Pilot Course Units Integrate Artificial Intelligence into Teaching as Part of the European AI-HED Project.

This semester, ESCS began implementing the Pilot Course Units as part of the European project Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Teaching and Learning (AI-HED), co-funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme.

These Course Units aim to promote pedagogical innovation by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Teaching and Learning processes in a critical, responsible, and future-oriented way.

The ESCS faculty members involved in the AI-HED project — Tatiana Nunes, Fernanda Bonacho, Inês Veiga, Filipe Montargil, António Azevedo, João Ferreira, Vera Moutinho e Vanessa Andrade — participated in a training session held in May 2025 in Vienna, Austria, focused on preparing Course Units using AI tools.

What are the Pilot Courses?

Pilot Courses are existing Course Units that have been adapted to include AI tools at key moments - from content creation and personalized feedback to group collaboration and new assessment formats.
Their implementation is supported by a shared monitoring and evaluation protocol, applied by the four partner institutions of the project:

• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands);
• University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna (Austria);
• Polytechnic University of Lisbon – ESCS (Portugal);
• University of Zagreb, Faculty of Organization and Informatics (Croatia).

The Pilot Course Units at ESCS

At ESCS, eight Pilot Course Units were selected, representing different fields of study:

• Multiplataform Journalism Workshop (Undergraduate in Journalism);
• Integrated Communication Laboratory (Erasmus+);
• Public Relations Theories and Techniques (Undergraduate in Public Relations and Corporate Communication);
• Employee Communication (Undergraduate in Public Relations and Corporate Communication);
• Screenwriting for Journalism (Undergraduate in Journalism);
• Journalism Project Seminar (Postgraduate in Journalism);
• Gaming Strategies in Public Relations (Undergraduate in Public Relations and Corporate Communication);
• Project Seminar on Audiovisual and Multimedia (Postgraduate in Audiovisual and Multimedia).

In each of these course units, teachers and students will explore the potential of AI to enhance work methodologies, stimulate critical thinking, and create space for new forms of interaction, production, and knowledge sharing.

AI-HED at the European Level

In total, 24 Pilot Course Units are taking place this semester, involving more than 30 faculty members and around 800 students across the European network.

At the end of the Pilot Courses, results, best practices, and recommendations will be shared to support other Higher Education institutions in the critical and responsible integration of AI into Teaching and Learning processes.

More information is available on the AI-HED project website: ai-hed.eu and on the project’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-hed/

"Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Teaching and Learning" (AI-HED)
Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership (KA2)
Project Code: 2024-1-NL01-KA220-HED-000248874
Duration: 24 months (September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026)

4 Higher Education Institutions: Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences; University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna; School of Communication and Media Studies, Polytechnic University of Lisbon; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Organization and Informatics.

Text kindly provided by Professor Dr. Tatiana Nunes and edited and translated by the Communication Office (Gabcom). 
Photo kindly provided by Professor Dr. Tatiana Nunes.