Guide: Artificial Intelligence In Canadian Education

From K-12 students using Generative AI to complete assignments to teachers using unregulated apps to plan lessons and mark tests, few areas of Canada's socio-economic landscape have been as impacted by AI as the education sector.

Last updated: November 24, 2024.

AI in edtech is moving fast

This video provides a preview of the type of AI-powered technologies that are coming to classrooms and lecture halls. The pace of innovation is incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PInbNdxH39w

Check out the 60 Minutes episode featuring this same technology.

AI and Canadian education

For Ask AI newsletter subscribers and LinkedIn followers the stories featured in this post will come as little surprise.

The reality is that over the past few years, artificial intelligence has made significant, and potentially irreversible changes to how education is delivered in Canada.

Perhaps of greater importance is the pace at which provinces and school boards have been responding to this escalating phenomenon.

There's no doubt that these are tricky and uncertain times for education professionals and there still remain more questions than answers.

• Do we understand the risks well enough to create meaningful policy?

• Does access to Generative AI impair congitive and intelliectual development?

• What role should parents have in the development of policies?

• Who owns the copyright and IP of AI-augmented research?

This post has been created as a resource to help those seeking to answer these and other critical questions concerning the use of artificial intelligence in Canadian edcuation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr-oQ2LyJWA

AI in Canadian K-12 schools

Without clear guidelines on the use of AI in schools, students, parents, and teachers find themselves in an ethical dilemma: Use AI and risk repurcussions in an uncertain legal and regulatory landscape, or avoid it and risk falling behind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSUSRv7xOsc

Recent news

We've put together a list of recent stories to help educators, adminitrators, and policymakers gain a better sense of what has been happening, and what still needs to be done:

• AI use is rapidly growing in Ontario classrooms (Toronto Star, 2024)

• K-12 schools are no strangers to AI. But inconsistent policies making trickier (CBC, 2024)

• Who’s confronting the generative AI hype and hazards in N.S. schools? (Saltwire, 2024)

• Alberta teachers have mixed views on AI (Teachers Alberta, 2024)

• Ottawa school board is paving the way for AI in the classroom (Global News, 2024)

• N.L. is crafting policy to guide AI use in schools (CBC, 2024)

• Where are Nova Scotia schools on Artificial Intelligence? (Frosted Education, Jan 2024)

Recent research

• The future role of government series (Deloitte, 2024)

• Generative AI Adoption Index Survey (KPMG, 2024)

• AI art generators have a place in K-12 classrooms (University Alberta, 2024)

Latest policies and guidelines

• Digital literacy and AI in education: Supports for BC schools (BC Governement, July 2024)

• Alberta Releases AI Policy Guidance for K-12 Education (Government of Alberta, Sept 2024)

• Advice for Elementary Teachers (Ontario Elementary Teacher's Federation, Sept 2024)

• AI for Education (Government of New Brunswick)

• AI In the Classroom (Manitoba Teacher's Society)

Courses and other resources

• Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning (Ontario Technical University)

• Gen AI in Teaching and Learning (Dalhousie University)

AI in Canadian higher-education

Canadian universities are developing policies on the use of AI and conducting studies into their use, but so far there are no outright bans. Will unnecessary delays pose a risk to qualifications and future job prospects for students?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyuyll_-XVI

Recent news

• Google Gemini can do more in-depth research (TechCrunch, 2024)

• Western U students continue to cheat but few getting caught using AI to do it (CBC, 2024)

• Combatting use of AI by New Brunswick university students — or not (CBC, 2024)

• Interview with author of "The opposite of cheating" (CBC, 2024)

• Dalhousie developing guidelines for AI in classroom, research, and admin (Dal News, 2023)

• Canadian universities crafting ChatGPT policies, French school bans AI (Global News 2023)

• Quebec CEGEP teachers say they lack tools to detect plagiarism (CTV News 2023)

• Cape Breton University looking how to deal with students using AI (CBC, 2023)

• University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina allow ethical AI use (CBC, 2023)

• UBC instructors using AI as a teaching tool (UBC, 2023)

• University of Manitoba Students' Union working with admin on AI (CBC, 2023)

Recent research

• Western University Annual report on scholastic offences (Western U, 2024)

• Will AI Change Post-secondary Teaching and Learning? (Conference Board, Dec 2024)

• Who is using AI in higher-education? (Conference Board of Canada, July 2024)

• Navigating AI in Teaching and Learning (U15, September 2024)

Latest policies and guidelines

• Using Gen AI to Make Learning More Accessible (Higher Ed Council Ontario, 2024)

• Generative AI in Quebec Higher Education (Conseil supérieur de l’éducation)

• Use artificial intelligence intelligently (University of Toronto)

• Draft Standard: ML and AI Implementation in Research Institutions (DGC, 2024)

Did we miss something?

If you are a Canadian educator, administrator, policy-maker, student, or parent we hope that this post inspires deeper thought on artificial intelligence in Canadian education and helps to generate fresh ideas for informed action. Please let us know in the comments below and we'll update the post as required.

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