A special conference examining the potential threats and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence for education and building on the Sea of Faith’s work to develop ‘Solarity’, ‘Big Ideas’, and children’s education in Religion and Worldviews.
Thursday 24th July
4pm to 8pm
Session 1: Big Ideas for Religion and Science in Education’ with Professor Michael Reiss, Dave Francis, Professor Denise Cush & Philippa Hulme.
Michael, Dave, Denise and Philippa will show how the ‘Big Ideas’ approach to curriculum planning works to support progressive learning in Science and Religion & Worldviews education. In particular they will showcase a scheme of learning produced as a collaborative project to develop depth in pupils’ learning about evolution and creation: ‘The Scopes Monkey Trial, 100 years on.’
Session 2: ‘Cultivating Curiosity: the value of Religious Education’ with Louisa Jane Smith
Louisa will explore what curiosity is, what it looks like and why it is so important particularly in the current climate and preparing our children for life in the 21st century. She will then explore how RE can cultivate curiosity through its unique substantive knowledge, skills and pedagogy. She will also look at how not to do it and suggest some next steps in making RE more engaging for all students.
Friday 25th July
10am to 5pm
Session 3: ‘Identities, Artificial Intelligence, Religion and Hope’ with Professor Beth Singler
Through an anthropological lens, how can we consider and understand the relationship between religion and AI, when one is often considered to be of the past, and one of the future? Beth will introduce examples from her ethnographic work, and consider what kinds of specific entanglements, uses, and imaginaries are involved when AI and religion meet, and what dreams (or nightmares) may come out of their interactions.
Session 4: ‘Artificial Intelligence, Worldviews and Dialogue: What is the future role of AI in (Religious) Education?’ with Professor Rupert Wegerif
In this talk, Rupert looks at some of the ways in which communications technology has always been central to both religion and education. Looking at how the new AI-enhanced Internet differs from print literacy leads him to propose a new approach to education; education as induction into global dialogues supported by AI, which is also potentially a new approach to religion and to religious education (RE). He ends by proposing that we re-invent RE as induction into participation in an unbounded dialogue asking the question ‘what gives life meaning for you?’
