Generative Artificial Intelligence Skills in Schools (GenAIsis) has now been completed


The Generative Artificial Intelligence Skills in Schools (GenAISiS) (featured on STV News) project aims to foster critical conversations with young people around using generative AI effectively, safely, ethically, and creatively. Led by researchers from Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) School of Law and Social Sciences and School of Computing, Engineering & Technology, and supported by CILIP and school librarians, the project co-created innovative educational cartoon video stories with pupils and a toolkit that complemented the videos with lesson plans, discussion prompts, and curated resources on GenAI use, transparency, trust, bias, inclusion and privacy. The project transformed complex research into engaging narratives, amplifying young voices on AI-driven misinformation, data safety and bias. Young participants helped shape cartoon characters to express their own experiences and concerns, exploring both the opportunities and risks of GenAI. Grounded in children’s rights, the project promotes media and information literacy by examining global UN Sustainable Development Goals challenges - poverty, inequality, climate change - exploring how AI generates and influences content, both textual and visual.

Pupils from Hazlehead Academy who co-created the resources with us

GenAISiS achieved wide-reaching impact through educational outreach, public engagement and policy dialogue. Over 600 participants - including pupils, educators, librarians, researchers, parents, and policymakers – have attended workshops and events to-date. The project was showcased at national and international conferences, including BERA, LILAC, CILIPS and ECIL and in invited presentations (e.g., School and Public Health Nurses Association) and received the Engaging the Public with Research award from Robert Gordon University (RGU). It was endorsed by the Cabinet Secretary for Education as well as national media, secured Impact Accelerator Funding (RGU), and was invited to contribute to Aberdeen Science Centre’s AI-themed programme, that will take place in February/March 2026, cementing its role as a leading initiative in ethical AI education.

The GenAISiS project has delivered transformative impact in AI literacy, digital ethics and creative education. Through a co-creative and participatory approach, the project empowered young people to critically engage with generative AI technologies. It produced co-created resources with pupils, and explored the ethical and responsible use of AI, exploring themes, such as misinformation, data safety and bias.

 

Workshops in Schools, co-creating the project resources

Multimedia outputs, including cartoon animated videos and an openly accessible toolkit with activities and resources together with young people’s testimonials have supported public engagement and resource dissemination. The project progress was published in a openly accesisble blog. Several testimonials reflected on the positive impact of the project on young people.


Additional young people’s testimonials included:

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Young people also enjoyed “Being able to be creative and design and create our own ideas”, “Working in groups”, “The conversation about how to use Artificial Intelligence ethically and correctly”, “Finding out how it all works” and “I loved trying the AI”.

Partners’ testimonials showcased the importance of the project for schools and libraries.

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Sean McNamara – Director of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Sean McNamara – presenting the project in Glasgow

The project reached over 600 participants through a series of high-impact workshops and events. School-based sessions at Hazlehead Academy and Forfar Academy) introduced students to AI concepts (230 pupils and 70 staff).

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Presentation to Hazlehead Academy to 200 pupils and 70 teachers

A flagship workshop at The Mitchell Library in Glasgow (18 June 2025) brought together 45 stakeholders, including the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth, highlighting the project’s policy relevance.

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Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Scottish Government introducing the project

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Event at Mitchel Library in Glasgow (Palika Vithana, Research Assistant to the Project)


A national online workshop (263 registrations) received positive feedback and valuable suggestions, along with exciting opportunities to collaborate further:

“π΄π‘π‘ π‘œπ‘™π‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘™π‘¦ π‘“π‘Žπ‘ π‘π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘–π‘›π‘›π‘œπ‘£π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’."

"𝐴𝑛 π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘ π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘—π‘’π‘π‘‘"

"𝐴𝑛 𝑒π‘₯π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘šπ‘’π‘™π‘¦ π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘ π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘›."

"π‘‰π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘–π‘›π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘”"

"π΄π‘šπ‘Žπ‘§π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘—π‘’π‘π‘‘”

"π‘‡β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘€π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘¦ 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝐹𝐸 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝐻𝐸, π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ 𝑗𝑒𝑠𝑑 π‘ π‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘œπ‘™π‘ , π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘˜π‘  π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘!"

"π΄π‘π‘ π‘œπ‘™π‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘™π‘¦ π‘“π‘Žπ‘ π‘π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘–π‘›π‘›π‘œπ‘£π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’. π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘ π‘’ π‘–π‘›π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘  π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘’π‘žπ‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘™π‘¦ π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ πΉπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ πΈπ‘‘π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›."

A person in front of a bookshelf AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Online workshop engaging 263 participants

A SAPHNA-hosted event extended the project’s reach to school nurses and nurse academics, and the work was published in the Journal of Family and Child Health. Internationally, GenAISiS was showcased at the BERA Conference 2025, the European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) in Germany, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals' Annual Conference, LILAC conference, where its empirical and pedagogical contributions were well received. An invited presentation will also take place as part of the NILIS Symposium in Sri Lanka (presentation link). The project will continue its global engagement with chairing a panel at the European Chatbot & Conversational AI Summit in Edinburgh (March 2026) on AI and digital literacies and the project PI was chosen out of "200 speaker applications from thought leaders and innovators in CAI & Gen AI across the globe" (The European Chatbot & Conversational AI Summit Team) to lead a chairing session on AI and digital literacies.

The project was showcased on STV 6 o clock news twice (second media appearance is available here) and the outcomes were presented at a local research festival ‘Curious Minds’, where the PI won the award ‘Engaging the Public with Research’.


 

Award received by the CEO of Aberdeen Science Centre and Curious Minds Festival Exhibition (June, 2025, Aberdeen) 


The team was also invited to participate in Aberdeen Science Centre’s AI-themed public programme (Feb/March 2026). Future impact is anticipated through toolkit deployment in schools, further school collaborations and integration into national digital literacy strategies. The project has also initiated global networking with Ugandan Women in AI, promoting inclusive and ethical AI education across borders. We have also submitted two research articles to high impact peer reviewed journals, one being a systematic literature review and the other one an overview of the project research results, showcasing our novel theoretical framework applied to this research: ‘Storytelling Empirical Research Translation’ (SERT).

Additional information can be sourced on the project website: Maddie is Online | digital skills



 

 


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