Session T-04 - Topics: Scaling Non-Technical AI Literacy; Creating Online Modules with Student Partners; Education for Online Safety

This session introduces a suite of publicly accessible resources from Digital Moment’s Social Innovation Lab (SIL), offering a scalable model for integrating non-technical digital literacy into diverse curricula. Utilizing Design Thinking as its primary conceptual framework, the SIL enables students to synthesize AI literacy and data ethics into community-focused solutions through a 35-hour experiential curriculum. Each of our 16 cohorts (294 students) was evaluated via pre- and post-program surveys where students self-reported growth on a 1–10 scale across interpersonal, social innovation, and digital literacy categories. This talk will highlight key findings from the program’s lifespan and specifically focus on recent results that demonstrate a leveling effect in the digital divide and significant gains in learner confidence. Attendees will receive a high-level walkthrough of the five modular lesson plans and learn how this project-based approach provides the open-source tools necessary to foster equity and resiliency in their own STEM or humanities classrooms.

Desautels Faculty of Management has recognized a need to provide students with more resources on transferable skills. These skills are rarely taught in class and students can struggle to find adequate support. To address this gap, a cohort of student partners was hired to create online modules focused on key transferable skills. This session will cover how and why this student partner initiative was developed, the training these student partners received, and reflections on the initiative.

As digital technologies evolve rapidly, communities often struggle to keep pace with emerging risks like AI-generated misinformation and algorithmic bias. This presentation showcases TECH-NEST, a Concordia University graduate-student initiative promoting digital literacy and online safety in Montréal. Through hands-on workshops and interactive simulations, TECH-NEST empowers participants of all ages to recognize online fraud, critically evaluate digital content, and make informed decisions. We share practical strategies for translating complex digital phenomena into accessible learning, fostering trust and ethical technology use.