The MOON Pedagogy - Developing Human Potential in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
An overview for board members of educational institutions and business executives · 5- to 6-minute read
Artificial intelligence could profoundly transform work and the place it occupies in our societies. This potential future invites us to re-examine the purpose of education. What knowledge should we pass on, and what human skills should we develop so that everyone can flourish and contribute actively to society in a world transformed by AI?
It was with this in mind that Dr. Delphine Le Serre, founder of EdHu2050, designed the MOON Pedagogy. This framework combines an understanding of AI and its responsible and secure uses with personal development across four complementary dimensions. These are (1) our relationship with ourselves, (2) our relationship with others, (3) our relationship with intelligent technologies and (4) our relationship with nature. [1, 2]
These areas of learning extend throughout life. MOON Pedagogy can therefore guide the design of educational curricula as well as training and support programs for employees. The framework gives leaders in human resources, learning and development, talent, information systems and transformation a common basis for identifying the human skills that urgently need to be developed as AI profoundly changes work and the social contract.
What distinguishes the MOON Pedagogy from other pedagogical approaches
Scientific and philosophical foundations. The framework draws inspiration from Aristotelian philosophy and is grounded in research in the behavioural sciences, neuroscience and AI ethics.
Human flourishing as the aim. MOON Pedagogy cultivates self-awareness, talents, empathy and human agency.
Preparation for collaboration with AI. The framework helps each person understand intelligent systems and collaborate with them while exercising judgment.
An adaptable framework. The MOON Pedagogy can be applied across different ages, settings and education systems. In the workplace, the same pillars can serve as guidelines for employee support programs tailored to specific roles and work situations. [1, 2]
1. Clarifying the purpose of education and training
By 2040, advanced AI systems could take on a growing share of intellectual activities, including in highly skilled professions. The scale of this transformation and its consequences could vary from country to country. If paid work comes to occupy a different place in society, the way education and lifelong training prepare and support learners for adult life will also need to evolve. [1]
Preparation for working life then becomes part of a broader mission. It should enable everyone to do three things.
Develop their potential.
Exercise critical thinking.
Contribute to collective life.
For educational institutions, this ambition means re-examining what they teach, why they teach it and how they teach it. [1]
In the workplace, the question arises when employers design support for their employees. What skills will enable employees to keep learning, exercise judgment and take an active role as their professions evolve and may even become hybrid with AI?
2. Identifying the human skills and knowledge of tomorrow
In a world where people will be called upon to collaborate and co-create with artificial intelligence systems, certain human skills will take on particular importance. Dr. Delphine Le Serre presents these skills as a foundation for developing human potential and preserving autonomy in decision-making. [1]
Skills and knowledge | What do they involve? |
Complex reasoning | Analyze a situation as a whole, taking into account its multiple dimensions and its short-, medium- and long-term consequences. |
Human–human co-intelligence | Know how to collaborate, communicate and co-create with other people calmly. |
Human–machine co-intelligence | Use artificial intelligence solutions to bring out new perspectives, process large volumes of information in real time and empower oneself. Exercise judgment about what intelligent machines propose. |
Ethical reasoning | Make the protection of people and the living world the starting point for every decision and deliberation. Learn to assess the consequences of your actions beyond the short term and to evaluate whether your decisions are compatible with the common good. |
Metacognition | Observe how your mind works, particularly your cognitive processes, then analyze and understand those processes so you can improve them. |
Learning to learn | Understand how knowledge is acquired, organized and consolidated so you can apply this process deliberately, whatever subject you are exploring. |
The science of well-being | Discover what contributes to human well-being and put it into practice daily to cultivate emotional balance and support personal flourishing. |
Once these skills and areas of knowledge have been identified, a question arises. How can they be integrated into learning so that everyone can develop them? Dr. Delphine Le Serre designed MOON Pedagogy to answer that question.
To put this ambition into practice, the MOON Pedagogy organizes the learning around four pillars. They correspond to the relationships each person develops with themselves, with others, with intelligent technologies and with nature. These pillars give teams a framework for integrating these areas of learning into existing programs through activities, projects and everyday practices.
3. The MOON Pedagogy as a framework of activities for developing these skills
The acronym MOON comes from the English names of the four pillars. Each pillar aims to develop knowledge, qualities and skills for tomorrow. [1]
M — Me with Myself
Know, love and accept yourself, cultivate your talents, maintain emotional balance and be happy. This pillar develops the intrapersonal dimension of social and emotional intelligence. Dedicated activities and regular practices help each person better understand and regulate their emotions. Self-knowledge thus provides a starting point for learning, connecting with others and facing difficulties. [1]
O — Me with Others
Interact, communicate, collaborate and co-create in a constructive and respectful way. This pillar develops the interpersonal dimension of social and emotional intelligence. It combines listening and empathy with judgement. Each person learns to recognize signs of manipulation, set boundaries and seek help when needed. These skills support participation in collective projects and community life. [1]
O — Me with (intelligent) Objects
Understand what intelligent technologies are and what they are made of, and learn to use them safely and responsibly for oneself and for the world. Learn how to use intelligent objects to empower oneself. This pillar aims to preserve autonomy and cultivate creativity alongside intelligent technologies.[1]
N — Me with Nature
Reconnect with the living world, reawaken your senses and learn to relax and restore yourself in nature. This pillar invites each person to experience nature through the senses and find a place there to relax and recover. This experience nurtures an emotional and cognitive connection with the living world. It also helps people understand and develop the relationships of interdependence between humans and natural ecosystems. [1]
4. Integrating the MOON Pedagogy into existing programs
In educational institutions, start with subjects and teaching practices. The four pillars span disciplines and take shape through a set of specific activities, rituals, projects and concrete actions. Each institution - from elementary school to university - can work with its teaching team to decide how to integrate these areas of learning in light of its history, culture and the age of its learners, from age two to retirement (and after).
In the workplace, start with work situations. Leaders in human resources, learning and development, and talent could also use MOON Pedagogy to develop the skills their employees will need tomorrow.
Adapt practices and document their effects. Dr. Delphine Le Serre and the EdHu2050 Foundation have begun implementing the MOON Pedagogy in elementary schools in Eastern Canada and the United States, where teams are being trained in the pedagogy by EdHu2050-certified trainers. An action research program is planned to refine the practices, adapt them to different ages and settings, and document their effects. [1]
Four questions for a board of directors or executive committee
Which human skills does the educational institution or company want to prioritize as AI transforms education and work?
Which existing educational, training or support programs already help develop these skills? Where should the skills be made more explicit?
In which learning or work situations can learners or employees practise these skills, and which teams can support them?
What observations will help determine whether to continue, adjust or expand the approach?
To learn more about MOON Pedagogy, visit https://www.edhu2050.com/moon-pedagogy or contact contact@edhu2050.com.
Sources
[1] Dr. Delphine Le Serre, L’Avenir de l’intelligence humaine à l’ère de l’intelligence artificielle, Éditions ALKAIA, 2025.
[2] EdHu2050, overview of MOON Pedagogy.
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