The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Agency (ACARA) is offering support to teach lessons about generative AI, large-scale language models and chatbots, while teaching children about the benefits and risks of hot technology topics. has published resources on AI. In education.
In a blog post, ACARA said applying the Australian Curriculum to real-world situations to learn about AI “raises student awareness and provides an opportunity to recognize its potential and limitations.”
“Three aspects (learning areas, general competencies, and cross-curricular priorities) are key to understanding what AI is, how it works, and how it can be used responsibly. We will provide you with the critical learning you need to do so.”
According to ACARA, AI can teach and learn in a variety of ways. For example, technology-related curricula teach overarching elements of AI related to data, computational thinking, and systems thinking. In mathematics, AI can be taught through algebra, measurement, spatial, statistics, and probability.
“The subject learning areas of Mathematics, Technology and Digital Technologies. General competencies in digital literacy, ethical understanding, critical and creative thinking, and numeracy. We support the use and application of AI,” ACARA added.
So, that's fine. There is no class called “artificial intelligence” anywhere. Instead, AI is encouraged to be integrated into the curriculum through ethical considerations through practical means. As The Australian pointed out, consideration has also been given to respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their culture and art to reduce the risk of offensive content.
But how do we communicate this to teachers? Well, that's where ACARA's new resource 'Curriculum Connection' comes in, and according to The West Australian, it's already helping teachers in the classroom. It's starting.
“As a maths teacher, I'm looking for real-world applications. The Curriculum Connectivity Mapping document has made it easy for me to connect my maths curriculum to the math that supports AI technology.” Teacher, Western Australia Donna Buckley said: She was also the recipient of the 2023 Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools Award and helped lead the development of the resource.
ACARA's acting chief executive, Stephen Gunill, said AI technology had the “potential” to improve teaching and learning opportunities for students and bring significant benefits to education.
“But we also need to educate children on how to stay safe when using these technologies.
“ACARA is therefore taking a leading role on this issue by developing new resources to help teachers equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to understand the challenges, opportunities and risks of AI. This provides young Australians with the opportunity to learn what AI is, how it works and how to use it responsibly and ethically.”
Some of the ways to teach kids about AI are kind of cute. For example, in the first year and her second year, the resource states that it is good to start with the movement of robots, automated systems and autonomous vehicles, as their spatial awareness increases.
Honestly, this seems like a really good idea. The implications of AI are frankly frightening, and children should be taught from an early age about the ongoing risks from technology. Hopefully our education system can catch up soon, before too many people are caught off guard by misinformation and disinformation from AI-generated videos, images, and more.
Image: iStock
