Table 1
Participant Groups and Characteristics.
| WORKSHOP | PARTICIPANTS | DESCRIPTION | NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Support Staff | Education academics, learning designers, project officers, and media producers. | 15 |
| 2 | Students | Business students from various disciplines. | 3 |
| 3 | Academic staff | Academics and members of a research group focused on business education. | 10 |
Figure 1
A sample of the participants’ metaphors during the coding process.
Table 2
Categories of metaphors used to describe Generative AI, with definitions and examples.
| CATEGORY | DEFINITION | SAMPLE METAPHORS |
|---|---|---|
| Functions | Metaphors that conceptualise GenAI in terms of its tasks and practical capabilities as tools or materials. | Swiss army knife, bricks and mortar, ideas generator. |
| Roles | Metaphors that position GenAI in human-like relationships and social positions. | Helper, study buddy, frenemy. |
| Qualities | Metaphors that describe GenAI’s characteristics, particularly its unknowable, unreliable, or magical nature. | Black box, outer planet, slippery slope. |
| Agency | Metaphors that attribute volition, intention, or autonomous action to GenAI, often expressing concerns about control and power. | Competitor, invader, sinister robot. |