Abstract

Over the past three years AI education in schools has emerged as one of the fastest growing areas in computing education research. This talk introduces Finland’s strategic research program, Generation AI, which brings modern AI/ML education into K-12 classrooms. Starting at age 10, students explore foundational mechanisms and principles of data-driven AI, along with ethical questions related to the datafication of society.

The talk presents the project’s philosophical underpinnings, the pedagogical and curricular research involved, and some of the policy and legal frameworks that shape its approach. A live demo will show some of the tools developed in the project, illustrate the associated AI concepts and workflows, and outline the learning progression that guides conceptual change. It concludes with some hard-earned lessons learned since our work began in 2018.