We often hear about the negative effects of smartphones on young people’s mental health. But what if they could also help improve it?

In this bonus episode, Aglaia Freccero, a President’s PhD scholar in the Division of Psychiatry at Imperial, joins Lok Yee Liu to discuss MindCraft: a digital tool designed to track young people’s mental health and provide just-in-time support. Hear about how it’s being tested in schools and how it could transform the way students manage their wellbeing.

Find out more about MindCraft from the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial.

Is there a wellbeing crisis across universities? Is technology helping or hindering students’ mental health?

In the final episode of this series, Anna Goodwin and Sophie Cutforth, Student Wellbeing Advisors at Imperial Business School, check in with Lok Yee Liu to explore the impact of technology, AI and apps on students’ wellbeing and the support they receive. We also hear from students at Imperial who tell us whether they’ve ever asked AI for advice.

If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode or would benefit from wellbeing support, you may find the following links helpful:

• Five Steps to Mental Wellbeing
• NHS Mental Health Support
• For Imperial students, visit the Student Support Zone
• Students at other universities should check the Student Services web pages at their institution for guidance.

The articles referenced in the episode are: Beyond the Student Mental Health Crisis: A Collaborative Transatlantic Symposium by Advanced HE, and Student Wellbeing in the AI Era: Stress, Confidence, and Connection – A Global Snapshot by the Higher Education Policy Institute.

Follow the IDEA Lab at Imperial Business School on LinkedIn for further insights into innovative educational technologies and experiences. You can also check out the IDEA Lab website.

By now, most universities across the UK have implemented guidance on AI usage. But do students actually know what it says?

This week, Jay DesLauriers, a Teaching Fellow and an AI Futurist in Education at Imperial, and Heather Mack, Director of Strategy and Operations at the IDEA Lab, join Lok Yee Liu to dissect current and future guidance around AI in higher education. Plus, Jay and Heather use Imperial Business School’s traffic light system to challenge students’ perceptions of when they can and can’t use generative AI.

Follow the IDEA Lab at Imperial Business School on LinkedIn for further insights into innovative educational technologies and experiences. You can also check out the IDEA Lab website.

Episode links:

• For staff and students at Imperial, the university’s AI Principles, Generative AI guidance and Generative AI and Study Guidance Hub.
• JISC’s Student perceptions of AI 2025
• HEPI’s Student Generative AI Survey 2025
• The Digital Education Council’s The Next Era of Assessment: A Global Review of AI in Assessment Design