4 Day AI and Data Literacy course (primary teachers and senior leaders)

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! – Click here to apply

Data Education in Schools is offering a free course on data literacy in the primary classroom. We still have a few places available (particularly places with partially-funded classroom cover for teachers in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Scottish Borders, and Fife).

Primary teachers attending the course in 2022/23 have said:

“This course has given me the confidence and desire to present the data work that I do with children in a more engaging way”

“…a really supportive and positive experience”

There will be four full-day sessions on: 

  • Thursday 24th September 2026
  • Wednesday 18th November 2026
  • Tuesday 26th January 2027
  • Wednesday 17th March 2027

All sessions will be taught face-to-face and held in central Edinburgh. You will need to attend them all. The course will be taught by Kate Farrell and Dr Jasmeen Kanwal and will include collaboration with data scientists, colleagues in industry, and educational experts.

Topics covered will include:

  • Exploring how data is used to solve real life problems. From election dashboards in the newspaper, to the smart meters in your cupboard, to the Fitbit in your pocket: data is everywhere. We’ll consider how data be used ethically to make decisions and improve our lives.
  • The data problem solving cycle. We’ll learn about the PPDAC (Problem, Plan, Data, Analysis, Conclusion) cycle for data problem solving, and how you can teach this process to your learners through real life projects, both with and without technology.
  • Links, strategies and big questions: We’ll explore how to develop strategies to ensure that every child participates meaningfully in opportunities to develop their data literacy. We will identify digital and non-digital pedagogical approaches to teaching data literacy, and explore how this may enrich the ways in which all learners are included in class activities.
  • AI Literacy: We will also look at resources available for teaching Primary learners the basics of how AI works, as well as ethical and sustainability issues around AI, AI and children’s rights, and critical thinking in a world with AI-generated content.

There are 20 places for teachers on the course. All primary school teachers in the South East of Scotland (City of Edinburgh, Fife, Borders, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian) may submit an application for a place. We will contribute at least 50% of the cost for classroom cover for the four days.

Teachers from other parts of Scotland are very welcome to apply too, however we will not be able to fund cover costs for their places. Preference will be given to teachers in schools that have not previously participated in this course, who are working to close the attainment gap, or to improve their technology provision.

How to apply?

When applying to the course, teachers must commit to: attend all sessions; try out the course materials at their school; take part in research data collection activities; and share their knowledge with other teachers. Please fill out the online application form. Any queries, contact Jasmeen.Kanwal@ed.ac.uk.