Computing · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Impact of AI on Society

Active learning works for this topic because AI’s influence on society can feel abstract to students until they examine real-world examples. When they debate, map, and role-play, they connect technical concepts to human experiences, making the impacts of AI both visible and memorable. This hands-on approach builds critical thinking about technology’s role in their lives now and in the future.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• National Curriculum in England: Computing programmes of study: Key Stage 3. Use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy.
• National Curriculum in England: Computing programmes of study: Key Stage 3. Recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct and know how to report concerns.
• National Curriculum in England: Computing programmes of study: Purpose of study. Become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• World Café
• 35 min · Pairs

Pairs Debate: AI Ethics in Healthcare

Pair students and assign positions: one supports AI diagnostics for speed, the other highlights bias risks. Provide case studies for preparation. Pairs debate for 10 minutes, then switch sides and share key points with the class.

Analyze the ethical implications of AI in everyday life.

Facilitation Tip

During the Pairs Debate on AI Ethics in Healthcare, assign opposing roles clearly and provide a debate structure with time limits to keep arguments focused and respectful.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: An AI is used to decide loan applications. Ask: 'What potential biases could this AI have? How could these biases negatively impact certain groups of people? What steps could a developer take to try and prevent bias?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• World Café
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Future Jobs Mapping

In groups of four, students list five current jobs AI might automate and invent three new ones it could create. Groups draw mind maps linking impacts to skills needed. Present maps to the class for feedback.

Predict how AI might transform future job markets.

Facilitation Tip

For Future Jobs Mapping in small groups, give each group a large sheet of paper and colored markers to visually track changes in job types over time.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of AI applications (e.g., self-driving cars, AI art generators, chatbots for customer service). Ask them to choose two and write one sentence for each explaining a potential ethical concern and one sentence explaining a potential societal benefit.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• World Café
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: AI Scenario Role-Play

Divide class into roles like AI developer, affected worker, and ethicist. Present a scenario such as self-driving cars in accidents. Groups prepare responses, then enact and discuss outcomes as a class.

Critique common misconceptions about Artificial Intelligence.

Facilitation Tip

In the Whole Class AI Scenario Role-Play, assign specific roles like AI developer, affected worker, and ethicist to ensure balanced perspectives are heard.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one common misconception about AI they have heard and then write one sentence explaining why it is a misconception, based on what they have learned about how AI actually works.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• World Café
• 30 min · Individual

Individual: Personal AI Impact Log

Students track one day of AI use in apps or devices, noting benefits and concerns. Write a short reflection on societal effects. Share volunteers' logs in a class circle.

Analyze the ethical implications of AI in everyday life.

Facilitation Tip

Have students keep their Personal AI Impact Log in a shared digital document so they can compare entries and notice patterns in their reflections.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: An AI is used to decide loan applications. Ask: 'What potential biases could this AI have? How could these biases negatively impact certain groups of people? What steps could a developer take to try and prevent bias?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with familiar examples like streaming recommendations or chatbots to ground abstract concepts in students’ daily lives. Model critical questions for students to ask about AI systems: Who benefits? Who might be harmed? What data is used? Avoid presenting AI as either a miracle or a threat—frame it as a tool shaped by human choices. Research shows students grasp ethical nuances better when they analyze real cases rather than theory alone.

Successful learning looks like students confidently discussing trade-offs of AI use, identifying job shifts without fear, and articulating why AI behaves the way it does. They should challenge assumptions with evidence from activities and reflect on their own relationship with AI technologies. Clear misconceptions are replaced by reasoned positions supported by examples.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Whole Class: AI Scenario Role-Play, watch for students attributing human-like emotions to AI systems. Correction: In role-play, have students compare AI responses (e.g., chatbot replies) to human responses in the same scenario, then explicitly label the absence of feeling or intent in AI outputs.

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Methods used in this brief

• World Café