Adventure in AI – Developing Children’s AI Literacy Erasmus Project

Project Title

Adventure in AI – Developing Children’s AI Literacy

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives, whether we knowingly embrace it or not. From social media to online movie platforms, AI systems penetrate human existence to offer benefits such as personalised experiences and simplify daily tasks, deeply changing the way we live.

Rapid technological advances in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) promise significant economic benefits (e.g. UK GDP to be 10% higher in 2030 as a direct result of AI through increased productivity and increased quality of products). As AI systems become embedded into our daily lives and behaviours, we can also expect an increasingly higher impact of these systems on our future, namely on jobs and competences required to successful careers.

With the AI market estimated to reach around 15 trillion USD by the year 2030, the push for integrating AI in the school curriculum is only growing. The delivery of this innovative gamification training package for schools, whilst exposing school teachers to the a cutting-edge research environment, will enable the 2AI project to engage and communicate effectively with school pupils, educators, policy makers, software engineers and data scientists involved in the application of AI, whilst inspiring them to become the next generation of leading innovators in that field. After completion of the project, school pupils and teachers will be fully capable of driving AI awareness education at the international level. Thus, 2AI project structure will serve as a European platform for outstanding teacher and pupil training in AI technologies and its societal implications. 2AI innovative research programme will create new learning software solutions that will aid the Road to AI and the EU Single Digital market initiative using AI in the future; it will produce novel interactive learning AI techniques to help users understand their benefits and societal implications.

Additionally, we have an opportunity to engage and empower the imagination of the younger generations to shape and improve the world they are going to inherit, especially as children create unique perspectives as the first generation surrounded by AI systems.

For all these reasons, it is critical to introduce or reinforce the approach to this topic with children and improve their AI literacy.

AI literacy begins with a basic understanding of what AI is, the language surrounding the technological and social aspects of AI, how AI works and how it is currently playing a role in our daily lives, in addition to potential implications in jobs and careers.

In a way, the objective of AI literacy is to eradicate the misconceptions around AI and to create an all-inclusive ecosystem where all members of the community are equipped with the basic skills needed to pursue further learning to better adapt to a changing world where AI will be prevalent.

However, the education systems, including in the partner countries, as well as teachers and parents, are unprepared to address this complex topic, emphasising the need to
(i) raise awareness about the importance of AI literacy,
(ii) to make available learning resources on these topics and
(iii) to equip educators to engage in learning activities with children.

Project Adventure in AI – Developing Children’s AI Literacy (2AI) aims to develop a gamified approach to increase children’s (7-12 year olds) AI literacy, and to raise awareness and equip educators to address AI topics in the classrooms and in other learning contexts (including non-formal and informal learning).
This gamified learning approach will include 2 main elements (Intellectual Outputs):
• Digital game, creating an interactive experience to explore AI-related concepts and topics, to raise children’s AI literacy.
• Gamified Workshops & Kit, for educators and children, to raise awareness about the importance of AI literacy, to developed AI-related competences and promote and empower educators in the 2AI learning approach.

This initiative is led by Aston University and schools and companies from 5 countries:
• Aston University (UK)
• CEIPSO Maestro Rodrigo (Spain)
• Advancis Business Services, Lda (Portugal)
• Boon Unipessoal, Lda (Portugal)
• Szkoła Podstawowa nr 1 w Kątach Wrocławskich im. Kardynała Bolesława Kominka (Poland)
• Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Greece)

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 336183 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASTON UNIVERSITY & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Boon Unipessoal, Lda.
• ELLINOGERMANIKI AGOGI SCHOLI PANAGEA SAVVA AE
• COLEGIO PUBLICO DE INFANTIL PRIMARIA Y SECUNDARIA MAESTRO RODRIGO
• Szkoła Podstawowa nr 1 w Kątach Wrocławskich im. Kardynała Bolesława Kominka
• ADVANCIS-BUSINESS SERVICES, LDA