The CAIR Project: Bridging the AI Gap in Professional Education
Dr Jessica Boyce from Speech Pathology is leading a new cross-faculty initiative: the Cross-disciplinary AI Readiness for Health, Human Services and Teacher Education (CAIR) project.
This collaborative effort between the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS) and the Faculty of Education aims to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) use into professional training across multiple disciplines.
About the Project
The CAIR project brings together academics from various departments. Funded by a University Teaching and Learning Initiative grant, the team will develop a cross-disciplinary approach to AI education, focusing on the ethical and strategic application of generative AI (GenAI) in healthcare, social care, and education.
Key Team Members: Dr Elaina Kefalianos (Speech Pathology); A/Prof Vivienne Mak (Collaborative Practice Centre); A/Prof Mark Merolli (Physiotherapy); A/Prof Samantha Byrne (Dentistry); Dr Adam Taylor (Education); Mr Patrick Bowers (Audiology); Dr Lauren Kosta (Social Work); Dr Carey Wilson (Doctor of Medicine); Dr Jonathan Ng (Optometry); Professor Lisa Phillips (Psychological Sciences); Dr Sacha Peterson (Nursing)
As GenAI reshapes the landscape of healthcare, social care, and education, the CAIR project aims to address the critical need for AI literacy in professional education. This initiative will equip future professionals to:
- Develop proficiency in GenAI applications within their fields
- Critically evaluate AI technologies in professional contexts
- Understand the importance of ethical AI use
- Prepare for potential AI-related challenges in their future care ers
The project team, with support from Learning and Teaching Innovation, will create a cross-faculty digital learning resource. The resource will be rolled out across >10 programs in early 2027.
Looking Ahead
CAIR represents an initial step towards integrating AI competence into professional education across professional people-facing disciplines. Stay tuned for updates; and if you're working on related initiatives, the team would love to hear from you!
