As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes embedded across disciplines and professions, in Higher Education, we have a responsibility to ensure students and staff can engage with these technologies critically, ethically and effectively.
AI plays a vital role in University Teaching and Learning by enabling more personalised and inclusive educational experiences, supporting data-informed pedagogy, and expanding how content is created, assessed, and applied. When used thoughtfully, it can enhance student engagement, improve feedback and learning support, and equip graduates with the critical skills needed to participate responsibly and effectively in an AI-shaped society. Across the Coventry university group, students and academics have already responded to this shift by exploring AI’s potential, its associated risks, and the opportunities it presents.
With the University’s ambition to become an AI Academy, we need to accelerate and coordinate the work already underway. This led to discussions with the AISG about the potential value of using a framework to help focus activities. After reviewing several frameworks produced by different government agencies and institutions (AI Frameworks) and with the absence of a national framework for higher education, the AI in Education Committee has concluded that there is a need for an AI literacy framework at Coventry Group level.
The aim of the framework is to provide a shared foundation for understanding how AI systems work, where their limitations lie, and how they reshape the learning environment for our staff and students Without a clear framework, AI use in teaching and learning risks being uneven, opaque, or uncritical. Establishing an AI literacy framework helps Coventry Group to align curricula, support faculty and students, and prepare graduates to navigate an AI-driven world with confidence and responsibility.
AI is reshaping teaching and learning in universities, and this imposes new demands on staff competencies in pedagogical design, ethical judgment, and digital fluency. Academic and professional staff must be able to critically evaluate AI tools, integrate them meaningfully into curriculum and assessment, and guide students in responsible use. Developing staff competencies in AI enables institutions to harness its benefits for learning while maintaining academic integrity, equity, and educational quality
With this context in mind, the following AI Literacy has been tailored and developed. Inspired by The DigCompEdu (3.0) Framework, developed by the European Joint Research Centre, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/digcompedu_en, this framework addresses educator roles, their professional competencies, their pedagogic competencies and the competencies required of learners.
This document presents an Artificial Intelligence Competencies Framework and an AI Literacy Competence Development Model for Educators that will support them in seizing the potential of AI to facilitate conversations with students to develop their understanding and expand their use of these emerging technologies.
