Pay Attention to the Code behind the Curtain

Arthur C Clarke said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” and it does feel like we’re in the Land of Oz right now, blinded by the brilliance of Generative AI. Just like Dorothy and Toto we can, and should, look behind the curtain and find out what’s going on. AI isn’t magic and programmers aren’t wizards, just normal people in control of awesome technology.  

#NationalCodingWeek and beyond, provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on the relationship between programming and AI. What does AI mean for today’s young people, learning to program computers? What does the future hold for computer scientists, software engineers and, indeed, everyone in modern society touched by the power of AI? How should education prepare children for a future that may be radically different to our recent past? 

Since Artificial Intelligence was first named, back in 1955, the technology has grown in fits and starts, and it is certainly here to stay. The optimistic prediction that computers will soon be able to do whatever humans can do has been made repeatedly over the years… boosting technology investment and garnering huge media attention with booms, until now, leading to busts and disillusionment. Will it be different this time? If wider society is to have any meaningful engagement with this question, all of us as individuals must develop a degree of AI literacy.  

Schools have a vital role to play in developing AI literacy and, as Glinda the Good Witch said, it’s always best to start at the beginning. Studying computing helps young people to understand algorithms which, as with all programs, instruct computers running AI software to make decisions and perform tasks using data. The strength of AI arises from ever-larger sets of data, structured and processed efficiently by increasingly powerful processors and hardware. Computing and computer science provide the fundamental knowledge of data structures and computer systems needed to grasp the processes taking place.  

Teaching about AI requires more than technical computer science knowledge. Digital literacy helps teachers, and young people, to understand the impact of AI across our lives… in creativity, technological advancement, politics and beyond, touching on our relationship to the media, the future of work, human relationships and much more. Questions such as “What news can we believe?”, “what will people do in the future?”, “Can AI create art?” or even “Can we be friends with AI?” are of deep human interest.   

Teachers, to quote the wizard once more, have plenty of courage, I am sure… all they need is confidence in themselves. Experience shows that, for technology to make a positive impact in learning, building teacher capability is a crucial first step. There is growing excitement about teaching with AI, with successive governments pledging to reduce workload, personalise teaching and empower teachers to know the strengths and weaknesses of learners. An increasing number of teachers are using AI, often finding their way by experimenting and learning from the experiences of their peers. To go beyond the early adopters, and boost AI confidence and capability across the profession including primary schools where uptake is lower, CPD and trusted guidance and learning resources are vital.  

It remains to be seen whether AI-generated code is beneficial to novice programmers, but early research indicates that essential programming knowledge cannot be replaced. While software development is set to evolve, automating everyday tasks and reducing repetition, computer science knowledge remains essential for creative approaches to solving novel problems with machines. After all it's more than 100 years since the lost princess of Oz said “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”.

STEM Learning supports teachers in using available AI technology to reduce workload and plan lessons efficiently. STEM Learning also operates the National Centre for Computing Education , which is best equipped to provide teachers with knowledge about emerging technologies, increasing their confidence and connection to the current tech-savvy generation of students.

Find out more about the resources available to you all year round from National Coding Week this year.