In the field of computer science, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that enables machines to mimic “human” intelligence, by taking information from its surroundings and elaborating responses based on this “learning” process. Among AIs, Generative AI (GenAI) can create original content (text, images, video, audio, etc.) in response to a prompt.
AI advances are transforming human society and the ways we handle data, and are likely to inform future developments in education too. For this reason, the Data Education in Schools team include AI literacy in their work supporting the professional development of teachers and the digital literacy of school learners.
Explore our AI literacy work and scroll down to download useful resources.
The BRAID project and Exploring the AI Jungle
Our Project Lead Judy Robertson collaborates on the Bridging Responsible AI Divides (BRAID) programme (2022-2028), a £15.9 million investment in enabling responsible AI in the UK, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and consulting with children and young people about AI.
As part of this project, Judy, Laura Meagher and Elspeth Maxwell created “Exploring the AI Jungle”, composed of a picturebook and a teachers’ guide explaining ways how a type of Artificial Intelligence called Generative AI could be used in schools.
Read more and download “Exploring the AI Jungle” here.
AI futures for Scottish education (IAA)
Our Project Lead Judy Robertson is conducting research with colleagues from the University of Edinburgh Centre for Research in Digital Education on the project AI futures for Scottish education, funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts grant.
This project aims to generate high quality resources for schools and teachers, empower teachers to work with young people around AI futures and advocate for their voices to be heard in their schools, alongside engaging school leaders and policymakers to include young people’s perspectives in discussions on AI developments in education.
AI Teachers in Residence
As part of the RAi UK Skills Programme, our team are developing resources to support critical AI literacy skills to equip young people for living and working in the age of AI, and offer professional learning for teachers. Learn more about our AI in Secondary Schools work here.
In the context of this project, we have brought together a cohort of AI Teachers in Residence from secondary schools in Scotland actively participating in the creation of learning resources on the use and understanding of AI across different subjects. News coming soon.
GAIL/Kerr Fry Endowment Fund
More news coming soon.
Past events
In 2024, we held events for teachers and policymakers on how AI is changing education and how it can be used in the classroom:
- AI for School Leaders and Policymakers – Data Education in Schools
- 2 day AI for Secondary Teachers course – Data Education in Schools
Resources
In the course of the past years, our team have been developing resources on a wide range of topics related to data literacy.
- Smart Speakers and AI: video and Teacher’s Guide.
- How to change Alexa’s privacy settings
- ‘Unplugged’ Activities to demystify AI:
- Our AI Trello board containing a collection of links to other educational resources on AI.
External resources
MIT AI Curriculum for Middle School
AI Literacy activities for families
AI Curriculum Resources for primary learners developed by Blakeley Payne
Experience AI’s set of 6 lessons about AI and machine learning for 11-14 year olds
More information for a deeper dive
Kinds of minds
Machine learning
AI Ethics
What’s a kangaroo?! AI ethics lessons for and from the younger generation
An online course from the University of Helsinki about AI Ethics
Smart speaker privacy
Information provided by the Mozilla Foundation on privacy settings of commercially-available smart speakers:
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/alexa-help-me-which-smart-speaker-has-the-best-privacy/
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/amazon-echo-dot/