“I’ve enjoyed actually learning about what AI is and how it works, because before I thought it was just a scary computer that thinks like a human,” a student learning with Experience AI at King Edward’s School, Bath, UK, told us.
This is the essence of what we aim to do with our Experience AI lessons, which demystify artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Through Experience AI, teachers worldwide are empowered to confidently deliver engaging lessons with a suite of resources that inspire and educate 11- to 14-year-olds about AI and the role it could play in their lives.
“I learned new things and it changed my mindset that AI is going to take over the world.” – Student, Malaysia
Developed by us with Google DeepMind, our first set of Experience AI lesson resources was aimed at a UK audience and launched in April 2023. Next we released tailored versions of the resources for 5 other countries, working in close partnership with organisations in Malaysia, Kenya, Canada, Romania, and India. Thanks to new funding from Google.org, we’re now expanding Experience AI for 16 more countries and creating new resources on AI safety, with the aim of providing leading-edge AI education for more than 2 million young people across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
In this blog post, you’ll hear directly from students and teachers about the impact the Experience AI lessons have had so far.
Case study: Experience AI in Malaysia
Penang Science Cluster in Malaysia is among the first organisations we’ve partnered with for Experience AI. Speaking to Malaysian students learning with Experience AI, we found that the lessons were often very different from what they had expected.
“I actually thought it was going to be about boring lectures and not much about AI but more on coding, but we actually got to do a lot of hands-on activities, which are pretty fun. I thought AI was just about robots, but after joining this, I found it could be made into chatbots or could be made into personal helpers.” – Student, Malaysia
“Actually, I thought AI was mostly related to robots, so I was expecting to learn more about robots when I came to this programme. It widened my perception on AI.” – Student, Malaysia.
The Malaysian government actively promotes AI literacy among its citizens, and working with local education authorities, Penang Science Cluster is using Experience AI to train teachers and equip thousands of young people in the state of Penang with the understanding and skills to use AI effectively.
“We envision a future where AI education is as fundamental as mathematics education, providing students with the tools they need to thrive in an AI-driven world”, says Aimy Lee, Chief Operating Officer at Penang Science Cluster. “The journey of AI exploration in Malaysia has only just begun, and we’re thrilled to play a part in shaping its trajectory.”
Giving non-specialist teachers the confidence to introduce AI to students
Experience AI provides lesson plans, classroom resources, worksheets, hands-on activities, and videos to help teachers introduce a wide range of AI applications and help students understand how they work. The resources are based on research, and because we adapt them to each partner’s country, they are culturally relevant and relatable for students. Any teacher can use the resources in their classroom, whether or not they have a background in computing education.
“Our Key Stage 3 Computing students now feel immensely more knowledgeable about the importance and place that AI has in their wider lives. These lessons and activities are engaging and accessible to students and educators alike, whatever their specialism may be.” – Dave Cross, North Liverpool Academy, UK
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“The feedback we’ve received from both teachers and learners has been overwhelmingly positive. They consistently rave about how accessible, fun, and hands-on these resources are. What’s more, the materials are so comprehensive that even non-specialists can deliver them with confidence.” – Storm Rae, The National Museum of Computing, UK
“[The lessons] go above and beyond to ensure that students not only grasp the material but also develop a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the subject.” – Teacher, Changamwe Junior School, Mombasa, Kenya
Sparking debates on bias and the limitations of AI
When learners gain an understanding of how AI works, it gives them the confidence to discuss areas where the technology doesn’t work well or its output is incorrect. These classroom debates deepen and consolidate their knowledge, and help them to use AI more critically.
“Students enjoyed the practical aspects of the lessons, like categorising apples and tomatoes. They found it intriguing how AI could sometimes misidentify objects, sparking discussions on its limitations. They also expressed concerns about AI bias, which these lessons helped raise awareness about. I didn’t always have all the answers, but it was clear they were curious about AI’s implications for their future.” – Tracey Mayhead, Arthur Mellows Village College, Peterborough, UK
“The lessons that we trialled took some of the ‘magic’ out of AI and started to give the students an understanding that AI is only as good as the data that is used to build it.” – Jacky Green, Waldegrave School, UK
“I have enjoyed learning about how AI is actually programmed, rather than just hearing about how impactful and great it could be.” – Student, King Edward’s School, Bath, UK
“It has changed my outlook on AI because now I’ve realised how much AI actually needs human intelligence to be able to do anything.” – Student, Arthur Mellows Village College, Peterborough, UK
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do before this but now knowing more about AI, I probably would consider a future career in AI as I find it really interesting and I really liked learning about it.” – Student, Arthur Mellows Village College, Peterborough, UK
If you’d like to get involved with Experience AI as an educator and use our free lesson resources with your class, you can start by visiting experience-ai.org.
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