Artificial Intelligence Education for Teachers

Wishlist Share
Share Course
Page Link
Share On Social Media

About Course

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, it is essential that today’s learners are equipped with a foundational understanding of what AI is, how it functions, how to interact with it responsibly, and how it might shape their futures. However, effective AI education goes far beyond simply teaching coding or the mechanics of technology. It also involves developing critical thinking, ethical awareness, and digital literacy—skills and values that are crucial for navigating a world where AI plays a growing role in decision-making, communication, and creativity.

This professional learning course has been thoughtfully designed by educators, specifically for teachers, to demystify AI and make it accessible, practical, and relevant for classroom integration. It aims to bridge the gap between popular misconceptions and the actual capabilities and limitations of AI technologies. Whether you teach science, humanities, arts, or any other subject, this course will show you how AI can be embedded meaningfully into your existing curriculum.

Teachers who join this course will deepen their understanding of AI concepts, explore real-world applications, and gain insights into why AI literacy is a critical component of 21st-century education. You will also be equipped with practical strategies and resources to introduce AI-related themes and activities in your lessons, regardless of your current level of technical expertise.

In addition to enhancing your professional knowledge, the course offers an optional but highly valuable opportunity to design and implement a Capstone Project. This project allows you to apply what you’ve learned by guiding students through a hands-on AI learning experience, fostering inquiry, collaboration, and innovation in your classroom.

Whether your goal is to gain a general understanding of AI or to integrate AI into your teaching practice in a deeper way, this course offers a comprehensive and flexible approach. By empowering educators with the tools and confidence to engage with AI, we can ensure that students are not just passive users of technology, but informed and ethical participants in an AI-driven world.

Show More

What Will You Learn?

  • Compare artificial intelligence with human intelligence, develop a broad understanding of its historical evolution since the 1950s, and examine key applications across various industries.
  • Apply creative and critical thinking, design thinking, data fluency, and computational thinking to explore and evaluate real-world uses of AI technologies.
  • Articulate the ethical considerations inherent in AI development and deployment, with a focus on fairness, transparency, privacy, and regulatory compliance.
  • Demonstrate how thinking skills outlined in the Australian curriculum can be employed to address complex problems where AI may offer effective and innovative solutions.

Course Content

Module 1: Introduction
In this opening module, we will introduce you to the key themes and structure of the course. We’ll explain why it is critical for both educators and students to gain an understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications in today’s world. You’ll learn about the transformative role AI plays across various industries and how it shapes the future of work and education. This module will also provide a curated selection of resources to support your learning journey, offering tools, articles, and references that will help you explore AI in greater depth. Whether you're a seasoned tech educator or new to the field, this module is designed to set the stage for the exciting content to come.

Module 2: What is AI, the History of AI, and Applications of AI
In this module, we delve into the essence of Artificial Intelligence—what it is, how it compares to human intelligence, and how it has evolved over the past seven decades. AI is no longer a concept relegated to science fiction; it is a powerful force shaping industries, governance, healthcare, and more. We will examine its historical evolution, from its theoretical foundations in the 1950s to its rapid advancement in recent years. You will also explore the broad spectrum of AI applications across sectors, including robotics, healthcare, and finance, to understand how AI is already embedded in our daily lives and how it could further transform society in the future. By the end of this module, you will be able to recognize the scope of AI’s influence and understand why its inclusion in educational curricula is critical.

Module 3: Part A: Design Thinking and Critical and Creative Thinking
This module focuses on key thinking skills essential for working with AI—design thinking, and critical and creative thinking (CCT). Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology widely used in innovation, and it is especially valuable when creating and iterating on AI solutions. This process involves empathizing with users, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing. You’ll learn the stages of design thinking and how it can be applied to AI-related challenges in the classroom and beyond. Critical and creative thinking (CCT) are essential when evaluating AI’s potential and limitations. Creative thinking enables educators and students to identify opportunities for AI innovation, while critical thinking allows for the objective analysis of AI’s applications and impact. We will also explore the application of CCT through frameworks such as de Bono's Six Hats and ACARA’s four-quadrant model. Through examining real-world examples of "creative AI," you will gain insight into the current boundaries of machine creativity and the challenges AI faces in replicating human-like imagination.

Module 4: Data Fluency and Computational Thinking
In this module, you will explore the foundational principles of computational thinking, which is critical for understanding how AI systems process data and make decisions. Drawing from the influential work of Seymour Papert and Jeanette Wing, you will gain insight into how computational thinking can be integrated into the classroom to enhance problem-solving and analytical skills. You’ll learn how decision-making—whether by humans or AI—depends on high-quality data. Data, in all its forms (numerical, visual, and textual), is the lifeblood of AI systems, and understanding how to collect, interpret, and represent data is essential for both AI development and classroom learning. Using practical exercises, such as image recognition challenges with "Machine Learning for Kids," you’ll experience firsthand how AI algorithms are trained. You’ll also understand the role computational thinking plays in the Australian Curriculum and how educators can foster this mindset using both unplugged (non-digital) and computer-based activities.

Module 5: Ethical Decision-Making and Bias Awareness
AI’s growing presence in decision-making raises critical ethical concerns. In this module, we explore how AI systems, while powerful, can also replicate human biases and injustices if not carefully designed and monitored. Drawing inspiration from Isaac Asimov’s "laws of robotics," which were initially created to prevent harm from intelligent machines, we will examine the ethical considerations involved in AI development. You will explore frameworks, such as the CSIRO’s approach to AI ethics, to understand how AI systems can be aligned with societal values. Key issues addressed will include fairness, transparency, privacy, and accountability. You will also learn how to recognize and mitigate biases in AI algorithms, ensuring they do not perpetuate harmful stereotypes or inequalities. This module emphasizes the importance of teaching students to think critically about the ethical implications of AI and how to navigate a world where AI-based decisions increasingly affect their lives.

Module 6: Conclusions and Next Steps
The final module provides a comprehensive summary of the course and synthesizes the key takeaways. You will reflect on the learning objectives and insights gained throughout the course, reinforcing how these concepts can be implemented in your teaching practice. In addition, this module will guide you on how to further integrate AI education into your curriculum, offering practical suggestions for incorporating AI concepts in the classroom across different subjects and grade levels. We will also revisit some of the resources shared throughout the course, ensuring you have a toolkit for continuing your professional development. Finally, you will be encouraged to apply what you've learned by considering ways to introduce AI-related projects or discussions into your future lessons.

Student Ratings & Reviews

No Review Yet
No Review Yet

Icon image here

contact email

Address