Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
529. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the steps, if any, that are being taken by her Department to educate and safeguard children around the potential harms and misinformation being generated by artificial intelligence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27540/23]
View answerThe Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 sets out my Department’s policy approach in terms of embedding digital technology across the curriculum and in all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment. Online safety and the safe and ethical use of digital technologies is a key component of the Digital Strategy. Supports and resources in the area of online safety and digital citizenship are provided by Webwise. Webwise promotes safer, better Internet use through awareness raising and education initiatives targeting teachers, children, young people and parents. Webwise develops and disseminates resources that help teachers integrate digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in their schools. With the help of the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel, Webwise develops youth oriented awareness raising resources and training programmes that promote digital citizenship and address topics such as online wellbeing, mis/disinformation, cyberbullying and more. Mis/disinformation is also addressed across a range of resources and CPD supports developed by Webwise.
Webwise is an active member of Media Literacy Ireland Network, a member of Media Literacy Ireland Steering Committee and is also a local partner on the current Media Literacy Case for Educators European Project. Webwise is also a member of the TeamLIT Network (Teacher education in digital and media literacy: providing guidance, resources and support for teacher trainers in Europe) and is on the National Counter Disinformation Strategy Working Group coordinated by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.
The Digital Strategy for Schools is cognisant of the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the education context. Advice and support, informed by the National Strategy on AI Strategy (AI Here for Good), and relevant AI research and reports developed at EU level, will be developed and disseminated to schools as appropriate. As highlighted in the National Strategy on AI ‘AI Here for Good’ it is important that teachers and school leaders understand the strengths and limitations of AI as part of their teaching methods. They will be supported in this process by the Department and its support services.
My Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) and supports for teachers and principals. The use of AI software and issues pertinent to the use of AI in schools will be incorporated into this CPD as appropriate. An important resource in this regard is the European Commission’s Ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning (2022). It is designed to help educators understand the potential that the applications of AI can have in education and to raise awareness of the possible risks so that they are able to engage positively, critically and ethically with AI systems and exploit their full potential.
In terms of how this is being addressed across the curriculum, redevelopment of the primary curriculum is underway with the publication of The Primary Curriculum Framework for all primary and special schools on 9th March 2023. The framework sets out the five curriculum areas of the new primary curriculum to include STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) which will enable children to benefit from learning about and working with traditional, contemporary, and emerging technologies. It also sets out the key competencies to include ‘Being a digital learner’ which aims to support children to become curious, creative, confident, and critical users of digital technology.
At Junior Cycle, the Framework for Junior Cycle provides multiple opportunities for the development of digital skills. A set of 24 Statements of Learning are central to the student experience in Junior Cycle and Statement 24 focuses explicitly on the development of digital skills setting out the expectation that the student uses technology and digital media tools to learn, communicate, work and think collaboratively and creatively in a responsible and ethical manner.
In addition to this cross-curricular focus on digital skills, schools may choose to offer short courses which explicitly focus on digital skills. In particular, NCCA has developed a short course in Digital Media Literacy through which students will learn to use digital technology to engage in self-directed enquiry, to discriminate between multiple sources of information and to participate safely and effectively in an online environment.
An updated Junior Cycle specification will be introduced into schools in September. SPHE at Junior Cycle will now include four strands: Understanding Myself and Others, Making Healthy Choices, Relationships and Sexuality, and Emotional Wellbeing. Some of the learning outcomes include that students should be able to “demonstrate how to access and appraise appropriate and trustworthy information.
At Senior Cycle, one of the Key Skills is information processing. The Senior Cycle Key Skills Framework states “This key skill helps learners become competent in an information-intensive environment. As well as developing the specific skills of accessing, selecting, evaluating and recording information, learners develop an appreciation of the differences between information and knowledge and the roles that both play in making decisions and judgements”. Students have opportunities to develop their digital media literacy skills through engagement with a variety of Leaving Certificate subjects, including English, History, Economics, or Politics and Society. Full details of the specifications for these subjects can be found on www.curriculumonline.ie
Development of a successor Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy for all learners in early learning and care, primary and post primary schools is underway. The new Strategy, which is being developed against robust research and consultation, will amongst other areas focus on strengthening digital literacy among both learners and educators.
