Let's talk about the importance of Unplugged Education.

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).

Don't miss out on this public talk on Monday 10 August 12pm.

What is CS Unplugged?

Computer Science (CS) Unplugged is a pedagogical tool that can help engage students with ideas from Computer Science without using computers. It complements students learning to program, gets them thinking beyond just typing code, and also happens to provide a nice break from being in front of a screen! Read more about it on the CS Unplugged page.

On Monday 10 August, 1:30pm you can 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.

What is LLMs Unplugged?

Despite the rapid uptake of AI around the globe (including right here in Australia), most people have no real mental model of what’s actually happening under the hood of our most popular AI tools. Rather than accepting the hand-wave-y and mystical-sounding explanations, join us in this fun and informative workshop where you'll learn about Large Language Models (LLMs) - the technology behind the mind-boggling abilities of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Co-Pilot - without actually touching any tech.

On Tuesday 11 August, 10:00am, you'll 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.

This ANU School of Cybernetics and ANU School of Computing event was made possible through funding from an ANU College of Systems and Society Learning & Teaching Grant.

Let's talk about the importance of Unplugged Education.

What is CS Unplugged?

What is LLMs Unplugged?

In-person only. RSVP's are essential: register to your preferred session/s.

Please note: parking on campus is limited and we recommend alternative transport options where possible.

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