Ryelands AI Lab

In my current role, I am a post-doctoral research associate and lead on applied projects in Dr. Joseph Lindley’s AHRC Future Leaders Fellowship “Design Research Works” at Lancaster University. As a major applied project, I have led the conception, coordination, development, design and delivery of the “Ryelands AI Lab”, a six-week intensive curriculum intervention collaborating with a local primary school in Northwest England.

Screenshot of the prototype for image generation used in Ryelands AI Lab.
Screenshot of a prototype used to prompt discussion on the ethics of using artists’ names.

This included delivery of six lessons on exploring generative AI with students (7-9 years old) in a hands-on approach with custom prototypes, culminating in a student co-designed reimagined school prospectus and an accompanying exhibition at the school.

Examples of generated images in the first lesson.
Examples of generated images in the fourth lesson, with students reimagining their school.
The Ryelands AI Lab prospectus.
Setup for an exhibition on the project with the local school.

The results on skill gain by students and their reflection on thorny issues in contemporary discourse surrounding AI technologies promise two things. First, a scalable, impactful approach to familiarising people with generative AI. Second, actionable design implications for systems using such technologies. Currently, future deployments with other schools and contexts (e.g., creative industries) are planned.