AI Literacy Day at VU: Educators Explore AI Literacy in Education

The AI Literacy Day at Vrije Universiteit (VU) brought together educators, support staff, and policymakers to explore what AI literacy means and how it can be integrated into education. The event began with a plenary session where participants were asked what students really need to learn about AI. Five key themes emerged:

1. The sustainability dilemma: What is more harmful to the climate: AI or endless scrolling?

2. AI is here to stay: AI literacy is not just important now but also for students' future.

3. Privacy and ethics: Participants were concerned about sharing personal data with AI tools like ChatGPT.

4. Adapting educational design: Rapid developments in AI require new approaches to teaching, assessment, and guidance.

5. Mental health: What happens if students interact with a chatbot more often than with their teachers?

The event also featured practical examples of how VU is already experimenting with AI in education. At the Faculty of Medicine, students learn how to write effective prompts for AI tools and even teach these skills to others. The University Library offers workshops on the critical use of AI, while the Academic Language Programme explores how AI impacts students' writing skills.

In addition, the VU Centre for Teaching & Learning (CTL) is developing an 'AI in Education Handbook'. This handbook will provide practical guidelines, design principles, and considerations around ethics, assessment, and privacy. Workshops will remain an essential part of expanding AI knowledge in education.

Read the full article on the VU website: VU article.