Isabel Fischer

Focus: AI in education is a central pillar of Dr Fischer's work

An Associate Professor (Reader) of Information Systems at Warwick Business School has been recognised as a Principal Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (PFHEA).

Isabel Fischer received the PFHEA recognition for her work in advancing knowledge, pedagogy and sector-wide collaboration in the fields of ethics, social inclusion and digital technologies.

Overall, the Principal Fellowship is awarded to university professionals whose “practice will have made a positive and lasting change at a strategic level on high-quality learning”.

 “It’s great to have my educational work recognised nationally in this way,” Dr Fischer said.

“I could not have achieved this without the support of colleagues at WBS, at Warwick, and across the sector. It’s fantastic to be part of a network that shares a commitment to our students’ learning.”

The Higher Education Academy, more commonly known by its brand name of Advance HE, is a member-led charity aimed at promoting excellence in higher education for the benefit of students, staff and society.

It also manages the Athena Swan Charter framework which seeks to embed inclusive cultures and gender equality at universities worldwide. In November 2023, Warwick Business School became the first business school in the UK to be awarded gold level Athena Swan status for its work on improving gender equality, building on its previous silver award gained in 2018.

Meanwhile, Dr Fischer is the first WBS member of faculty to receive the Principal Fellowship from Advance HE.

Central to her educational focus at WBS is the exploration of effective digital teaching and learning concepts across disciplines with an emphasis on AI in education and on using digital tools to contribute to fairness in education.

One example is the deployment of a formative feedback tool to help to level the playing field between students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers from more privileged backgrounds who tend to have better support networks.

Dr Fischer teaches specifically in the areas of digital transformation, design thinking for digital innovation, consulting, creating digital futures, and creating digital communities. She has received the Warwick Business School's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching for two years running – in 2022 and 2023.

Jacky Swan, Pro-Dean (Teaching & Learning) of WBS and Professor of Organisational Behaviour, said: "The Principal Fellowship award for Isabel is thoroughly well-deserved and is a reflection of the high value that we place on teaching and pedagogic innovation within WBS.”

 

Dr Fischer teaches on the MSc Management and MSc Management of Information Systems & Digital Innovation degrees at Warwick Business School.

Learn more about digital transformation on the four-day Executive Education course Leading Digital Transformation at WBS London at The Shard.

Can AI save ESG? Isabel Fischer joins a panel of experts on a podcast from Warwick Business School's Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology.  

Read more about Dr Fischer's views on ESG, and sustainability in particular, in an interview on innovation and social responsibility.