Research
AI for LIFE proposes three research programs that have been developed in consultation with educators, industry, government and researchers, designed to establish a research-informed approach to advance learning design, learners' experiences and learners' outcomes with AI.
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We will adopt Open Science research principles to help democratise access to research, promote equitable distribution and engagement with CRC data and outcomes, and instil public accountability, trustworthiness and rigour. To support this adoption we will establish a national cloud-based education research infrastructure that acts as a foundation for our research projects to realise large scale data sets for AI modelling/testing, ensure diversity - reduce bias, disseminate evidence and support longitudinal impact studies.
Fig. 1
The schema for the research program is represented by this matrix (fig 1.) which has been developed in close consultation between researchers and AI for LIFE participants.​ The matrix has three elements: Research Programs, Focus Areas & Project Clusters. The Research Programs represent the stakeholder groups - learners, educators and leaders - visualised by the vertical bars. Focus Areas are represented by the horizontal bars, they illustrate areas of interest the CRC research needs to address in the project cluster.
Projects are prioritised by the partners, the nature of each project determines the intersection between research program and focus areas in our Matrix. The current Project Clusters are nominated by our partners.
Learners
Supporting student learning experiences and outcomes
Including AI tools and services to support personalisation and adaptive learning experiences to increase equitable and inclusive learning experiences. Effective use of data to monitor learner progress and advance learning outcomes.
Educators
Supporting Educators needs and integration of AI in classroom practice
Including AI tools and services to support teacher tasks and workload, curriculum design and delivery and student progress monitoring and assessment.
Leaders
Supporting education vision, policy and strategy
Including AI tools and services to support leadership practices, social and ethical design of AI platforms and infrastructures for education and development of governance guidelines to support evaluation and procurement of evidence-based AI solutions for education.
Key Activities the CRC will address
Within the CRC, projects of varying duration's will be supported. Two long term projects have been identified that affect and in turn will be influenced by all projects that are captured within the matrix construct.
The first is an infrastructure project to define and establish a national cloud-based infrastructure that underpins the Australian educational system. The infrastructure must be safe and secure, affordable and readily available to all. The achievement of this goal will be an important legacy outcome of AI for LIFE.
The second is an ambitious project that seeks to discern the drivers that are likely to shape the purpose(s) and structure of future Australian education systems in the age of AI. This project will seek to identify trends and developments some of which may present fundamental challenges to the way in which all elements of education and training are organised, delivered and funded twenty or more years from now. We begin with an assumption that AI is a profoundly disruptive technology with potential impacts, intended and unintended across communities and society as a whole. If this assumption holds truth, what elements of the current educational system might or should we try to hold constant? And, alternatively, what might or should we be prepared to challenge and change? Should the education system lead or follow changes in community expectations of education? These are the types of questions we envisage being addressed in this project.
Education & Training
The AI for LIFE CRC is committed to building the Education & Training sector's capability and capacity by offering diverse educational pathways that ensure widespread upskilling and literacy in AI to support continued innovation, adoption and professional growth.
This commitment to build digital excellence for and with the sector is reflected in our multi-faceted approach, which includes:
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AI in Education Courses
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Industry-Embedded PhD Program
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Annual PhD School
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Annual AI in Education Symposium
Research Translation & Commercialisation
Research translation in the AI for LIFE CRC will be achieved through a strategic, multi-layered approach that ensures research outputs are effectively deployed by technology companies and adopted by education systems and end-users. By focusing on secure real-world fit-for-purpose applications and sustainable solutions, our CRC translation and commercialisation strategy will facilitate the widespread equitable and responsible integration of AI in education.
Key R&D elements of our adoption and deployment strategy include:
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Pilot Program and Real-World Testing
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Longitudinal Data Collection and Impact Assessment
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Comprehensive and Scalable Deployment Pathways
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Knowledge Sharing through Communities of Practice
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Dissemination of Findings and Policy Recommendations
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Ongoing Support and Capacity Building
AI for LIFE CRC Co-leadership Team
Research Programs
Focus Areas
