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Let's talk about the importance of Unplugged Education.

1 public talk and 2 workshops over over 2 days!

Unplugged Education in the Age of AI | Public talk on Monday 10 August, 12 - 1pm

Join Tim Bell and Ben Swift and hear about:

• The foundations of CS Unplugged: Decades of cards, string and crayons have taught the deep ideas of computing without ever touching a computer.
• Why the method applies to teaching anything: Unplugged is, at its core, a design philosophy making abstract concepts tangible, experiential, and engaging. Students learn by doing.
• LLMs Unplugged: Building a pen-and-paper AI language model turns the most mystified technology of the moment into something that can be easily understood at a basic level (and taken home as a souvenir).

CS Unplugged | Workshop on Monday 10 August, 1:30 - 2:30pm

is a pedagogical tool that can help engage students with ideas from Computer Science without using computers.

Join Tim Bell and Henry Hickman to explore some "Unplugged" activities, and discuss a variety of applications, including demonstrations to junior students, providing a catalyst for the school curriculum, and engaging university level students. We will also look at some general principles used to design unplugged activities that work well.

LLMs Unplugged | Workshop on Tuesday 11 August, 10am - 12pm

Peek inside the black box by creating your own paper-and-pen language model in a playful context. We will illustrate the core concepts that underpin today’s LLMs and discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of generative AI in an education setting. 

This workshop is perfect for educators across a range of disciplines – not just the technologies. If you’re having conversations with your students about AI, this workshop is for you.  

Our activities require zero coding background and no maths beyond basic counting and percentages. They can be easily replicated in the classroom with free and readily available materials.

In-person only. RSVP's are essential.