AI in schools

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already changing the education sector, and raising fundamental questions about the skills educators and leaders need to teach and assess.

AI is also impacting how teachers, school leaders and students work.

For many, the pace that AI is evolving, the number of new tools, and deluge of information around it can be overwhelming and confusing. We are here to help!

The Academy is committed to exploring emerging technologies and AI in education. Our support includes empowering teachers and leaders with the knowledge, skills and resources to:

• understand as leaders how to support the effective use of AI, and how to put suitable protocols in place including for safe and ethical use
• use AI effectively as a tool in teaching and learning, curriculum implementation, assessment and reporting
• use AI to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes
• use AI to enhance their job effectiveness and efficiency
• prepare students for a technology-rich world and the evolving demands of the future.

Academy Professional Learning

The following Academy professional learning programs incorporate a focus on AI:

Thought Leadership Series
Short webinars that connect you with experts on topics such as cybersecurity, the future of education, creativity, and the use of AI including in the school environment.

In particular, Kirra Pendergast (CEO of the Safe on Social) provided a session titled Cybersecurity and AI at Schools. This session has been recorded and covers an introduction to AI, including safe and ethical use of AI in schools.

Emerging Technology in Education program
Designed for Victorian government school principals who have the option to participate with their assistant principals, learning specialists and leading teachers, participants will have their assumptions challenged and identify opportunities to understand how technology is best used for learning.  

The second workshop of the program will explore new and emerging technologies including learning analytics, Generative AI and virtual reality.

Artificial intelligence in education - regional sessions
The Academy is offering standalone events in some regional centres that incorporate sessions on AI. Search our professional learning by your location to see what’s available.

Introductory AI webinars
The Academy is planning some webinars to introduce the basics of AI including what it is, large language learning models and how they work, biases, age limitations, equity, effective prompts, and tips to get started.  These will be recorded and made available for self-paced learning. Stay tuned!

Learn more about AI

The following resources will help you better understand AI and how it will impact and be used in education and more broadly.

Podcast: Dr Gary Stager on artificial intelligence – origins, misconceptions and applications
In this podcast on mathematics and AI, Academy Master Teacher for Technologies, Anam Javed is joined by international thought leader, Dr Gary Stager. This episode discusses the mathematical limitations and possibilities of AI in the classroom and the presence of programs such as ChatGPT.

Blog: Enhancing Differentiation in the Classroom using Generative Artificial Intelligence
Master Teacher in Residence for Technologies, Anam Javed, explores artificial intelligence and how educators and schools can work with AI, not against it.

Self-paced learning opportunities

The Academy recommends the following free online, self-paced courses to get started with the basics of AI:

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• Responsible Artificial Intelligence
• Generative AI and its business applications

ACMI Education – pre-recorded webinars on AI in Education

Demystifying artificial intelligence: unlocking AI’s potential for teachers
Over four recorded and free sessions AMCI Education engaged AI education expert and author Leon Furze to delve into AI's role in shaping contemporary education.

Leon Furze blogs
Leon Furze offers advice and thought leadership through a series of blogs and other support for AI in Education.

AI and assessment
In particular when considering AI and assessment, Leon Furze offers an AI Assessment scale to support designing assessment with and without AI.

Teaching and learning resources

Below is a selection of resources to support exploring AI implementation.

ARC
AI based classroom activities may be found by searching ‘Artificial intelligence’ in the Arc portal.

GenAI Strategy for Faculty Leaders
This guide provides advice for faculty leaders to consider AI implementation in their schools. Rich and full of supporting resource links this is a great place to start.

GenAI and the AI assessment scale
This guide from Leon Furze provides advice on how to implement and plan for assessment that takes into account AI use in assessment by both teachers and students. It provides a practical framework way to think about how AI and assessment can be used ethically, and to enhance and measure learning outcomes.

Day of AI Australia
The Day of AI is a full day of highly interactive lessons for students in years 5-10 on artificial intelligence.

Digital Technologies Hub – Artificial Intelligence
The Digital Technologies Hub, offers advice, resources and lesson ideas and more related to AI.

ACARA Curriculum connections to AI
ACARA has created a curriculum connections resource to support educators to see the interrelationships across the dimensions of the Australian Curriculum and AI.

AI hub - Library guides at Australian Catholic University
These guides are designed to develop your awareness and skills in using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). These resources are designed to build your digital fluency by guiding you in effective, ethical and responsible use of GenAI technologies.  

Victorian Department of Education

Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Digital Technologies
This page outlines measures schools must take to support students to engage with digital technology in a safe and responsible way, including AI. This includes links to privacy policies and data protection legislation, copyright, cybersafe education, how to manage and report online incidents, and more.

Frameworks and guidance

As frameworks and guidance for use of AI becomes available, we will share crucial support here.

Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools
The Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools guides the responsible and ethical use of generative AI tools in ways that benefit students, schools, and society. The Framework supports school leaders, teachers, support staff, service providers, parents, guardians, students and policy makers.

UNESCO Guidelines for Generative AI: Practical Applications for Schools
The UNESCO guidelines focus on human agency, inclusion, equity, and diversity. There is also useful advice on the practical and creative implications of GAI in education which can be applied to the K-12 context.

Victorian Government Generative Artificial Intelligence policy

This policy sets out requirements for schools that choose to explore the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools. It provides advice for school leaders and teachers around how to use generative AI tools in a safe and responsible way, as well as advice on how to promote academic integrity in recognition of potential student use of generative AI tools.