AIMES in a Nutshell
Through a brief survey, participants gain insight into their maturity level and receive immediate feedback aimed at the improvement of their understanding of AI within their educational context. This feedback guides respondents to their next maturity level by facilitating the exploitation of opportunities to enhance education, while raising awareness of potential privacy issues and ethical considerations. In addition, this feedback ensures alignment with the institutional vision on AI in education and contains referrals to useful resources. Examples of these resources are educational tips, activities, workshops, events or elements of formal learning programmes (e.g. UTQ, STQ and Educational Leadership programmes) for example offered by institutional Centers for Teaching and Learning.
AIMES: Facilitating a Holistic Approach for Applying AI in Education
AI offers potential to enhance teaching, learning, research, and administrative processes. Therefore, AI gives rise to rethink educational objectives, course design and provision of education. Nevertheless, applying AI in education may raises concerns about privacy and ethics. As a result, gaining a profound comprehension to harnesses the potential of AI in education while mitigating its risks, requires a holistic approach. The AI Maturity in Education Scan (AIMES) provides insight into the degree of effective, efficient and responsible applications of AI in Higher Education. As a result, AIMES facilitates a holistic approach enabling an aimed, coherent and structured improvement of AI usage in education.
Foundational Principle: Trustworthy AI
AIMES is based on the key requirements for Trustworthy AI (EU, 2019); Human agency and oversight, Technical Robustness and safety, Privacy and data governance, Transparency, Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness, Societal and environmental well-being and Accountability. In addition, AIMES will where possible be aligned with the EU AI ACT.
AIMES: Structure, Applications & Benefits
AIMES consist of three short surveys, each aimed at a specific group of respondents; teachers, program directors, and faculty board members. Completion take a maximum of five minutes. Each survey contains ten items and three specified maturity levels per item. Respondents select the maturity level that applies to them, based on their knowledge, applications and their experiences regarding support and facilities of their educational institution. Respondents receive directly actionable feedback aimed to improve their understanding of AI and to foster their effective and responsible use of AI in Education. AIMES can be used for self-assessment whether or not within the context of formal professional development (e.g., UTQ or STQ). In addition, data obtained through the use of AIMES provides insight into respondents’ experience of their indicated levels of maturity regarding AI in Education. These data might be valuable to e.g., researchers, policy staff, members of AI In Education expert groups and members of Centers for Teaching & Learning. It can serve as a starting point for tightening policies, guidelines or knowledge sessions aimed to improve AI literacy. This increased AI Literacy might foster the provision of education and the practice of educational leadership and strategic management, in order to ensure educational quality in accordance with the institutional vision on education.
AIMES Roadmap
VU Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam join forces in the development of AIMES. In addition, partnerships will be explored and expert panels will be established, starting Q4 2023. AIMES will be developed by applying the Delphi Method, experts will be consulted for feedback. The first expert review took place in Q1 2024, initial pilots followed. The second expert review was in Q2 2024. In Q3 2024, AIMES will be made available as an Open Educational Resource, enabling Higher Education Institutes worldwide to (tailored to their own context) use AIMES. In Q4 2024, AIMES will be made available for VU Amsterdam and UvA. An article describing the establishment and advice on embedding AIMES in practice will also be published. AIMES will also be presented at several leading international conferences.
Get informed about AIMES
Would you like to be kept informed about the AIMES project and availability of the tool for you and/or your colleagues? Then fill out the AIMES interest form.
