VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
way for schools to dip their toe into immersive learning, we really wanted to be part of that and try out what was possible, and to see how technologies such as AI can be utilised in such a creative way
Did you have any concerns about the AI and social media elements of the project? When we were discussing the project the main concerns that we had were around the internet safety element, but this was addressed very carefully in the teachers’ notes and the presentation from Punchdrunk Enrichment. It was important that we covered internet safety with the children during the project because part of the interaction with the journalist character was through fictional versions of social media. It proved to be a good context for learning about internet safety because it was so engaging. I think it would be a perfect project for Internet Safety Day.
the creature would look like. Another group came up with a news report about what the creature was up to, while another conjured up a story about the creature’s origins. We had some memorable, detailed descriptions of the creature as well. I think the children really enjoyed the mixed class approach and being given the freedom to choose how they responded.
The project ran over one day in both classes and then we got together the next day, and the children received the newspaper article detailing their creative efforts which mentioned our school specifically.
What was the impact on the children? Because we have this history of working on immersive learning projects, many of the children are already very tuned in to spotting clues of curious activities going on in the
school. I love that they have this mindset of curiosity going on all the time; that they are always thinking that something wonderful might happen.
That same curiosity was sparked when one of the children found the printed advert in class which was the start of their involvement in this project. The children started fizzing with excitement and wondering what was going to happen.
The online videos made it come alive and gave the children the proof that what they were experiencing was a real thing. I feel like they accepted it. And the fact that there was a website with videos – and they got responses to their messages – just made it so much more engaging for them.
We’re excited to be able to try out any immersive project, and I think because this project is going to be a more cost-effective
We all have wider concerns about AI but, in the context of this project, the AI element worked well, because it helped to create tailored responses from the reporter character that included the language and ideas that the children had come up with when they were designing their creature. The AI cleverly rephrased their contributions in a more sophisticated way, so it felt like a grown-up was interacting with them and honouring their ideas.
Would you recommend the project to other schools?
If you want a way to imbue your classroom with curiosity and creativity and magic, then it is a great project to be involved in. It is so exciting and inspiring to see how the children respond – they always take it in a different direction to the one that we have thought of and come up with more brilliant and creative ideas than we could have possibly imagined. It is a way for them to dream big, and it delivers in terms of academic outcomes as well.
March 2025
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