The EmpowerAI network aims to enhance the digital competencies of teachers in the fields of social sciences and arts, focusing on the responsible and ethical use of AI tools in study processes. The project will achieve this objective through conducting co-design workshops, piloting training materials at partner universities, assessing results and producing assessment report with recommendations for higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region.
The topic of AI is highly debated across education sector, and HEIs in the Nordic-Baltic context embraced diverse approaches in integrating these tools in their systems. Despite the discussions, there is often a lack of a common approach and adequate training opportunities for teaching staff on this matter in the region. This gap is particularly significant in the field of social sciences and arts, which has been profoundly affected by the rise of text-generative machines. In this context, the opportunity to collaborate with Nordic-Baltic universities and develop a comprehensive training program for teachers at partner universities could bridge this gap by helping them to readapt the assessment and teaching practices.
The EmpowerAI network builds on pre-existing successful cooperation among partners as part of previous Nordplus cooperation and Erasmus+ projects and exchange programs. The project innovates by developing a hands-on program for social sciences and arts educators, using co-design and design thinking methods to produce training materials and engage various stakeholders in the HEI ecosystem in its activities. The teaching staff participating in the training will be able to apply developed materials in their own classrooms.
This project has received funding from the Nordplus programme: project ID – NPHE-2024/10453