Becoming AI Literate for the Future of Education: Concepts, Techniques, and Applications
EDU T567
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
*Lottery-based Enrollment* AI literacy is rapidly becoming a core competency for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in the education space. As AI technologies continue to shape the future of teaching, learning, and policy, it is critical for education professionals to develop a foundational understanding of AI concepts and practices.
This J-Term course is designed to equip students with essential AI literacy skills, enabling them to engage confidently in future explorations—whether building AI tools, conducting AI and education research, or shaping policies that govern the use of AI in educational settings. Through iterative exploration and real-world application, the course will demystify the AI "black box," introducing students to practical and widely used AI techniques.
What differentiates this course from other AI-related technical courses offered by SEAS, HBS, HKS, or MIT is its starting point: we begin with educational needs as the driving force for conceptualizing what AI systems should look like. All discussions and applications are grounded in authentic educational contexts, rather than abstract or purely technical scenarios. This approach not only helps students quickly connect AI concepts and techniques to their own thinking and needs as education practitioners and researchers, but also fills a critical gap in existing course offerings — providing a curriculum specifically designed for those working at the intersection of AI and education.
Class Notes
Non-HGSE students cross registering into Lottery-based Enrollment courses must email registrar@gse.harvard.edu to request to be added to the lottery event. Please see this page of the Office of the Registrar website for more information. Please note that students may add, drop, or change the grading basis for J-Term courses in My.Harvard until January 5th. Beginning January 6th, students who wish to drop a J-Term course and have the DRP removed from their transcript must email registrar@gse.harvard.edu. This request must be submitted before 8:00am on 1/6/2026.
