The AI Education Project on Wednesday released its AI Readiness Framework, a comprehensive way for students, teachers and school leaders to think about building AI Readiness in America’s schools and evaluating what being “AI Ready” means in a time of rapid technological change.
aiEDU’s framework is unique, building on dozens of stakeholder interviews, qualitative and quantitative research — including extensive survey work with educators — as well as building on existing research and frameworks in the field.
“AI is already an inescapable part of our world, our economy and our K12 system. And we are only at the dawn — the transformation underway will redefine the essential skills needed for America’s students to keep up,” said Alex Kotran, co-founder CEO of aiEDU. “This framework will help define what AI Readiness really means and, most importantly, how we achieve it for a generation of learners adapting to this new and rapidly changing technology.”
aiEDU’s framework builds on two important concepts:
- AI Literacy, which the organization defines as the collection of skills and knowledge that a person needs to confidently understand, ethically use, and critically evaluate artificial intelligence in a world where AI is ubiquitous.
- AI Readiness, which aiEDU defines as the ability and underlying skills to apply AI Literacy to one’s professional and personal endeavors. A person is AI ready when they understand interdisciplinary impacts of AI and can apply their human advantage alongside evolving technology and leverage collaboration, creativity, and self-advocacy alongside AI to achieve their life and career potential.
aiEDU’s framework has three parts. The first focuses on AI Literacy & Readiness Competencies for Students, including concrete skills students need to build AI Literacy and AI Readiness.
The second part focuses on similar competencies for educators. And the final component is District Readiness Rubric, providing guidance on what districts must do to prepare for AI use and readiness in their systems.
The framework is available, free to download, at www.aiedu.org.
“Our hope is that by setting a clear framework we can help all of the key stakeholders — students, educators, and district leaders — understand what it will take to keep up with the change ahead and address it proactively,” Kotran said. “One thing we have learned is that there is no ‘national’ solution to AI Literacy and AI Readiness but a common sense of values will go a long way.”
