Our aim at Wimbledon High in preparing young women for the future means helping them engage confidently and critically with emerging technologies, such as AI, whilst simultaneously developing the very human skills which will best equip them for the future, such as an ability to focus attention and use critical thinking skills. This is explained in more detail by Ferdinand Doepel, Deputy Head, Academic and Innovation, in his recent blog post which you can read here.
Our approach to AI at WHS is a graduated one, starting with AI Awareness in the Lower School (Y7-8) and through AI Literacy in the Middle School (Y9 –11) culminating in AI Fluency in Sixth Form.
Middle School and Sixth Form students have had a range of opportunities over recent months to explore these topics in greater depths with industry experts:
AI at WHS
Last summer term, we welcomed Top 10 Chief AI Officer and entrepreneur Dr Daniel Hulme from WPP for a discussion with students and parents on what responsible and effective AI use looks like in a school environment. The conversation explored everything from creativity and critical thinking to ethics, bias, academic integrity and the importance of maintaining human judgement in an increasingly AI-enabled world.
Robotics and AI Workshop
Burkhard Boeckem, Chief Technical Officer of Hexagon AB ran a workshop with our students focusing on robotics and AI and discussed the future of work in light of rapid technological change. The girls were asked to predict headline findings before seeing them and working through real-world scenarios. These scenarios ranged from robots spotting unusual results in hospitals to constructions sites having to deal with measurement errors and avoid potential knock-on effects. Students had to decide when these situations could be left to the robots and when human judgement was vital.
There were many interesting ideas for how they saw people working alongside intelligent machines put forward and their engagement backs this up the international research done by Hexagon about generational perceptions to robotics.
There were many interesting ideas for how they saw people working alongside intelligent machines put forward and their engagement backs this up the international research done by Hexagon about generational perceptions to robotics.
Children are almost 50% more likely than adults to be excited about having a robot colleague (59% vs 40%). In the UK, 80% of children are excited about robots, compared with 47% of adults.
Hired to Question Workshop
Y13 students took part in a 'Hired to Question' workshop run by author and founder of PiViva, Ralph Varcoe, exploring the growing impact of artificial intelligence and the skills needed to thrive in an AI-enabled world. Students examined how AI is re-shaping the recruitment process, and considered the importance of becoming effective "drivers", "interrogators" and "judges" of AI.
They then worked collaboratively on a range of practical exercises, aimed at developing their questioning and critical thinking skills,
They left the session with a guide to help them continue building confidence and expertise in using AI responsibly and effectively.
They then worked collaboratively on a range of practical exercises, aimed at developing their questioning and critical thinking skills,
They left the session with a guide to help them continue building confidence and expertise in using AI responsibly and effectively.
‘I feel I have greater confidence around using AI and feel reassured’
‘The session improved my confidence, and I feel more in control!’
‘I like that the session introduced a new perspective towards the influence of AI in the work sector’
‘It was nice to have a balanced views around AI in the workplace’
‘Incredibly relevant in the modern day’
Y13 students
“The major thing that excites me is that if AI can save time from menial labour tasks and give people more opportunity, then in the future we’ll invest in and foster our own creativity, because we’re limited now with time and the resources we have to pursue our interests.”
Y13 student