Special class last Saturday, 25 May, at UniCamillus for the students of the Specialisation Course in Educational Support Activities. In the lecture theatre of UniLabs—and simultaneously streamed in the other classrooms of the same building—the 730 students enrolled in the University’s 1st and 2nd level courses took part in a workshop on the use of Artificial Intelligence in education. It was organised by Professor Gaetano Dominici, course director since the academic year 2020-2021, when UniCamillus started providing these courses. The workshop, entitled ‘The contribution of AI to the qualification of education processes’, was part of the curricular pathway enabling learning support teachers in Italian schools to obtain ECTS credits.
For the participants, it was an opportunity to delve into issues that are becoming more and more cogent in teachers’ daily work. Knowing how to deal with the new challenges that AI poses right from the school benches, for both students and teachers, represents one of the new frontiers of teaching. During the day, several talks were given, shedding light on the many facets of such a broad topic. Experts from various universities throughout Italy addressed topics such as the conscious use of the tools and potential of artificial intelligence, its impact on communication and the creation of a true digital culture, and how it has revolutionised educational and teaching paradigms. What we were all used to thinking about until a few years ago in terms of school precepts, teaching and learning methodologies, has in fact changed profoundly in just over a generation. And today, as the speakers at the workshop agreed in various capacities, the exploration of these changes that have taken place so abruptly is all the more crucial for those who have to deal with educational support activities.
The event was widely appreciated by the participants, but also by the organisers themselves. Professor Dominici, who coordinated the work together with the contribution of Professor Padua, UniCamillus’ Delegate to Third Mission, expressed his satisfaction for the success of the event, not ruling out the possibility of hosting a second one in the future.
