Session T-06 - Topics: Machine Learning with CreateAI; Case Study of Accelerated Certification; Initiatives for Youth AI literacy

This engaging talk will introduce educators to micro:bit CreateAI, a user-friendly tool designed to empower students to explore fundamental AI concepts through engaging movement-based activities and data collection. The objective is to compare computational thinking 1.0 (coding) and 2.0 (machine learning) to understand the difference between them.

This individual talk explores the role of courage and communication in an accelerated wind turbine technician program designed for a diverse cohort of adult learners-ranging from former government employees to high school graduates. The “courage” in this context is twofold: the students’ bravery in pivoting to a hazardous, high-technical career, and the pedagogical boldness required to adapt traditional engineering lectures into a flexible, online adult learning environment. Drawing on recent andragogical research regarding transformational learning and digital community building, the course design balanced technical rigor with active engagement strategies, including Padlet, breakout sessions, and AI-generated case studies. While AI tools successfully customized textual scenarios, their application for technical media failed to meet scientific reliability standards, underscoring a critical gap in current ed-tech. Key challenges observed included the rigidity of adult learning habits and the isolation inherent in high-density online technical instruction. To counter these barriers and improve communication within the learning community, the next iteration proposes implementing an inverted classroom model and online fishbowl discussions. This session invites educators to examine how we can design rigorous technical environments that honor the vulnerability of adult learners while fostering a resilient community of practice.

Encode Canada is a student-led AI advocacy group that has spent the past year promoting AI literacy among adolescents. Our initiatives include in-classroom workshops on AI and its social impacts, and a mentorship program matching high school and CEGEP students with graduate researchers on self-directed projects. In this presentation, we’ll share challenges we’ve identified in AI education, present our initiatives that have engaged with these issues, and gather educator feedback on how to scale and improve our programs.