Human vs. Machine? Exploring Artificial Intelligence Through Drama and Critical Storytelling
Introduction
What happens when humans share the stage with machines? This course invites educators to explore Artificial Intelligence through drama, critical storytelling, and creative inquiry—empowering them to guide students in understanding, questioning, and shaping the digital future.
Description
This course explores Artificial Intelligence (AI) through the lens of drama pedagogy and critical storytelling, equipping educators with innovative tools to address one of the most transformative forces of our time. Participants will examine key AI concepts—including algorithms, bias, ethics, and machine learning—while engaging in experiential learning through theatre-based methods such as role-play, improvisation, and process drama. The course emphasises critical media literacy, enabling participants to analyse AI representations in popular culture and digital environments, including misinformation and deepfakes. Through collaborative narrative creation, participants will develop and perform original stories that explore human-machine relationships and future scenarios. Grounded in interdisciplinary pedagogy, the course supports the development of digital competence, creativity, and ethical awareness, aligning with Erasmus+ priorities on digital transformation and critical thinking in education.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
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Develop a foundational understanding of Artificial Intelligence concepts (algorithms, machine learning, bias, ethics)
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Critically analyse the societal and educational implications of AI
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Explore human identity, creativity, and emotion in contrast to machine capabilities
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Apply drama-based methodologies (role-play, improvisation, process drama) to teach complex topics
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Strengthen critical media literacy, including identifying misinformation and AI-generated content
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Design and facilitate storytelling activities addressing AI and digital futures
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Foster students’ critical thinking, creativity, and ethical reflection
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Create classroom-ready lesson plans integrating AI and drama pedagogy
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Enhance collaboration, communication, and reflective teaching practices
Methodology and Assessment
The course adopts an experiential, learner-centred approach combining drama pedagogy, collaborative learning, and critical inquiry. Participants engage in hands-on activities, group work, and reflective discussions. Assessment is continuous and formative, based on participation, peer feedback, creative outputs, and the development of practical lesson plans aligned with participants’ teaching contexts.
Materials, Digital Tools & Other Learning Resources
Participants will use a range of resources including drama prompts, storytelling frameworks, and multimedia materials. Digital tools may include ChatGPT for text generation, Canva for visual storytelling, and platforms such as Padlet or Mentimeter. Curated articles, videos, and case studies on AI ethics and education will support learning.
Preparation
After registration participants will receive pre-course questionnaire which will be used by the trainer to learn about participants’ teaching backgrounds and to assess their exact needs. Before the beginning of the course a basic reading list will be suggested to participants to prepare for the training. Participants will also be asked to prepare a presentation about themselves, their professional context and their culture which will be presented during the course. Participants will receive information about the country they are going to visit in order to prepare them for their cultural experience.
Follow up
After the course participants will be asked to share what they have learned with the rest of the staff in their schools. Further books and articles to deepen the topic and contacts with some other practitioners all over Europe and in the world will be suggested by the trainer. The methods shared and explored and the bibliography given will allow the participants to complete and improve their educational path.
Certificate
Each participant will get a course attendance certificate and on request we will complete the Europass Mobility Document.
Accommodation
We do not directly offer accommodation and subsistence and participants are responsible for organizing it by themselves.
Paperwork
We also provide all the support with paperwork you might need for your Erasmus+ project documentation such as mobility agreement and registration letter.
Fee: 560 €
Cancelation policy
Free cancellation up to 30 days before the start. After that, the reservation is not refundable. Changes in name and profile of the participant are possible any time before the start of the course (replacement participants from the same school/org are accepted at any time). In case the school/org doesn't find a replacement, we will still offer a place at any of our confirmed courses later in the year without any additional costs but we can not guarantee that every course session will be confirmed and the school/org will only be offered to choose from already confirmed course sessions. In case it will not be possible for the participant to attend the course or for us to organize the course due to extraordinary circumstances (classified as such by the European Commission) which present themselves in the period of less than 30 days before the start of the course and we don’t manage to find an alternative solution, we will keep 50 % of the payment and refund the remaining balance of 50% to the payer’s bank account.
Draft Programme - 35 didactic hours
Day 1
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Welcome and introduction
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Outline of the programme
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Cultural exchange
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Warm ups and icebreakers
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Course expectations and needs analysis, setting up a collaborative learning environment and creating an educational contract
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Introduction to AI in education, media, and society
Day 2
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Introduction to process drama and storytelling as tools for inquiry
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Human vs. machine – key questions
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What makes us human? – considerations on creativity, emotion, decision-making
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Creating initial story ideas around AI themes
Day 3
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Role-play scenarios on bias in AI systems
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Ethical considerations of AI - privacy, autonomy, responsibility
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Drama for ethical exploration
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Hot seating and role-on-the-wall
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Exploring perspectives
Day 4
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Storytelling and future narratives
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The power of story in understanding technology
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Narrative structures and archetypes
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Examples from film and literature
Day 5
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Imagining futures with AI (utopian vs dystopian futures)
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Future scenario creation
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Character creation (humans, AI beings, hybrid identities)
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Role-building exercises
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Group improvisations in AI-driven worlds
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Exploring consequences of technology
Day 6
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Embodying AI: performance and perspective
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Emotional intelligence vs artificial intelligence
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Human-AI interaction
Day 7
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Design of personal plan for implementation of creative drama and stortelling for teaching ai ethics
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Presentation of outputs(personal implementation plans)
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Group reflection, feedback and discussion
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Dissemination strategy and European dimension
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Validation of the learning outcomes
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Evaluation of the course
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Closing session