Aalto University: ARTPARK Foundation India to partner with Aalto University in co-creating digital citizenship

ARTPARK and Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture have concluded an agreement on joint research and development efforts. This collaboration aims especially at developing art and design-driven, educational R&D linked to AI.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming more and more important in everyday life. This means that people will be needing new sets of skills, attitudes, and competencies to be able to navigate in a digital world as active citizens. The ones who are equipped with digital abilities could be able to use related technologies in very advanced ways as well as assess the ethical and unethical practices of these technologies. But how to equip especially young people with the essential abilities and mindsets? Could new forms of pedagogy and participatory engagement with AI promote critical, playful and inclusive digital citizenship?

This transnational partnership explores the topic through a collaboration among researchers at Aalto University and University of Oulu Finland, and at the Indian Institute of Science, ARTPARK and Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore, India.

The primary target group for impact is young learners, especially in non-formal after-school contexts, along with educators and institutional administrators. The project will leverage the unique educational programs and practices in the Finnish and Indian learning environments to jointly examine, co-develop, implement and assess pilot learning.

The researchers involved believe that using critical, playful and inclusive learning is crucial to the success of educational programs worldwide, particularly with marginalized children and communities.