How Mount Alvernia College is helping students harness their human edge in the age of AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape work in unpredictable ways, the goalposts for young people in secondary education are changing.
But for students at Mount Alvernia College in Queensland, one simple, unwavering philosophy is keeping them on track.
“We’re helping our students learn and express the qualities that make them irreplaceably human in an increasingly automated world,” said Jane Martens, Director of Information Technology and Innovation.
“We might not be able to control the change happening in the workforce, but we can help students navigate it and maintain clarity on their purpose.”
From marketing campaign to student mission
The mission began as a marketing campaign for the school but evolved into something deeper.
“Our Head of Marketing and Communications, Emma Velthuis, developed inspiring messages,” Jane said. “For example:
‘AI can answer, she can question’
‘AI is efficient, she is empathetic’
‘AI can compute, she can connect’.
“But the slogans took on a life of their own. We realised their potential to not only attract new students to the school but also keep our existing students inspired in what might otherwise be quite turbulent waters.”
Shortly after it was launched, Jane and team used the momentum from this campaign to create a ‘Personal Best’ program for students. Within that, they developed ‘Harnessing Your Human Edge in the Age of AI’ – a learning unit for years eight to eleven.
“We had students complete that unit this year to great success,” Jane said.
Three focus areas
Within the ‘Harnessing Your Human Edge in the Age of AI’ unit there are three focus areas. The first reflects on the dangers of cognitive offloading - where students outsource their thinking to AI.
As part of the unit, students participated in a study.
“They were asked to perform a research task, under one of three conditions: using only AI; traditional search engines; or brain-only. The results painted quite a clear picture about the retention of information among students who used only AI.”
The second part of the unit - ‘machines, morality and meaning’ - involved a philosophical inquiry into AI.
“We spoke to students about the bigger questions related to AI - whether it's ethical; whether AI can think and feel. The students loved it and it helped them understand the importance of human input.”
The last explored deepfakes and their real-world consequences, as part of a broader discussion around AI media awareness.
“This is a big theme emerging for our students – and it’s really important they stay abreast of it,” Jane said. “Learning about the ethical downfalls of AI obviously helps keeps students safe. But it also shows them how human morality fits into the picture.”
Human attribute cards
To complement this work, the college has developed a series of human attribute cards.
“They’re like playing cards, but with an attribute on them that’s distinctly human,” Jane said.
At the beginning of next year, each student will have their own deck. They can also assign cards to peers who demonstrate those attributes.
“We’re hoping it helps students remember that their human qualities are valued and to hone in on the skills that could never be replaced by a machine.”
Working with AI
As well as helping students differentiate from AI, the school is supporting them to use it.
It does this through an AI literacy program, developed for younger cohorts.
“We felt it was important that Year 7 students had a foundational understanding of AI. So, we implemented the ‘AI for Learning’ program, which sits outside of ordinary curriculum and teaches students the basics of what AI is, how it works, its strengths and weaknesses.
“Students get to create their own AI agents and explore the potential of those agents as a study support. So, it’s fairly hands on,” Jane said.
Ethical AI
Underpinning this is the college’s ‘Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence Framework’, which helps students use AI ethically. The framework mirrors the national standards for generative AI use but is adapted for the College.
“We modified the standards and added two pillars of our own,” Jane said. “The human edge pillar focusses on what we are exploring in our studies; and the Franciscan charism pillar ensures that we stay values-aligned.”
In October, the College is also starting a community lecture series about the ethics of AI, which families, students and staff are invited to attend. The event will include a panel with students and will invite conversation from the floor.
“We're hoping that event is the beginning of a series of events around AI ethics,” Jane said.
Safe AI
At the beginning of this year, the College also launched an AI platform called CEChat, which it says will help keep students safe.
“It took us a long time to decide which AI platform would be safest for our students – and this one is great because we can monitor their usage.”
A second platform - EDGE – is helping the college create and publish online AI courses.
“We wanted to deliver this education online, because not all staff feel confident and empowered to teach AI. The courses provide that education without putting more burden on teachers.”
The first two courses – ‘Understanding AI’ and ‘Ethical Use of AI’ – were launched this year, and a third – Effective Use of AI – is due for release in 2027.
What else is around the corner?
Sharing more on what is to come – including updates on an AI research study - Jane Martens will present at the upcoming AI in Education Brisbane Conference.
This year’s event will be held October 8 at the Stamford Plaza Brisbane.
Learn more and register your tickets here.