New course enhances AI skills for K-12 educators

quick look

With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence tools, teachers may find themselves learning AI technologies at the same time as (or behind) their students. To address this challenge, Iowa State researcher Evrim Baran and his team developed a new micro-credential course designed to help K-12 educators build critical AI literacy skills using real-world classroom examples.

AMES, Iowa – Conversations about generative artificial intelligence in schools often center on cheating: how to spot cheating, how to stop it, and who is responsible.

But there’s also a deeper, more urgent conversation underlying it, said Evrim Baran, Helen LeBaron Hilton dean and professor of educational technology and human-computer interaction at Iowa State University’s College of Health and Human Sciences.

What does it mean to teach, and actually teach, children in a world where AI is rapidly evolving?

“Teachers are learning how to interact with AI tools with their students,” Baran said. “And teachers are asking, ‘How should I talk to my students about AI systems that I’m still learning?'”

Baran said this concern is common in her conversations with K-12 educators.

“Teachers are looking for deeper AI instruction than simple tutorials and product demonstrations,” she said. “They want to develop critical judgment skills, not just proficiency, so they can better prepare students for an AI-integrated future.”

These needs are the foundation of the new Critical AI in Education Pathways micro-certification course developed by Baran and her team. This course is designed to help educators develop critical AI literacy skills and feel ready to teach, design, and lead in an AI-enabled world.

“I have spent my career researching how technology shapes teaching and learning, and was inspired by the wide availability of generative AI tools: they have great potential to support learning in powerful ways, but they also have limitations,” Baran said.

“The debate is now shifting from whether AI should be allowed in schools to how we should prepare students for the AI-enabled world of the future. This includes the critical role teachers play in helping students learn how these systems work and how to use them safely, ethically, and effectively.”

Building AI literacy among teachers

The new Critical AI in Education Pathways microcertification course is delivered entirely online and self-paced, allowing educators to start the course whenever they are ready and then progress through the material on their own timeline.

The course is “beginner-friendly,” Baran said, stressing that educators don’t need a technical background to sign up.

“Our goal was to create a course that would support all K-12 educators who want to build critical AI literacy,” said Baran, who also serves as project director for the Iowa State Education Critical AI Pathways Initiative.

This course includes five modules covering the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, ethics of AI in education, pedagogical integration, implementation, and human-centered AI in education. The total time required to complete all five modules is approximately 20-25 hours.

Baran said the course is available to educators everywhere and satisfies the Iowa teacher licensure renewal credit requirement of one credit.

“Educators who successfully complete a course may request renewal of credit issued by the Iowa Department of Education,” Baran said. “This credit will count toward the credits a teacher must earn to maintain the relevant educator license in Iowa.”

Created for educators, with educators

According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, more than 50% of U.S. teens say they have used a chatbot, such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Character.ai, to help with schoolwork, and one in 10 teens ages 13 to 17 say they do all or most of their schoolwork with the help of a chatbot.

Baran said these findings highlight the need for educators to find ways to improve the AI ​​literacy of their students and themselves.

To develop the Critical AI in Education Pathways course, Baran’s team collected real-world classroom examples from K-12 teachers, constructed scenario-based assignments, and guided reflection through all five of the course modules.

“As AI becomes part of the everyday environment that students interact with both in and out of school, it is important that critical AI literacy education for teachers is based on real-life examples and situations,” said Baran.

What does this mean for elementary, middle school, and high school teachers?

“We saw common concerns about the limitations of AI among K-12 teachers at all levels, including the accuracy of information and potential bias, cognitive offload, and the potential for over-reliance on these technologies among students,” Baran said. “There are also concerns about wellbeing and values, including students using these technologies for personal advice and mental health support.”

That’s why the course focuses on helping teachers engage students in activities that use critical thinking skills around AI, rather than replacing important reasoning and problem-solving skills with AI tools, Baran said.

Winterset (Iowa) Community School District, which serves approximately 1,550 students and employs more than 100 teachers, is one of the K-12 schools Baran is collaborating with through the Critical AI in Iowa State Education Pathways initiative.

“About a year ago, I came across an article about a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and the School District of Philadelphia focused on AI literacy professional development for teachers. I thought it was a great idea and wanted to share it,” said Chad Sussex, assistant principal for grades 7-12 at Winterset Community School District.

Sussex, who also leads the district’s AI task force, reached out to the Iowa Department of Education to pitch the idea and quickly connected with Baran.

“It was an honor to work with such an innovative school district on AI,” said Baran, who said she jumped at the chance to work with Winterset after speaking with Sussex. “We learned a lot from working with Winterset, including spending time in classrooms, talking directly with teachers, and observing interesting examples of teachers responsibly using AI in the classroom.”

Sussex said the opportunity to work with Iowa State was impactful.

“I think this partnership has been a great way for us to learn from each other,” Sussex said. “Winterset educators visited the ISU campus to learn more about how generative AI tools are being developed and widely used, and ISU researchers visited classrooms to observe learning and receive real-time feedback.

“As AI continues to become an integral part of our lives and the future of our students, there is great value for all of us in sharing what we learn and understand with each other.”

take a course

The Critical AI in Education Pathways microcredential course is available now through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach store.

To access the course and learn more, visit https://education.iastate.edu/learn-by-doing/micro-credentials.