The third round of the free UNESCO course started on October 12: "Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Digital Citizenship at School". The course is designed primarily for teachers, school staff, and other participants in the educational process.
The course helps people understand the opportunities and risks of using artificial intelligence, and shows how the digital environment affects education and the life of a modern person in general. AI here is treated not simply as a teacher's assistant: educators will examine how AI actually works, how it can influence everyday decisions, and deepen (or resolve?) social, ethical, and academic issues.
Topics covered in the course:
- Digital footprint,
- Disinformation,
- Information bubble,
- Ethical use of AI,
- Human interaction in the digital environment,
- Protection of rights,
- Democratic participation.
The content is divided into 5 thematic modules. The studying is interdisciplinary, and takes regional characteristics into account. Participants in the program review video materials and expert commentary, documented practical examples, and take part in discussions; as a result, they develop critical and analytical thinking and learn to correctly assess modern digital technologies from an ethical standpoint.
In this cohort, classes are being held in Portuguese for the first time — previously only English or Spanish options were available: this will open the program to participants from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The course became popular from the very start: two cohorts gathered more than 33,000 registrations from 113 countries, the retention rate (how many students not just started, but continued studying) exceeded 34%, and students who complete the program (or finish 80%+ of it) will receive an official UNESCO certificate. Almost 61% of participants are women. The course is completely free.
The initiative is tied to UNESCO's broader mission: to promote accessible, equitable, and quality education that takes into account the changes brought about by the development of digital technologies. UNESCO wants to raise educators' competencies so that they can not only use new tools themselves, but also help their students navigate the digital world more responsibly.
