Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. James.

Welcome to computing.

I'm so pleased that you decided to join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, you will be exploring digital tools that you use every day and be able to identify the AI features that are embedded in some of these tools.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit Using AI and digital tools responsibly.

This lesson is called Introduction to AI and digital tools.

And by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to identify digital tools used for searching and communication and recognize the AI features embedded in some of these tools.

Shall we make a start?

There are three keywords for today's lesson.

Digital tool.

A digital tool is any electronic device or application that's used to find, create, or share information and complete tasks.

Artificial intelligence or AI.

Artificial intelligence or AI systems are computer systems that adjust their outputs based on data or follow rules to perform complex tasks.

Algorithm.

An algorithm is a set of step-by-step instructions to solve a problem.

In this lesson, there are three sections.

The first is identify tools used to search and communicate.

Then describe benefits and challenges of digital tools.

Then recognize AI features included in digital tools.

Let's begin.

We use digital tools all the time in our day-to-day lives.

We often don't think about how we're using them.

Digital tools help us in many ways, but they can have drawbacks.

In this lesson, we'll concentrate on digital tools that allow us to search, communicate, and interact with others.

For example, a digital tool we use every day is a search engine.

A search engine allows us to search for websites on the internet that match a search query.

In the diagram on the slide, we can see a search engine, and the user has typed in apple crumble recipe.

And there are three search results that have appeared.

How to make the best apple crumble, my favorite apple crumble recipe, and delicious apple crumble in only 30 minutes.

I'm sure you're all familiar with what search results look like.

Another common digital tool for communication is an instant messaging app.

For example, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

An instant messaging app allows us to instantly connect to a person or a group of people online.

It has an advantage over a traditional phone call, as we can also send images, videos, and voice notes.

Here's the first question.

Which of the following is the best description of a digital tool?

Is it A, a human-like robot that can think and feel emotions.

B, any electronic device or application used to find, create, or share information.

Or C, a specific set of step-by-step instructions used only for maths problems.

Have a think and choose the best description.

Okay, let's take a look at the answer.

It was B, any electronic device or application used to find, create, or share information.

Well done if you got that right.

Now, many digital tools can be grouped into common categories.

For example, search tools, communication tools, or interaction tools.

There are other categories, but we're going to concentrate on those three in this lesson.

Many digital tools, however, fall into more than one category.

Okay, true or false?

A digital tool can only be categorized as either a communication tool or a search tool or an interaction tool.

What do you think?

Is that statement true or false?

If you said false, you are correct.

Many digital tools fall into more than one category.

An emerging area of digital tools is generative artificial intelligence, AI.

For example, ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude.

With generative AI tools, a user might type it in a prompt and then receive a response, but in the form of text, images, video, or even program code.

Aisha's telling us, "I use a search engine during the school day to find information and then I use a messaging app in the evening to chat with my friends.

" Over the course of one day, you may use lots of different digital tools for searching and communicating.

So the first task for this lesson has given you seven different descriptions of digital tools and asks you to drag them into the timeline at the bottom to represent your typical daily usage.

So the seven suggested tools we've given you are, generative AI tool, video messaging app, instant messaging app, search engine, email, video streaming app, and school VLE.

If you've not come across that acronym VLE before, it stands for virtual learning environment.

And many schools use these platforms to set homework or send messages to pupils.

Below these blocks, there is a timeline that goes from six o'clock in the morning to midnight.

And the idea is you would drag one of those blocks into the time of day you might use them.

Now, you might not use all of them.

You might think of others that we haven't thought of.

You might use some of these tools at different times multiple times.

So try your best and see how you get on.

Let's look at a suggested answer.

So this is Aisha's digital timeline.

So you can see that she uses the school VLE at around seven or eight o'clock in the morning, probably to check what homework is due.

Followed by a video streaming app, such as YouTube she might be using in lessons to watch a video about the lesson she's in.

Followed by a search engine which she might use at school to look up information.

And then in the afternoon, she's identified that she uses an instant messaging app, perhaps WhatsApp to message her mom to ask her to pick her up.

Then email is used in the evening.

And then followed by a generative AI tool perhaps to get suggestions for a project.

And then a video messaging app such as Snapchat in the evenings.

What does your typical daily usage look like?

The next task is then to categorize those digital tools based on their main use.

So you have the same seven suggested digital tools and then three categories where you have to drag those digital tools into to categorize them.

And the three categories are search tools, where you might be finding information, communication tools, where you might be sending messages to people, and interaction tools, where you might engage with a digital community.

But remember, some of these tools might appear in more than one category.

Have a go at this task now.

Let's see a suggested answer.

So this student has categorized under search tools, generative AI tool, search engine, school VLE, video streaming app.

Then under communication tools, they've categorized instant messaging app, email, video messaging app, and school VLE.

And under interaction tools, they've categorized instant messaging app, video messaging app, and school VLE.

So it's interesting to see that school VLE appears on all three of these categories.

Do you agree?

Okay, moving on to the second section of this lesson, describe benefits and challenges of digital tools.

You're doing really well.

Digital tools are everywhere.

You may have been surprised to see how many times you use a digital tool during your day.

What do you think are the main benefits of using digital tools?

Here are some benefits of digital tools.

The speed of finding information.

The speed of communication.

Many tools are free.

Many tools are easy to access.

Most tools are easy to use.

Tools allow you access to a wide range of knowledge.

Digital tools, especially AI tools, can summarize complex information quickly.

And multiple people can collaborate.

Okay, a quick question for you.

Which one of the following is a benefit of using digital tools?

A, everyone has access to them.

B, you can find out information quickly.

C, it's easy to keep your information private.

Which one do you think?

Let's look at the answer.

If you said B, you were correct.

Well done.

Alex is saying, "I love using digital tools.

There are so many things they can do and I think I really benefit from using them.

" Izzy replies, "There are some issues around digital tools, though.

Can you think of any?

" Take a moment.

Can you think of any problems with using digital tools?

Some issues of digital tools, you may think of others.

You might receive inaccurate or biased information.

They often come with high energy or resource use.

All digital tools usually require access to the internet.

Some people may have unequal access to devices and the Wi-Fi that's needed to use them.

There's also a risk of addiction or less human contact.

Digital tools can influence your choices or opinions.

And there are often privacy and personal data risks.

There's also a risk of communicating online, you don't always know who you're talking to.

Another question for you.

Which one of the following is an issue with digital tools?

A, digital tools retrieve information too quickly.

B, information may be inaccurate.

C, you have to pay for all digital tools.

Have a think and choose the correct answer.

Let's have a look, shall we?

If you said B, well done, you're correct.

Okay, the next task is asking you to pick three benefits and three challenges from this list and describe their impact.

If you can, add one more benefit or challenge that's not on the list.

So the benefits of digital tools we've suggested are, speed of finding information, speed of communication, many tools are free, easy to access and use, access to a wide range of knowledge, you can summarize complex information, multiple people can collaborate.

And then the list of challenges of digital tools are, inaccurate or biased information, high energy and resource use, requires access to the internet, unequal access to devices, Wi-Fi is needed to use them, can influence choices and opinions, privacy and personal data risks, and the risks of communicating online.

Pause the video and pick three benefits and three challenges and describe their impact to you.

Let's look at one person's answer.

So they've picked for their top benefit, easy to access and use, and have said, "If a digital tool is easy to access and use, it means I am more likely to go back to it again and again.

" Their second benefit was many tools are free.

"Using free tools means I can spend my pocket money on more important things.

" And their third benefit was multiple people can collaborate.

"I like to feel connected to my friends and we can discuss our plans at any time.

" Three good benefits there.

For the challenges they chose, the first one was risks of communicating online and said, "Sometimes people can be mean online because they think that's okay, but it still hurts people.

" Their second risk was unequal access to devices, Wi-Fi needed to use them.

And the impact was, "Some of my friends don't have newer phones and can't always get online at home, so they can't do their homework.

" And then the third challenge they chose was inaccurate or biased information.

And they said, "There seems to be a lot of inaccurate information.

It's not always easy to spot it either.

" What did you write?

We're now into the third section of this lesson.

You're doing really well.

This third section is called recognize AI features Included in digital tools.

Over the last few years, artificial intelligence has become a core part of the digital tools we use every day.

These systems are data-driven, which means they're trained on vast amounts of previous data to create algorithms that predict and generate the most likely output for a prompt.

While this can give the appearance of human-like intelligence, the tool is actually just identifying patterns to guess what should come next.

We're now gonna look at some AI features.

So the first AI feature is predictive text.

You might have seen this in apps that involve writing text.

You start writing a sentence and the app will predict what you're going to write.

You can then choose to accept or ignore these suggestions.

There are two examples on screen now.

The user has started writing hello, how.

And the AI feature is predicting the next two words will be, are you.

And then below that, it says, thank you for your help, and that's what the user has typed in.

But the AI predictive text feature is now predicting you're gonna write with this afterwards.

Of course, you can not accept their changes and just carry on writing normally.

How many of you have used predictive text?

The next AI feature is generating visual data.

Many creative tools now use AI technology to help you edit or create images.

For example, when you use a background remover or a beautify filter on social media, the AI tool predicts which pixels are the person and which are the background.

Another AI feature is information summarization.

AI tools can identify patterns in long text to create shorter summaries.

AI tools can read a long article and then predict which sentences are the most important.

An example of this kind of tool would be a summarize button on a search engine or a study app.

Another AI feature is a productivity booster.

AI tools can make suggestions in documents and provide templates for common documents like emails or meeting notes and summaries.

You might have seen boxes coming up like this that says help me write.

And there's an example that says a thank you letter.

AI tools can be used to record meeting minutes of online video conferences.

Okay, another question True or false?

Information, recommendations and search results provided by AI tools are always correct because they come from a computer.

True or false?

Have a think.

If you said false, you are correct.

Well done.

Because AI tools don't think and will only produce results based on past data which could include errors.

Another AI feature, which I'm sure you have seen, are recommendation engines.

AI tools can attempt to predict what you will like based on your previous behavior.

Streaming services and social media use AI technology to predict which video or song or post you should click on next.

Examples include because you watched suggestions and social media for you feeds.

Another question.

Which of these is an example of an AI-powered recommendation engine?

A, a digital clock showing the correct time.

B, a streaming app suggesting a new show based on what you watched yesterday.

C, an email app letting you delete a message.

Have a think.

Should we look at the answer?

If you chose B, you're correct.

Well done.

Okay, let's look at some of the risks that are involved with AI features.

So often AI features could include inaccurate or biased information.

AI features use up more energy and resources like water than standard features.

AI features almost always require access to the internet.

There's also the risk of unequal access to more advanced AI systems.

You may have seen that certain generative AI providers provide a paid model.

So not everyone can afford to use those better, faster, more powerful models.

There's also a risk of addiction or less human contact.

For example, some users get obsessed by chatbots.

And AI can influence your choices and opinions.

Okay, the last task in this lesson asks you to match each AI feature to what it does.

So the seven AI features are background remover, productivity tools, for you recommendations, predictive text, voice assistant, smart navigation, and adaptive learning.

And the seven descriptions that you have to match are.

Predicts which pixels are in the background and which are the person.

Predict which words you said by matching it to your voice patterns.

Predicts the fastest route by analyzing real-time traffic data.

Suggests hints based on which questions you got wrong in a quiz.

Predicts which video will keep you watching the longest.

Suggests templates or rewrites for text in a document.

And predicts the next word in a sentence.

So have a look and join up the feature to what it does.

Let's take a look at the answers.

So the background remover predicts which pixels are the background and which are the person.

Productivity tools suggest templates or rewrites for the text in a document.

For you recommendations predicts which video will keep you watching the longest.

Predictive text predicts the next word in a sentence.

A voice assistant predicts which words you said by matching your voice patterns.

Smart navigation predicts the fastest route by analyzing real-time traffic data.

And adaptive learning suggests hints based on which questions you got wrong in a quiz.

How did you get on?

There might have been features that you hadn't heard of, but hopefully through a process of elimination, you managed to successfully complete that task.

Well, we're now at the end of the lesson, so I hope you enjoyed the introduction to AI and digital tools.

In summary, you should have learnt that digital tools allow users to search, communicate, and interact, but their use is dependent on things like internet access and reliable devices.

Digital tools have many benefits, but they also have challenges that need to be considered when you're using them.

Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that use data-based algorithms to give the impression of human-like intelligence.

And AI features such as predictive text and information summarization are now part of many digital tools.