30/04/2026
In 2029 PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) will be evaluating and as one combined domain- MAIL- among 15-year-olds. This has been selected as the "Innovative domain" (targeting different key interdisciplinary skills every time) included in the last decade in addition to the core domains it has always evaluated (reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills) for future graduates to meet real-life challenges and participate fully in society. This isn't just a new test; itโs a global shift that has been evolving for a few years in how we define what it means to be " " in the 21st century.
What will be assessed for the first time is "how equipped the next generation is to co-exist with AI and think critically about what they see online".
As I see it, the words "co-exist" and "think critically" tell the whole story here. It is all about being able to engage in โa dynamic dance of dialogue, interaction and co constitutionโ as Mishra (2025) maintained. It is about co-existence and retaining human agency in a landscape now inhabited by AI as well. It is about leveraging it rather than being replaced by it, which has become a major concern. Moreover, it is about human (that is having humans behind the steering wheel) with skills seen as vital to do so. It is about facing challenges and being a member of a healthy community.
As one of my students in my course at Shaanan Academic College wrote in a reflective task: "I find it quite ironic that we need to use our cognitive skills more than ever before when I used to think that digital technology could act as a replacement and allow that part of our brains to rest."
In the PISA draft, they explain the combination of these two literacies: "At the core of media literacy lies the critical thinking skills needed for engaging with, understanding, assessing, and filtering the images, words, and sounds encountered through books, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, video games, the Internet and social media.โฆ AI literacy represents the technical , durable and future-ready required to thrive in a world influenced by technology"
So, this is what will be assessed. Will students be ready for this future by 2029? Three years are left. This sets a goal and a significant opportunity for the long overdue reimagination of education. Are the educational systems ready for it?
๐Have you noticed any preparation for or discussion on ways to cultivate this type of literacy (MAIL) beyond the mere integration of technologies or occasional mentions of the dangers of misinformation and disinformation through media outlets in your institution or country?"
๐What changes, if any, do you feel the current curriculum, professional development programmes, or your actual teaching need for this "dynamic dance"?
โจ๐ซAbove all, let's remember meaningful changes do not happen overnight. They are intentional and they all start with small steps (that are gradually refined) made by ordinary people- that is, educators in tehir own classrooms in this case.โจ๐ซ
https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/pisa-2029-media-and-ai-literacy-key-concepts-curriculum-links-and-competences?fbclid=IwdGRjcARftEljbGNrBF-xsWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHpV3bwdegU-hO5_HYRp5yx2wtqepmND6kHUQWoSiJCIEvVQZRy0Lbu83NOWj_aem_DNzzLMmQN97Y5ZBLu-SN8Q
Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy (MAIL) has been announced as the innovative domain for PISA 2029. The OECD has already released the first draftโฆ