Online education

University of Wisconsin launches College of Computing & AI

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has launched its College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence (CAI), the institution’s first new college in more than four decades.

The new college brings together the departments of Computer Sciences, Statistics and the Information School, building on the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences established in 2019.

The college will focus on computing and AI education and research while promoting collaboration across fields including health, engineering, business, the social sciences, the arts and the humanities.

The university also plans to launch new academic programmes, recruit 50 faculty members over the coming years and expand partnerships with industry and government to strenthen research, education and innovation.

Why does it matter?

The creation of a dedicated College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence reflects the growing importance universities are placing on AI as a cross-disciplinary field rather than a specialised area within computer science. By bringing together expertise from multiple disciplines, the university aims to prepare students and researchers to address the technical, social and ethical challenges of AI.

The investment also highlights intensifying competition among higher education institutions to attract talent, research funding and industry partnerships in AI. Expanding faculty, academic programmes and collaboration with government and business positions the university to play a larger role in developing the next generation of AI research and workforce skills.

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Europol Roblox game wins EU award for online child safety

Europol’s Cyber Defenders initiative has won the 2026 European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration.

The free educational game, built on Roblox, is designed to help children recognise online risks and develop safer behaviour in digital environments.

Cyber Defenders received the overall award, selected from 48 nominations submitted by the EU institutions, bodies and agencies. It also won the Excellence in Technological Innovation and the Use of AI category award.

The game teaches children about risks such as fraud, identity theft and online grooming through interactive missions rather than traditional awareness campaigns.

Europol says the project was developed to reach children in online gaming environments they already use, while making them more comfortable asking for help when they encounter risks.

The agency has also published supporting resources for teachers, parents and schools, including a game guide, lesson assessment, poster and letter to parents.

The award follows earlier recognition of Europol digital initiatives, including Trace An Object, which uses public participation to help identify victims of child sexual abuse.

Why does it matter?

Cyber Defenders shows how law enforcement agencies are experimenting with interactive tools to improve children’s digital safety skills. Game-based learning can make online safety more relevant for younger users, especially in gaming environments where risks such as grooming, scams and identity theft may appear. The award also reflects broader recognition that digital literacy and prevention are part of child online safety, alongside regulation, enforcement and platform accountability.

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EU launches Cybersecurity Skills Coalition EDIC

The European Commission and participating member states have launched the Cybersecurity Skills Coalition European Digital Infrastructure Consortium to strengthen cybersecurity skills across the EU.

The consortium, known as CSC-EDIC, will support the implementation of the EU Cybersecurity Skills Academy, a flagship initiative launched by the Commission in 2023.

Announced during Digital Skills EU Days 2026, the consortium will be based in Athens. Greece, Cyprus, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia are founding members, while Czechia and Poland have joined as observers. Other member states will be able to join later.

The Commission said CSC-EDIC will develop and deliver tailored cybersecurity training programmes, measure cybersecurity skills gaps and serve as the secretariat for the Industry-Academia Network.

Working with ENISA, the consortium will also support cyber resilience in critical sectors, particularly the healthcare sector. Planned activities include an EU-wide attestation scheme for cybersecurity skills, career pathways and micro-credentials.

The initiative has received a €3.1 million grant from the Digital Europe Programme to support its initial governance, staffing and operations.

The Commission said the Cybersecurity Skills Academy has already secured 26 industry pledges, helping train more than 900,000 cybersecurity professionals. Ten partnerships have also been established through the Industry-Academia Network.

Why does it matter?

Europe’s cybersecurity workforce shortage affects the resilience of governments, businesses and critical sectors such as healthcare. CSC-EDIC gives member states a formal structure to pool resources, coordinate training and align skills development with EU cyber priorities. The initiative also shows how the EU is treating cybersecurity capacity as part of digital infrastructure, rather than solely as a labour-market issue.

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UNICEF warns millions of children rely on AI for advice and learning

Millions of children worldwide are already using AI for learning, problem-solving and personal guidance, according to UNICEF, which warns that safeguards are not keeping pace with adoption. Data collected across 10 countries suggests that at least 20 million children have used AI tools, with adoption rates significantly higher than among adults.

UNICEF estimates that around 13 million children use AI to support schoolwork, while approximately two million turn to it for advice on personal concerns. The organisation warns that AI is becoming embedded in children’s lives faster than safeguards and oversight mechanisms are being developed.

Young users also reported concerns about misinformation, scams and AI-generated deepfakes. UNICEF is calling on governments and technology companies to strengthen regulation, improve digital literacy and ensure AI systems are designed with children’s rights and safety in mind.

Why does it matter? 

The findings suggest that AI is already becoming part of children’s everyday lives, influencing how they learn, seek information and even look for personal support. As adoption accelerates, the gap between technological use and effective safeguards could expose young users to misinformation, manipulation, privacy risks and other online harms.

The report also highlights the growing importance of child-centred AI governance. Decisions made now on regulation, digital literacy and safety-by-design are likely to shape how future generations interact with AI, making children’s rights an increasingly important consideration in global AI policy.

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UNESCO expands digital literacy training for educators

Around 10,000 literacy educators worldwide have completed a UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning digital skills course designed to strengthen the use of technology in literacy education.

The multilingual course was launched in December 2025 by the Secretariat of the Global Alliance for Literacy, in collaboration with Huawei. It is available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.

The programme focuses on practical digital skills that educators can apply in literacy classrooms. It also encourages participants to use digital tools responsibly, evaluate online information critically and understand how technologies, including AI, shape learning and information use.

UNESCO said literacy today goes beyond reading and writing, requiring learners and educators to navigate digital environments and participate confidently in societies increasingly mediated by technology.

The course is delivered through 11 self-paced sessions and encourages educators to reflect on their teaching practice while developing new skills.

Participants from countries including Mexico, Pakistan and Togo reported stronger confidence in using digital tools, more learner-centred teaching approaches and greater use of collaboration and assessment technologies.

UNESCO said national and municipal adult education agencies, adult learning providers and UNESCO Learning Cities are helping expand the course across countries.

Why does it matter?

Digital literacy is becoming essential for both educators and learners, especially as AI and online platforms reshape access to information. Training literacy educators first can create a multiplier effect, helping adult learners and underserved communities build practical digital skills, critical thinking and confidence in online environments. The programme also shows how international education initiatives are moving beyond access to focus on effective and responsible use of technology.

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Moldova tightens rules on AI in university theses

Moldova has approved a national framework regulation on academic integrity in higher education, introducing common rules on plagiarism, unauthorised use of AI and other forms of academic fraud.

The regulation, approved by the government and developed by the Ministry of Education and Research, sets a single framework that all higher education institutions in Moldova will be required to implement.

Under the new rules, students will have to declare whether they used AI in their academic work and explain how they used it. The ministry said the framework is intended to increase transparency and strengthen responsibility in the use of digital tools.

Acceptable AI use may include support functions such as proofreading, formatting or organising material, while core academic work, including analysis, interpretation and conclusions, must remain the student’s own intellectual contribution.

The regulation also classifies academic integrity violations by severity, with sanctions ranging from rewriting assignments to suspension or expulsion. Academic staff and supervisors may also face disciplinary measures if they fail to enforce integrity rules.

The framework forms part of Moldova’s wider effort to strengthen trust in higher education, including the planned use of a national anti-plagiarism system for bachelor’s and master’s theses.

Why does it matter?

Moldova’s rules show how universities are moving from informal guidance on generative AI towards enforceable academic integrity frameworks. Requiring students to disclose AI use can help distinguish between acceptable assistance and improper authorship, while preserving the value of independent analysis and critical thinking. The approach also reflects a wider education-policy challenge: institutions need to adapt assessment and integrity systems without banning useful digital tools entirely.

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Microsoft report finds AI use growing across schools

Microsoft has released the third edition of its AI in Education Report, finding that AI adoption continues to grow across schools while educators and students seek more training and practical guidance for responsible use.

The report found that AI is already widely used for school-related activities, with 92% of students and education leaders and 88% of educators reporting that they use AI. More than half of education leaders said their institutions are already implementing or scaling AI initiatives, while most respondents reported increased AI use over the past year. More than half of education leaders said their institutions are already implementing or scaling AI, while most respondents reported increased AI use over the past year.

The report identifies three priorities for schools: integrating AI into teaching and administrative operations, expanding ongoing AI skills training and providing clearer guidance for responsible classroom use. Although most respondents considered AI literacy important, many educators and students said they had not received formal training.

Alongside the report, Microsoft announced new AI-powered features for Microsoft 365 Education, including lesson-planning tools, classroom AI guidance, learning management capabilities and study assistants designed to support critical thinking rather than replace student work. Microsoft also expanded its professional development programmes through Elevate for Educators and introduced a new AI literacy credential developed in partnership with ISTE + ASCD.

Why does it matter?

The report suggests that AI is becoming a routine part of teaching and learning, shifting the conversation from whether schools should adopt AI to how they can use it responsibly and effectively. The findings indicate that demand for AI literacy, teacher training and practical classroom guidance is growing alongside adoption.

Microsoft’s new education tools also reflect a broader trend across the education technology sector, where AI is increasingly being integrated into lesson planning, administrative workflows and personalised learning. As AI becomes more embedded in schools, ensuring that educators and students have the skills to use these tools critically and responsibly is likely to become a key priority for education systems.

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OpenAI upgrades GPT-5.5 Instant conversation skills

OpenAI has updated GPT-5.5 Instant to make ChatGPT conversations more natural, useful and responsive to user intent.

According to the company’s release notes, the update is designed to improve conversational quality, especially when users are making decisions, asking for advice, planning, researching options or shopping.

OpenAI said GPT-5.5 Instant is now better at identifying the underlying goal behind a question and carrying context across multiple turns. The company also said the model follows complex instructions more reliably, including requests with several constraints or requirements.

The update is intended to make the model more adaptive during ongoing conversations. When users add constraints or push back on an answer, GPT-5.5 Instant should adjust its approach more effectively, rather than simply repeating its original response.

The change reflects a wider shift in consumer AI systems from one-off answer generation towards more context-aware and interactive assistance.

Why does it matter?

The update shows how competition in AI assistants is moving beyond raw accuracy and benchmark performance towards conversational quality. For everyday users, the ability to understand intent, track context, follow multiple constraints and respond well to feedback can determine whether AI tools feel genuinely useful in education, work, shopping, planning and customer support.

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TEQSA backs GenAI learning reform in Australia

Australia’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency has published a paper on how higher education institutions can assure quality learning in a future shaped by generative AI.

The paper, ‘Assuring quality learning in a GenAI-integrated future: The role of adaptive capabilities’, argues that universities need to rethink how they define, assess and evidence student learning as generative AI becomes embedded in education.

The authors say generative AI and automated decision-making systems challenge traditional approaches to academic integrity and assessment. Rather than focusing only on securing final submissions, institutions should clarify what students need to learn in AI-integrated environments and how that learning can be demonstrated.

The paper identifies adaptive capabilities as central to graduate learning. These include digital literacy, distributed cognition, hybrid metacognition and life-long learning, grounded in disciplinary knowledge and supported by student agency and regulation.

The authors warn that narrow AI literacy may not be enough, as operational skills linked to current tools can quickly become outdated. Adaptive capabilities can help students evaluate new technologies, use AI ethically and continue learning as systems evolve.

The paper also highlights risks linked to generative AI, including overreliance on AI-generated explanations, reduced effortful learning and excessive cognitive offloading. It says higher education should preserve practices that support deeper learning, such as retrieval practice, spaced revision and generating answers before receiving explanations.

Assessment reform is a major theme. The paper calls for greater attention to evidence of learning processes rather than only to final products. Possible approaches include portfolios, learning journey documentation, reflective tasks, trace data and structured self-assessments.

TEQSA says the paper is not prescriptive and does not form part of its formal guidance notes. Instead, it is intended to support institutional thinking about how quality assurance may need to change as generative AI becomes a normal part of higher education.

Why does it matter?

Generative AI is weakening the reliability of product-based assessment, especially when final essays, reports, or problem solutions are produced or heavily shaped by AI tools. TEQSA’s focus on adaptive capabilities points towards a different quality assurance model: one that values student judgement, process evidence, ethical AI use and deep disciplinary understanding. That matters for universities because they will increasingly need to prove not only that students produced work, but that they learned, reasoned and exercised agency while using AI.

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UNESCO launches media literacy guide for families in the digital age

UNESCO has launched a global media literacy guide to help parents, caregivers, and families support children’s safe, informed and critical engagement with digital environments.

The guide, titled Growing Up in a Connected World: A Family Guide for the Digital Age, was launched at UNESCO Headquarters and online, attracting around 700 participants. It is available in English, French, and Spanish.

Developed by UNESCO in partnership with the French Media and Information Literacy Centre, CLEMI / Réseau Canopé, the guide is intended to equip families with media and information literacy skills to help guide children’s digital engagement.

UNESCO said the initiative comes amid growing global debate over whether younger users’ access to social media should be restricted or, in some cases, prohibited altogether. The organisation said such debates reflect broader concerns about safety, wellbeing and exposure to harmful content, but also underline the need to help young people navigate digital spaces safely, critically, and confidently.

The guide addresses both opportunities and risks linked to digital technologies. UNESCO said digital technologies can expand access to knowledge, participation and connection, but can also expose children to cyberbullying, harmful content, misinformation, and hate speech.

Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, said, ‘UNESCO promotes robust, evidence-based Media and Information Literacy policies. There is progress: UNESCO’s 2025 global survey shows that 171 countries now have a MIL policy framework. However, implementation remains uneven, with fewer than half of countries integrating media and information literacy into school curricula. As a result, too many children still receive no structured support at all. And when schools cannot fill this gap, the responsibility falls on families.’

Samuel Vitel, Director General of Réseau Canopé, said, ‘It is often through dialogue with parents that children learn to question information, compare different perspectives, and develop their critical thinking skills. This is why parents need support, just as we already provide it to teachers and to all education stakeholders.’

UNESCO said families are increasingly at the centre of today’s information ecosystems as digital and political transformations reshape society. The organisation said regulatory approaches such as safety by design remain important, but are not sufficient on their own.

The guide is designed to place practical tools directly in the hands of parents and caregivers. UNESCO said the aim is to support informed decision-making, strengthen autonomy within family life, and help families guide digital practices at home.

Mariya Gabriel, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, said, ‘This new Guide serves as a common foundation of knowledge that every parent should be able to access. Its publication today is, therefore, not the end of our work, but the beginning.’

UNESCO also highlighted the growing influence of AI on information consumption and communication practices. Citing research from the Reuters Institute, it said 15% of young adults aged 18 to 24 use AI weekly to access news, compared with 3% of older users.

The organisation called on regulators, media organisations, experts, and other stakeholders to help empower parents, children, and young people to navigate information ecosystems critically and confidently.

UNESCO said media and information literacy remains one of its core global programmes. Through these initiatives, UNESCO and its partners aim to strengthen critical thinking skills and digital competencies in response to rapid technological change.

Why does it matter?

The guide matters because debates over children’s online safety are moving beyond restrictions and platform rules alone. UNESCO’s approach places media literacy at the centre of child protection, arguing that young people also need support to understand information, assess risks, and navigate digital spaces critically.

It also highlights the role of families in digital governance. Where schools have not yet integrated media and information literacy into curricula, parents and caregivers often become the first line of support against misinformation, harmful content, cyberbullying, and AI-shaped information environments.

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