Graham Attwell and George Bekiaridis from AI pioneers have had a workshop proposal accepted for the 2025 JTEL Summer School on Technology Enhanced Learning. The Summer School, to be held in May, is organised by the European Association of Technology-Enhanced Learning.

The workshop is entitled DIY AI. Here is the application.

The use of AI in education is not new, But the rapid development and spread of Generative AI, following the release of Chat GPT in November 2023 has provoked serious debates over both the short term and longer term future of education with the widespread adoption and use of Generative AI. However there is also widespread disquiet as to the influence and role of large technology organisations, the cost of access to Large Language Models, the lack of pedagogic understanding in many AI applications and the lack of agency for teachers, trainers and learners using Generative AI.

Based on research from the Erasmus+ large scale AI Pioneer project, the DIY AI workshop will examine how educational organisations can utilise Open Source AI models including Small Language models to develop their own approaches to learning based on Generative AI. The workshop will also consider how researchers and educational practitioners can work together in developing such approaches and how collaboration can be sustained between different educational providers. 

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Consider the impact of Generative AI on education
  
• Examine Open Source AI applications
  
• Develop guidelines for developing ‘home grown’ applications for learning
  
• Reflect on how AI Pioneers from research and proactive can work together to develop DIY AI applications

Outcomes:

• An understanding of the potential development and use of Open Source AI models and applications in education
  
• An outline of a Handbook for developing Open Source projects on AI in Education (participants will be invited to finalize the handbook in a collaborative coediting environment to be published by the AI Pioneers project).

If you know of any initiatives using Open Source Software for education, we would love to hear from you.