Ital.IA Lab for School at the Lecce Site for the first training session dedicated to students
Last week, at the Salone dell'innovazione, della tecnologia e dell'orientamento in Lecce (Site), the student programme of Ital.IA Lab for School officially kicked off. This national programme is promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS in collaboration with Microsoft to develop ethical, responsible and personal growth-oriented artificial intelligence skills.
The protagonists of the day were 100 students from the Galilei-Costa-Scarambone high school in Lecce, accompanied by nine teachers, who participated in the first training session of the programme, divided into three groups. The activities were led by Gaetano Manzulli, an expert trainer and ambassador for the project.
A challenge to read AI with a critical eye
The training combined introductory content, participatory moments and a real challenge, designed to stimulate students' critical thinking about the potential and critical issues of artificial intelligence.
The meeting opened with an interactive Word Cloud to gather perceptions and ideas about AI, followed by a discussion of the main advantages and risks, in line with the MIM guidelines.
The students then took part in a quiz challenge via smartphone, with questions on:
- bias and stereotypes in generative models
- hallucinations and limitations of AI
- prompt crafting and fact checking
- conscious use of AI in study.
After each question, a brief analysis of the results allowed for reflection on why some models may generate distorted or inaccurate content, thanks also to real examples of AI critical issues, such as gender bias, cultural bias and ethical dilemmas, discussed during the training.
What the students say: “We understand that AI should be used, but responsibly”.
The questionnaires collected at the end of the activity paint a very positive picture of the training experience:
- 83% of students say they have improved their AI skills, which are useful for school and work.
- 85% say they understand the importance of ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
- 86% would highly or very highly recommend the activity to a friend.
For many students, the challenge was an opportunity to ‘really understand how AI works’ and ‘test their critical thinking skills when faced with automatically generated content.’
The teachers' point of view: high quality and strong engagement
The teachers' evaluations confirm the effectiveness of the approach: on a scale of 1 to 5, all nine teachers gave scores between 4 and 5 to the following statements:
- The training content was relevant and useful for the students.
- The trainer managed to maintain a high level of attention throughout the activity.
- Students improved their awareness of the risks and opportunities of AI.
- Students gained a clearer understanding of what artificial intelligence is and how it works.
- The training will help reinforce correct and inclusive online behaviour.
A growing programme with the aim of preparing students for digital citizenship
The Lecce stage inaugurates the training course dedicated to schools as part of Ital.IA Lab for School, which will bring practical activities, operational tools and educational challenges throughout Italy to help students understand artificial intelligence and use it consciously.
A learning model that combines experimentation, play, critical reflection and dialogue with expert trainers: a concrete way to give young people the skills they need to inhabit the digital world with autonomy, confidence and curiosity.
