The School of Education received national recognition for innovation in teacher education when the “3 Steps: AI for the Classrooms” project was awarded an eTwinning National Quality Label for its innovative approach to preparing preservice teachers to use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively in the classroom.
The project brought together preservice teachers and teacher educators from Ireland, Spain, Tunisia, Finland, and Albania to explore the role of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning.
Led in Ireland by Dr Mary Masterson, it focused on developing student teachers’ digital competence, critical awareness, and confidence in using AI tools. Participants examined ethical issues, including bias, authorship, data protection, and the importance of teacher judgement. Working in international teams, they designed AI supported lesson plans for subjects such as languages, science, and the arts. The project demonstrated how international collaboration can support innovative, inclusive, and responsible approaches to curriculum design.
The “3 Steps: AI for the Classrooms” project illustrates how the eTwinning programme can be used as a practical platform for innovation in initial teacher education. Through international collaboration, preservice teachers moved beyond simply learning about artificial intelligence and engaged directly with questions of classroom application, professional judgement, inclusion, and ethical responsibility.
The project created opportunities for student teachers to exchange ideas with peers in other countries, design AI supported learning activities, and reflect on the educational value and limitations of emerging technologies. It also highlighted the contribution of eTwinning to internationalisation at home by enabling meaningful European and international collaboration without requiring physical mobility. The initiative demonstrates how eTwinning can support the development of digitally confident, critically informed, and internationally connected future teachers.