CORK secondary school Boherbue Comprehensive School held a successful pilot programme that inspired 25 of their Transition Year students to think about Ireland’s digital future.

Boherbue Comprehensive School took part in a hugely successful national programme that involved over 8,000 students learning about machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Due to its success, the pilot programme is set to be expanded in the coming school year.

During the pilot programme students experienced a full immersive experience into the technologies that are giving the world self-driving cars, manufacturing robots, and they learned about the jobs of the future.

The module contains lesson plans, presentations, videos, classwork, homework and solutions for teachers. In addition, code and accompanying instructional materials are provided.

Speaking about the programme, Vera Leader, Principal of Boherbue Comprehensive School, said: “This programme has opened our students’ eyes even more to the possibilities for artificial intelligence and machine learning. It has also challenged students in their thinking about what to study in fifth and sixth year and whether they should consider studying STEM subjects in college. This would not have happened without the programme.

“The structure of the programme meant that it was designed with both students and teachers in mind, so it has been very progressive and we look forward to offering the programme to students again next year,” she added.

Transition year student, Charlotte Murphy, said: “This programme has been a great experience, and didn’t require any previous knowledge of coding. It allowed me to get a grasp of the basics of AI and machine learning very quickly. It gave me a fresh perspective on the digital area and the relevance of STEM courses to the future world of technology. The insights gained during the programme were invaluable.”