Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom is a subject that has been gaining traction in recent years with the deliverance in education still being topical and debatable. The parameters of real learning vs simulated knowledge begs the question of how modern AI initiatives and implementations that promise enhancing learning experiences, improving outcomes and optimising administrative processes are beneficial to the student.
Clifton High School is an advocate of striking a balance between leveraging AI’s potential benefits yet also addressing and navigating the associated challenges it ensues, as we continue to offer a bespoke and solid education to all our pupils in the modern world.
Learning
Learning the fundamentals of coding, robotics and automation through their Infant and Junior education allows these younger pupils to be introduced to technological concepts that develop growth mindsets. Throughout the Senior School, pupils build upon this foundational learning to develop their knowledge of how AI and machine learning models can be built through practical exercises such as Quick Draw.
Knowledge
Through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Moral Machine platform Clifton High School pupils are further challenged to consider the ethical consequences of handing control to AI systems and the challenges of bias in data sets.
Armed with this knowledge, pupils are able to train their own machine learning models, with their own data sets, using either text, images, audio or video as the data source. They proceed to interact with their model either through visual programming with Scratch or text-based coding in Python, seeing firsthand how easily AI systems can provide miss-information and biased results when their Pokémon categoriser insists that a water Pokémon is in fact electric due to limitations in the data.
Beyond our School’s computing curriculum pupils learn how AI diffusion generates images from text prompts. For instance, in Art pupils consider the implications for intellectual property from AI training on copyrighted material and in Product Design pupils critically evaluate design ideas created with generative AI.
Responsibility
Clifton High School uses a variety of strategies aimed at promoting the responsible and safe usage of technology whilst mitigating potential risks that may result in the misuse of AI platforms. Our monitoring and filtering frameworks prevent access to inappropriate systems; however, it is our teachers’ knowledge of their pupils that enable us to best support pupils in creating authentic work. They are trained in how best to identify AI use and are also supported with the TurnItIn plagiarism detection software. Equipped with these tools and strategies teachers are able to feedback and support pupils in developing authentic, original work that is appropriately referenced.
Training and Development
As a leading independent School in Bristol, Clifton High School is the central hub for AI Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the Bristol Education Partnership, working closely with universities and industry leaders to gain first class training on how best to guide our pupils, teachers and parents. Parents are assured that any in-house and external training rests around safeguarding with a commitment to the online safety of our pupils. Whilst we integrate learning for pupils in the classroom, we regularly conduct educational workshops and training opportunities for our staff and parent members. This has the purpose of reinforcing and continuing a triangular method of communication between teacher, pupil and parent that keeps our doors open as we teach children to navigate technology in the current climate.
