AI Power Up: Prioritising student learning

Abstract

UNESCO’s 2024 AI Competency Framework for Teachers adroitly captures the polarised potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education, noting its capacity to “enhance learning experiences and support teacher tasks” (13) whilst also warning of its “significant risks to students, the teaching community, education systems and society at large” (13). This practice paper recounts the efforts of a regional Australian university to offset these risks and accentuate the benefits of AI for student learning. The project commenced with the unexpected discovery that students were apprehensive about using AI for academic tasks, contrary to concerns that they would readily adopt it for unethical purposes. This fear appeared to be driven by academic integrity policies designed to prevent AI misuse. In the main, students were not using AI to enhance learning. Subsequently, a multi-disciplinary Community of Practice, the AI Pedagogy Project, created a student learning resource: AI Power Up: Supercharge Your Learning. This multimodal, active-learning resource sought to differentiate between the many benefits for AI in learning and its specialised use in assessment. Students were initially introduced to AI terminology, before exploring its benefits and limitations. Explicit instruction was provided on how to use AI to personalise and enhance the learning experience in an ethical and informed manner. This paper recounts the development of the resource, its contents, deployment, and impact on students and staff.