Challenging Mindsets Around Artificial Intelligence in Education - Locus of Control with Dr Jodie Torrington

Is AI something that controls us, or is it a tool we can learn to control? In this episode, Dr Jodie Torrington explores one of the most important yet overlooked questions in AI education: locus of control. Drawing on her research in self-regulated learning, AI literacy and educational psychology, Jodie challenges fear-based narratives and explains how educators can develop the knowledge, confidence and agency to work with AI rather than be led by it. Discover practical strategies for fostering critical thinking, metacognition and ethical AI use, while empowering students and teachers to retain human agency in an AI-enhanced world. 

Support readings:

Generative AI for Educators Coursera course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/mqfoa-generative-ai-literacy-and-prompting-skills-for-educators 

Torrington, J., Ballsun-Stanton, B., & Lai, J. W. (2025, February 21). Teaching Students How to Effectively Interact with LLMs at University: Insights on the Longitudinal Development of AI-Locus of Control. https://osf.io/preprints/edarxiv/6mke5_v3

Torrington, J., Bower, M. & Burns, E.C. What self-regulation strategies do elementary students utilize while learning online?. Educ Inf Technol 28, 1735–1762 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11244-9

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