Getting acquainted with artificial intelligence
MCAST Institute of Information Communication Technology Level 4 (Advanced Diploma) students have been piloting study modules utilizing Artificial Intelligence. Piloting has been done as a part of the Introducing Artificial Intelligence for Vocational Schools in Europe project.
MCAST role as a tester
The project’s aim, “Introducing AI to Vocational Schools”, was to produce and pilot study material with the theme of Artificial Intelligence. MCAST ICT students have studied the material that project partners from Germany, Lithuania and Finland have created. After that it was time for some practical tests, lasting two days per module.
The three modules, that we have tested, are Autonomous Driving with Computer Vision, Machine Learning Agents in Game Design and Robotic Arm and Computer Vision. Each module had between 10 – 15 students and lectures were delivered by Mr. Thomas Gatt, Mr. Paul Pulis and Ing. James Attard.
Hands-on demonstrations
Thanks to the project, MCAST students have had the rare possibility to get acquainted with Artificial Intelligence in different, also very tangible ways.
The modules were hands-on and students learned how to program a self driving car, a robotic arm, and use Unity to work on prototypes. These themes can be partially complex to students, so the practical experiments definitely made them a lot more interesting and helped the students in perceiving things. Creating new functionalities is always challenging so the students also learned how to tolerate uncertainty.
Above all this has demonstrated the students the possibilities of artificial intelligence and robotics. It also gave a glimpse of the possibilities they have professionally in the future regarding their own careers.
Project partners: Robotikos mokykla (the project coordinator, Lithuania), the city of Turku (Finland), IT4Kids (Germany), Kauno informaciniu technologiju mokykla (Lithuania), Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (Malta) and Sedu, Finland