in The Literary Encyclopedia on contemporary works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Graham Swift, and Ian McEwan. She is also the editor of the essay collection Crisis in Contemporary British Fiction (2023).