36 Developing AI Literacy in Teaching, Learning and Assessment — a Collaborative Approach

Aims and Objectives

• Design and deliver an open-access course to foster AI literacy across the higher education sector, equipping educators with foundational knowledge of artificial intelligence and its relevance to academic practice.
• Introduce Generative AI and broader AI concepts through critical, practical, exploratory learning in diverse disciplinary contexts.
• Support academic staff to make informed decisions about why, when and how to engage GenAI tools into their own teaching and learning practice by designing session plans that align with pedagogical goals, learning outcomes, and ethical considerations.

Initiative Overview

This Open Course responded to the need for higher education (HE) institutions to support academic staff in developing AI literacy. It aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed, critical, and ethically responsible decisions about engaging with generative AI (GenAI) in teaching, learning and assessment. 

 This professional development course began with an introduction to GenAI, laying out a foundation for understanding how these tools operate and evolve. Participants were encouraged to discuss the challenges, risks, and limitations. The course then examined the opportunities that GenAI offers in higher education (HE), such as personalised learning, adaptive content, and supporting learning. Participants were asked to critically reflect on the uses of GenAI in their own disciplinary context and to assess its pedagogical value.  

A peer activity (Triads) supported the design of a GenAI-informed teaching activity, applying the principles and strategies explored throughout the course. 

Strategically, the course aligned with the National Forum’s “Teaching and Learning in a Digital World” priority area, which emphasises supporting learners and all those who teach in engaging with digital technologies. By focusing on GenAI, the course contributed to national efforts to develop digital skills, encourage innovation, and encourage ethical engagement with emerging technologies.

In terms of the Professional Development Framework, the course was aligned with the following areas: Personal and Professional Digital Capacity, Professional Knowledge and Skills, and Teaching and Learning. It helped participants to strengthen their digital confidence, acquire up-to-date knowledge, and develop practical strategies for integrating GenAI into their teaching.  

The course learning outcomes that led to the digital badge were as follows:

• Recognise key terminology related to GenAI, particularly in the context of higher education.
• Evaluate the role of AI in teaching, learning, and assessment, focusing on what, why, and how.
• Explore and reflect on discipline-specific pedagogical approaches that incorporate GenAI.
• Design and embed GenAI into their own teaching, learning, and assessment practices.

This course was designed based on the ABC Learning Design Framework and the UDL principles.

Impact and Evidence of Success

Delivered fully online, combining synchronous and asynchronous activities, alongside a self-study format over six weeks, this Open Course had more than 300 people interested in its first roll-out, with 80 registering. 58 Digital Badges were issued on that occasion. 

To date, this Open Course has been embedded in more than seven higher education institutions in Ireland. Moreover, a self-study version is available at the HEA Open Courses VLE where more than 350 people have registered to learn more about AI Literacy and GenAI in teaching, learning and assessment.  

More than 300 Digital Badges have been issued at the national level to date. 

Future Plans and Sustainability

Due to the rapid and continuous evolution of GenAI in a context where there are varying adoption rates, priorities and emphasis across the sector, this Open Course requires regular review and potential revision.  

Significantly different from other professional development online courses, this experience has taught us the importance of regularly adapting the content to make it more meaningful, including an agile response to the context of the evolving field and policy development in each higher education institution. 

Alignment and Policy Context

• EU Digital Education Action Plan
• Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service
• AI EU Act
• Generative Artificial Intelligence: Guidelines for Educators (QQI)
• Generative AI in Higher Education Teaching and Learning: Sectoral Perspectives (HEA)

Resources and Supporting Information

• GenAI for Teaching and Learning: How to Do It Right
• Using GenAI in Teaching and Learning (Facilitated Module)

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Funding and Acknowledgements

This initiative has been funded by the Higher Education Authority and the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. Open Courses Call for Development and Delivery 2023-2024.