A team of Concordia researchers is exploring how AI can shift art education and pedagogy

A team of art education researchers is questioning how pedagogical experiences can be reimagined through encounters with algorithms, computational tools, artificial intelligence(s) and machine learning protocols. The project is led by art education professor jessie beier, a new faculty member at Concordia, and is supported by the Faculty of Fine Arts’ Faculty Research Development Program funding. It delves into the intersection of accessibility, AI and art education through experimental research and creative approaches.

The research-creation initiative, titled Learning Machines (Live From the Black Box!), involves a collaborative team of art education students, faculty and artists. It focuses not only on how AI and new technologies are used in education but also on how they transform perceptions of learning experiences, creativity, pedagogy, intelligence and even consciousness.

"We are really thinking about how these technologies might shift us to ask questions about what education, intelligence, artificiality and even creativity are," highlights beier.

The team includes a few of Concordia’s art education PhD students, pedagogues and artists, including Sarah Bélanger-Martel — also co-founder and co-director of Musée ambulant — Natalie Pavlik, Jihane Mossalim and Azza Hussein. They have been exploring these complex themes through group readings, a series of experimental and creative processes and, more recently, a “live TV show.” Their intention throughout these experimentations is to spark discussions around AI’s role in shaping art education and education in general, as well as the accessibility of new AI technologies.

Beier and the team are exploring the concept and meaning of “learning machines” — a term they use to describe their collective and creative process — and what accessibility means in this age of artificial intelligence. 

"We think a lot about how these technologies might play out in educational spaces, but our questions are also experimenting with the ways they can teach us about how we think about learning in the first place. And so, it's a play on words, learning machines, machine learning — indeed, shortly after we started the project, we started calling each other learning machines in the email threads!"

Another key aspect of the project is its emphasis on collectivity and collaboration. "No one could do this alone. We all bring different skills and ideas to the table," says beier, highlighting the diverse contributions of team members, ranging from AI-focused research to hands-on pedagogical work in museums and schools.

The ‘black box’ of AI and education

The team recently explored the concept of the black box, in terms of computation, experimental theatre, scientific theory and pedagogy.

"When we think about a black box, we know what’s going in and what’s coming out, but it's unclear what happens inside," explains Bélanger-Martel. This theme was reflected in the project's recent research-creation residency, where they planned and built an experimental live TV set in Concordia’s Black Box, a space where “anything can happen,” Bélanger-Martel suggests.

"We were thinking of creating some workshops, but then we decided to create a live-streamed show," beier explains. “This was meant to create a hallucinatory experiment in seeing what remains to be (un)seen — which is one of our taglines!”

The broadcast blended scholarly research, creative output and performance to reflect on pedagogy, technology and how they interact and inform one another in an age of computation. The DIY show featured segments such as an AI-driven interview and a green screen performance exploring the underground implications and energetic expenditures of AI and its data sources.

"We’re really thinking about how these tools we take for granted — like typing into a large language model (LLM) — have far-reaching effects that are not always visible," beier notes.

Expanding the conversation on AI in education

Still in its early stages, the project has already begun drawing attention from both academic and local communities. The team is actively reaching out to organizations and individuals across Montreal, where AI research is rapidly advancing. "We're curious about how our pedagogical research can contribute to the larger conversation about AI in schools, museums and other spaces," beier says. "We’re not experts in AI, but we’re deeply invested in the questions it raises around accessibility, agency and intelligence."

Looking ahead, the team plans to expand its research through collaborations, live events and publications. "We’d love to continue this next year, pitch to conferences and keep the conversation going," she adds.

Their first publication, a chapter on art education, is currently in development and will appear in an upcoming book on “rewiring” AI-related contemporary issues and futurities in education. As the project progresses, the researchers aim to encourage broader discussions on rethinking art and its education in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Learn more about the Learning Machines and stay tuned for a conference through Hexagram on May 7 at ACFAS 2025 : Learning Machines : Live from the Black Box! Retour sur une résidence de recherche-création collaborative et spéculative.