Start Your AI Learning Journey
You have probably seen it already: students using ChatGPT to draft essays, colleagues experimenting with lesson-planning tools, or news headlines debating whether AI belongs in education at all. Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept; it is here, changing how we teach and how students learn.
As an educator, you may be wondering where to start. UBC’s Office of Professional Learning offers three programs that enable you to explore AI from various perspectives. Whether you are just starting to learn about AI, looking to bring new tools into your classroom, or ready to lead critical conversations in your school, there is a program designed for you:
1. Critical AI Perspectives for Educations: Open Online Course |
2. AI in K-12 Education: Classroom of the Future |
3. Critical AI in the Classroom: UBC Micro-Credential |
1) Critical AI Perspectives for Educators: Open Online Course
If you’re curious about AI and want to develop the skills to assess AI’s impact on educational contexts at your own pace, this FREE open online course is the perfect place to begin. It offers a clear and accessible introduction to how AI tools are being introduced into educational contexts and questions the assumptions underlying those decisions.
Through hands-on exploration of tools like ChatGPT and MagicSchool, you will examine both the potential and the limitations of AI in real teaching and learning contexts. The course also helps you build the language and confidence to discuss AI with your students, fostering critical and reflective conversations about its impact on their futures.
Program Information
- Focus: Foundational overview of AI in education with a critical lens.
- Highlights: Explores tools like ChatGPT and MagicSchool, examines assumptions behind AI in classrooms, and provides frameworks to discuss ethical implications with students.
- Format & Length: 6 self-paced modules, fully online, asynchronous, which can be completed in 20 hours.
- Cost: FREE (or $75 for optional certificate of completion)
- Best For: Educators new to AI who want an accessible, low-barrier introduction and the ability to engage students in informed discussions.
2) AI in K-12 Education: Classrooms of the Future
This program is ideal for teachers who are ready to bring AI into their classroom practice. It focuses on the practical use of generative AI to design more engaging and personalized learning experiences for K–12 students.
Participants will explore how to integrate AI tools such as ChatGPT into teaching strategies, adapt them to different subject areas, and understand the ethical considerations that come with their use. The program also introduces the policies that guide AI in education, from school-level rules to broader district and provincial contexts.
Program Information
- Focus: Practical integration of generative AI into K–12 classrooms.
- Highlights: Opportunities to experiment with AI applications, create personalized learning environments, and address ethical challenges.
- Format & Length: 4 months, online, asynchronous with 7 live sessions.
- Cost: $475 + GST (non-credit).
- Best For: Teachers who want hands-on strategies and tools they can immediately bring into their classroom practice.
3) Critical AI in the Classroom: UBC Micro-Credential
For educators who want to take the next step and become leaders in responsible and inclusive AI use, this micro-credential offers a deep and reflective learning experience.
Through collaborative inquiry and case-based learning, participants examine how AI intersects with curriculum design, assessment, and issues of equity and bias. The program highlights the ethical and linguistic dimensions of AI and equips educators with the critical literacies needed to make informed, policy-aware decisions in their schools.
Program Information
- Focus: In-depth exploration of generative AI literacies and responsible use in K–12 contexts.
- Highlights: Hands-on approach using collaborative inquiry, emphasis on ethics, bias, multilingualism, and impact on curriculum and assessment.
- Format & Length: 10 weeks, online, asynchronous modules plus 5 live synchronous sessions.
- Cost: $1,150 + GST (non-credit micro-credential).
- Best For: Educators seeking structured professional development, deeper critical engagement, and a recognized credential in AI and education.
Choosing Your Next Step
Each of these programs offers a unique path, depending on where you are in your AI journey:
| Your Goal | Course Recommendation |
| You want to understand AI and its impact in educational contexts at your own pace | Critical AI Perspectives for Educators: Open Online Course |
| You want to start applying AI tools and strategies in your classroom | AI in K–12 Education: Classrooms of the Future |
| You want to deepen your expertise and lead responsible AI initiatives | Critical AI in the Classroom: UBC Micro-Credential |
Ready to Begin?
No matter which program you choose, you will gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to use AI thoughtfully and effectively in your teaching. You will also join a community of educators who are shaping the future of learning, one that is innovative, ethical, and inclusive.
Explore the program that fits your goals and start your AI journey with UBC’s Office of Professional Learning today!
