Group picture at the AI for child growth and learning workshop

Technology is increasingly permeating every aspect of life. There are so many activities firmly anchored on the use of technology for productivity, effectiveness and efficiency. The use of Artificial Intelligence, a subset of technology, has risen sharply through the active use of Open AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini among others. However, the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence is often regarded as a double-edged sword, presenting both significant benefits and notable concerns. Among the issues regularly cited are the generation of misinformation and fake news by generative AI, the potential erosion of human critical thinking due to overreliance, risks to privacy, among others. Nevertheless, when implemented responsibly, the advantages of AI are considerable.

To educate people on optimising Artificial Intelligence tools to enhance their work, OFWA, in collaboration with Expanding Boundaries International put together a workshop themed *‘Harnessing AI for Child Growth and Learning’. *The workshop was specifically designed for educators, parents, and individuals within the academic sector, to equip them to leverage AI tools in planning lessons and improving learning outcomes for students and children. The facilitator, Mrs. Leticia Nortey, guided participants in applying the ACT framework (Act, Context, Task) to develop concise and culturally relevant prompts, enabling effective utilisation of AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT to enhance lesson planning. Additionally, participants received training on using Google Sites to create personalised learning hubs, aimed at enriching the learning experiences of children.

The workshop empowered participants with the knowledge on how AI can be employed to make learning more interactive and personalised, thereby supporting child growth and educational development. Participants also engaged in a practical session in which they developed various gamified projects across multiple academic subjects, to enhance interactivity and engagement in learning.

Jesse Akrofi presenting his project at the workshop

Before the workshop, some participants held misconceptions regarding the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. These included concerns about job displacement, which resulted in scepticism about AI usage, the belief that generative AI produces correct results from the first prompt, etc. Participants who were already using AI in lesson planning also mentioned that the workshop provided them with new perspectives on its effective application.

Following the session, participants reflected on their key lessons learnt. Lessons include revised perceptions of how children learn, particularly in relation to using computers and laptops for interactive learning. Additionally, some participants highlighted the importance of prompt engineering, guided by the ACT framework (Act, Context, Task) learnt at the workshop, to obtain relevant and accurate results. They expressed their readiness to adopt this framework when leveraging AI tools for planning lessons.

The collaboration with Expanding Boundaries International for this workshop, aligns with OFWA’s objective of providing digital skills and literacy training to address the skills and technology gap in Ghana and beyond. We look forward to similar partnerships in the future.

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