Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
Interested in how people learn with digital technologies and data. Pro Vice Provost (Data Empowered Societies GC) at University College London.
Allison Littlejohn, FHEA, is Professor of Learning Technology at University College London. She is a director of University College London's knowledge lab and an expert in learning sciences, specialising in professional and digital learning. .. more
Computer science
32%
Education
31%
Reposted by Allison Littlejohn
Could 2026 be the year we start using quantum computers for chemistry?
Understanding the chemical properties of a molecule is an inherently quantum problem, making quantum computers a good tool for the job – and we may start seeing this take off in 2026
www.newscientist.com
Understanding the chemical properties of a molecule is an inherently quantum problem, making quantum computers a good tool for the job – and we may start seeing this take off in 2026
Rapid advances in the kind of problems that quantum computers can tackle suggest that they are closer than ever to becoming useful tools of scientific discovery
Quantum computers turned out to be more useful than expected in 2025
Rapid advances in the kind of problems that quantum computers can tackle suggest that they are closer than ever to becoming useful tools of scientific discovery
www.newscientist.com
In 2026 keep an eye on quantum
Reposted by Allison Littlejohn
Quantum computers turned out to be more useful than expected in 2025
Rapid advances in the kind of problems that quantum computers can tackle suggest that they are closer than ever to becoming useful tools of scientific discovery
www.newscientist.com
Rapid advances in the kind of problems that quantum computers can tackle suggest that they are closer than ever to becoming useful tools of scientific discovery
#Parkrun #HampsteadHeath #London Huge thanks to all the @Parkrun marshalls who work hard (like Santa’s elves) to make the run happen each week!
https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/blog/the-futur…
The future of Government Statistics Service - and the evidence it provides- should be in the hands of humans, not AI. My thought piece on human agency, vulnerability and why m #AI in work needs to be a negotiated journey.
@GrandChallenges
analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/blog/the-futur…
@GrandChallenges
analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/blog/the-futur…
Community events - Research
Community events For upcoming and past research-related events on the main Jisc web site please see this event listing. Upcoming Inclusive Futures: Mapping pathways for future data use | 10 December 2...
research.jiscinvolve.org
On Wednesday Dec 10 11.00GMT Francisco Durán del Fierro and I will present our research on Inclusive Futures of Federated Data. Working with Eileen Kennedy, Edinburgh Futures Institute Hartree and funded by EPSRC. Join the event: research.jiscinvolve.org/wp/events/
English National Opera’s dazzling performance this evening at the wonderful London Coliseum #enopinafore
Great to participate in the UCL Grand Challenges Winter Reception at the Grant Zoology Museum where James Hetherington and I gave an update on the first year of the UCL Grand Challenge of Data Empowered Societies. Thanks to the DES Team and to Geraint Rees for amazing leadership.
Well said James!
Delighted to join today’s UCL Policy Lab Roundtable on AI, the future of Work and the Role of the University. There was a broad panel of participants with distinctive & fascinating perspectives. HE mist be relevant to student needs, but what is ‘relevant’ increasingly is difficult to predict
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 27
Delighted to be on this panel at the university of Oslo debating the education/work interface in an era of AI. With Regina Mulder, Francisvo Duran del Fierro, Koula Charitonos, Monika Nerland
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 27
Ten ambitious challenge-led projects awarded grants under the UCL Data Empowered Societies programme
As the third of the evolved Grand Challenge themes to be launched goes into its second year of activity, the Data Empowered Societies (DES) team are delighted to announce that ten projects will be spearheading innovative work across the four focus areas of the DES programme.
www.ucl.ac.uk
We have funded 10 ambitious Challenge-led Awards through the @UCL Grand Challenge Data Empowered Societies, University College London www.ucl.ac.uk/grand-challe...
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 25
At Lords Cricket Ground today with colleagues ftom Honda R&D to talk about UCL Grand Challenges Data Empowered Societies the future of Ed Tech and Health Tech
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 23
Wonderful ethereal sounds this evening at the Kingsplace London in a concert by the Terje Isungset Quartet who used instruments crafted from Norwegian glaciers.
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 18
What AI doesn’t know: we could be creating a global ‘knowledge collapse’ | Deepak Varuvel Dennison
The long read: As GenAI becomes the primary way to find information, local and traditional wisdom is being lost. And we are only beginning to realise what we’re missing
www.theguardian.com
‘By amplifying [knowledge] hierarchies, GenAI risks contributing to the erasure of systems of understanding that have evolved over centuries, disconnecting future generations from vast bodies of insight and wisdom. ‘ via The Guardian www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 12
‘Godfather of AI’ becomes first person to hit one million citations
The milestone makes machine-learning trailblazer Yoshua Bengio the most cited researcher on Google Scholar.
www.nature.com
Wise words from
Yoshua Bengio -
first person to reach 1m citations. “It should not become an objective for researchers to have more citations, because it leads into trying to optimize this rather than do good science and go after the truth.” www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Yoshua Bengio -
first person to reach 1m citations. “It should not become an objective for researchers to have more citations, because it leads into trying to optimize this rather than do good science and go after the truth.” www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 12
Pleased to meet with a delegation of university leaders from Ukraine to progress our MOU on the UCL-Ukraine knowledge exchange to support sustainable transition in areas of education, health & infrastructure renewal. Via UCL Data Empowered Societies Grand Challenge.
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Nov 10
A Multidisciplinary Research Agenda for Artificial Intelligence, Education, Learning, and Instruction
link.springer.com
A Multidisciplinary Research Agenda for ArtificialIntelligence, Education, Learning, and Instruction. Our new paper in Postdigital Science. Led by Jimmy Jaldemark. link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007...
Congratulations Raunak
UCL and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation forge strategic partnership to drive innovation
UCL and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine (MDT) have entered into a landmark partnership to advance Ukraine's digital transformation and economic recovery through research, innovation,...
www.ucl.ac.uk
UCL Grand Challenges launched a strategic partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation to drive digital innovation. UCL will support knowledge exchange in key strategic areas. I was honoured to take part remotely in the signing ceremony: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/no...
Slippery conditions on the HampsteadHeath #Parkrun today. But a lovely autumnal day in London.
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Oct 31
Redirecting...
www.facebook.com
It was good to meet the Minister for Law in Singapore, Edwin Tong, to discuss the importance of creativity in education and how data, AI and digital technologies are impacting creativity in both positive and negative ways www.facebook.com/watch/?v=119...
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Oct 31
Amazing concert by Julie Fowlis and fellow musicians this evening. This is the third time I’ve heard Julie in London this year - at the Southbank, Pavilion and here at Cadogan Hall. Each concert has been different and each so inspiring.
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Oct 28
Pleased to join the AI Global Summit at Friends House, Bloomsbury, London today. Packed auditorium!
Allison Littlejohn
@allisonl.bsky.social
· Oct 25
Thanks Sue. Hope you’re well!