Innovation • Neurodiversity • Responsible AI

Reimagining Ancient Studies through Inclusive Innovation

CIAW is an international non-profit centre advancing Ancient Studies through inclusive pedagogy, neurodiversity-aware design, responsible artificial intelligence, and evidence-based academic innovation. We promote open knowledge, interdisciplinary collaboration, and learning environments that protect academic integrity, academic freedom, and professional dignity. CIAW opposes workplace bullying, harassment, intimidation, defamation, exclusionary practices, coordinated reputational attacks, and the misuse of digital technologies—including artificial intelligence—to marginalise, silence, or discredit members of the scholarly community.

Explore CIAW → Get involved
Inclusive Neurodiversity by Design
Responsible AI Transparent & Ethical
Open Science Accessible Knowledge
Integrity Evidence before Narratives
OUR MISSION

Building the Future of Ancient Studies

CIAW develops innovative methodologies for teaching, research and public engagement that combine humanities scholarship with responsible digital technologies. Our work places neurodiversity, accessibility, academic integrity and open collaboration at the centre of educational innovation.

🧠 Neurodiversity First

Learning environments should adapt to people—not the opposite. CIAW designs courses, workshops and resources that recognise different cognitive profiles as sources of creativity, analytical strength and innovation rather than barriers to participation.

⚙ Responsible AI

Artificial Intelligence should enhance scholarship rather than replace scholarly judgement. CIAW develops transparent, explainable and evidence-based AI methodologies for Ancient Studies, always centred on verification and human expertise.

🌍 Open Knowledge

Research becomes stronger when knowledge circulates openly. Whenever licensing permits, CIAW publishes teaching materials, methodological guides, datasets and workflows as reusable Open Educational Resources.

🛡 Academic Integrity

Healthy academic communities require transparency, respect and evidence-based dialogue. CIAW opposes the misuse of digital technologies for harassment, fabricated attribution, reputational attacks, exclusionary behaviour, or coordinated defamatory campaigns that undermine scholarly trust.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Innovation with Human Values

Innovation is meaningful only when it expands participation, strengthens critical thinking, and protects the people who create knowledge. These commitments guide every CIAW activity.

Inclusive Education

Universal Design for Learning, accessible materials, multimodal resources, flexible assessment, and neurodiversity-aware pedagogy.

Responsible Innovation

Critical adoption of AI, transparent methodologies, reproducible workflows, ethical experimentation and continuous evaluation.

Academic Well-being

Respectful collaboration, constructive peer dialogue, institutional accountability, and environments that discourage intimidation, harassment and defamatory narratives.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Historians, archaeologists, classicists, computer scientists, educators and heritage professionals working together.

Evidence Before Opinion

Claims should remain verifiable. CIAW promotes critical literacy, documentation, source verification, and methodological transparency across all digital practices.

Open Communities

International collaboration, shared resources, open publications, peer mentoring and sustainable academic networks.

FOUNDATION

Where CIAW Comes From

CIAW emerged from years of teaching, research, curriculum design and digital innovation across several universities and higher education institutions. Rather than representing a single institution, CIAW integrates experiences from diverse academic environments into one shared mission: making Ancient Studies more inclusive, more innovative, and more accessible.

Academic Experience

CIAW builds upon collaborations and teaching developed across institutions including: • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
• Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
• ENTI–Universitat de Barcelona
• Universidad Europea
• Kyoto Prefectural University

Why CIAW Exists

Many excellent initiatives remain isolated. CIAW was created to connect educators, researchers, students and digital innovators through practical methodologies, open educational resources, and responsible technological innovation. Our objective is not simply to study Antiquity, but to rethink how Ancient Studies can be taught, shared and experienced in the twenty-first century.

FLAGSHIP PUBLICATION

AI & Antiquity

An international open-access journal exploring Artificial Intelligence, Ancient Studies, digital humanities, inclusive pedagogy, and responsible technological innovation.

AI & Antiquity Volume 2 Issue 1
Volume 2 · Issue 1 · 2026

AI & Antiquity

Journal of Teaching, Artificial Intelligence and Ancient Studies

ISSN 3081-4553

This issue examines how Artificial Intelligence is transforming teaching, historical research, editorial practice, heritage, and public engagement, placing verification, critical literacy and inclusion at the centre of academic practice.

📚 Research

Comparative evaluations of AI in historical research, source criticism, epigraphy, philology, and archaeological interpretation.

🎓 Teaching

Inclusive assessment, critical AI literacy, accessible learning environments, and neurodiversity-aware methodologies.

🌍 Society

Public history, heritage communication, digital ethics, algorithmic accountability and responsible innovation.

Why this journal matters

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping scholarship at every level. Rather than framing AI as either a miracle or a threat, AI & Antiquity approaches it as an intellectual ecosystem requiring critical reflection, verification, ethical governance, and methodological transparency.

The journal examines how AI mediates teaching, knowledge production, editorial work, peer review, historical interpretation, and cultural memory.

Special attention is devoted to the risks introduced by generative AI, including fabricated citations, hallucinated references, misattribution, algorithmic bias, and other failures that may affect scholarly communication.

The journal also encourages discussion about institutional responses that foster academic integrity, transparent evaluation, and respectful scholarly dialogue in digital environments.

WHAT WE DO

Activities

CIAW develops practical initiatives connecting teaching, research, digital innovation and public engagement.

🎓 Workshops

Hands-on training on Ancient History, epigraphy, languages, digital humanities, AI and inclusive teaching.

📖 Open Educational Resources

Guides, templates, rubrics, datasets, prompts and reusable classroom materials.

🤝 Mentoring

Supporting educators, students, early-career researchers and independent scholars.

⚙ Innovation Labs

Experimental projects combining AI, game-based learning, digital storytelling and historical reconstruction.

🧠 Neurodiversity

Designing educational experiences that recognise diverse cognitive strengths, executive function needs and accessible communication.

🌍 International Networks

Building collaborations between universities, schools, cultural institutions and researchers worldwide.

RESEARCH · TEACHING · IMPACT

Current Projects

CIAW develops collaborative initiatives that combine educational innovation, responsible Artificial Intelligence, Ancient Studies, and inclusive pedagogical design.

Forgotten Voices in Antiquity
Teaching Innovation 2025–2026

Forgotten Voices in Antiquity

Official Teaching Innovation Project (GI517492) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, exploring inclusive methodologies, critical AI literacy, and new approaches for teaching Ancient History.

Focus
  • Inclusive pedagogy
  • Marginalised voices
  • Critical AI literacy
  • Universal Design for Learning
Outputs
  • Teaching guides
  • Case studies
  • Open educational resources
  • Transferable methodologies

Principal Investigators: Carlos Heredia · Isaías Arrayás

Faculty of Philosophy and Letters
Faculty Innovation

Inclusive AI Workshops

Faculty-wide initiative introducing responsible AI, prompt engineering, ethical assessment, and accessible instructional design within Humanities programmes.

Accessibility

Inclusive materials & multimodal resources.

Ethics

Transparency, verification & critical AI literacy.

Impact

Faculty seminars & shared teaching models.

AI Workshops
Professional Development

AI, Assessment & Inclusive Pedagogy

Training programme developed through the Formació a Mida initiative at UAB, supporting university teachers in integrating Artificial Intelligence responsibly into higher education.

Courses
  • Continuous Assessment & AI
  • Inclusive AI for Humanities
  • Ethics of Generative AI
Methodology
  • Collaborative laboratories
  • Hands-on workshops
  • Practical templates
Archeion
Public Engagement

Archeion

Archeion is CIAW's public dissemination initiative, bringing Ancient History, Artificial Intelligence, archaeology and digital humanities to broader audiences through multimedia storytelling.

Podcast

Long-form discussions.

Video

Educational explainers.

Outreach

Accessible dissemination.

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Teaching Innovation Resources

This section brings together a series of open educational resources developed within the framework of teaching innovation projects focused on inclusive education, critical approaches to Artificial Intelligence, and responsible knowledge practices in Higher Education.

Designed from research and teaching experience in Ancient History and Classical Studies, these materials translate pedagogical reflection into practical frameworks that can be adapted across disciplines. They provide educators with strategies for curriculum design, classroom activities, assessment practices, and responsible integration of emerging technologies.

The resources presented here combine academic guidelines with accessible visual materials, allowing their use in teaching, professional development workshops, institutional discussions, and collaborative innovation initiatives.

Teaching Guidelines

Three complementary frameworks addressing inclusive curriculum design, neurodiversity-aware teaching, flexible learning pathways, critical AI literacy, and responsible academic practices. Each guideline includes its theoretical foundations, practical applications, transferability across disciplines, citation information, and access to related publications and visual resources.

Shareable Infographics

Visual resources designed for teaching workshops, professional development, and institutional reflection. Each infographic summarises key principles from the guidelines and can be freely consulted, shared, and adapted with appropriate acknowledgement.

The infographics were created using Canva Pro and NotebookLM through project-funded licences within the UAB Teaching Innovation Project "Voces olvidadas en la Antigüedad: docencia inclusiva y pensamiento crítico en tiempos de inteligencia artificial" (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona – Modalitat A, GI517492), directed by Carlos Heredia and Isaías Arrayás.

Explore the Resources

The following guidelines address three interconnected dimensions of contemporary Higher Education: inclusive learning design, critical engagement with Artificial Intelligence, and responsible academic knowledge practices.

GUIDELINE 1 · Journal of Classics Teaching · Cambridge University Press · 2026
🔍 Open full-size infographic
Guideline on inclusive flipped learning, AI-supported teaching, and accessible learning design across disciplines.

This guideline presents an adaptable framework for combining flipped learning, Artificial Intelligence, and inclusive instructional design in Higher Education. Originally developed through Ancient History teaching, it provides transferable strategies for supporting diverse learners while maintaining academic standards, disciplinary accuracy, and critical engagement with knowledge.

The framework can be adapted to different subjects by modifying learning materials, classroom activities, sources, and assessment methods according to disciplinary objectives and institutional contexts.

Key Teaching Principles

  • Inclusive flipped learning: Students engage with accessible materials before class, allowing classroom time to focus on discussion, collaboration, interpretation, problem-solving, and disciplinary reasoning.
  • Critical AI literacy: Artificial Intelligence is used as a tool for questioning, comparing, analysing, and improving understanding rather than replacing disciplinary expertise or academic judgement.
  • Critical enquiry: Learning activities encourage students to examine evidence, perspectives, assumptions, and debates within each discipline.

Flexible Learning Pathways

  • Structured pathway: Guided sequences, visual organisers, explicit instructions, and planning tools support learners who benefit from greater structure and reduced cognitive overload.
  • Creative pathway: Flexible formats allow students to demonstrate disciplinary understanding through different forms of communication, including written work, presentations, podcasts, videos, infographics, or digital projects.

Inclusive Assessment

  • Continuous feedback: Learning portfolios, reflective activities, and formative assessment support students in monitoring their progress throughout the learning process.
  • Equivalent academic expectations: Assessment focuses on knowledge, reasoning, evidence use, and argumentation while allowing different pathways for communicating learning.

Possible Uses

  • Redesigning modules through inclusive flipped learning approaches.
  • Developing AI literacy activities within disciplinary teaching.
  • Creating accessible pre-class materials and classroom activities.
  • Designing workshops on inclusive teaching methodologies.
  • Supporting curriculum innovation projects across disciplines.
Transferability: This framework can be adapted to different fields by changing examples, sources, learning activities, and assessment approaches while maintaining the underlying principles of accessibility, flexibility, and critical engagement.

Access the Infographic

The infographic version of this guideline is openly available for consultation, teaching activities, workshops, and institutional training. Educators can download, share, and adapt this resource following the recommended citation and attribution guidelines below.

Implementation Guide

Step 1 — Explore: Read the infographic alongside the full publication to understand the theoretical framework and evidence base.

Step 2 — Adapt: Modify examples, activities, sources, and assessment formats according to your discipline, students, and institutional context.

Step 3 — Apply: Integrate the principles into curriculum design, classroom activities, assessment strategies, or staff development initiatives.

How to Cite and Attribute This Resource

Use the citation below when referencing this guideline in academic publications, teaching materials, institutional reports, conference presentations, research projects, or professional development activities.

Center for the Innovation in Ancient Worlds & Heredia Chimeno, C. (2026). CIAW Teaching Infographics: Inclusive Learning, Critical AI Literacy, and Responsible Knowledge Practices [Infographic: Inclusive Learning Itineraries: Flipped Learning and AI for Neurodivergence ]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21763472

For classroom use: You may include this resource in lectures, seminars, workshops, Moodle/Canvas pages, institutional training sessions, or teaching innovation projects, provided that the original authorship and project framework are acknowledged.

Suggested attribution:
"Adapted from CIAW Teaching Infographics: Inclusive Learning, Critical AI Literacy, and Responsible Knowledge Practices (2026), Center for the Innovation in Ancient Worlds & Heredia Chimeno, C."

Read the Full Publication & Research Background →
GUIDELINE 2 · Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona · 2026
🔍 Open full-size infographic
Guideline on inclusive flipped learning, AI-supported teaching, and accessible learning design across disciplines.

This guideline presents an approach to teaching that combines inclusive perspectives, neurodiversity-aware practices, and responsible Artificial Intelligence use. It encourages educators to move beyond single narratives by incorporating diverse experiences, viewpoints, and forms of knowledge into classroom activities and disciplinary discussions.

Originally developed through historical enquiry, the framework can be transferred to different subjects by adapting examples, sources, learning activities, and discussion formats according to each discipline's objectives and traditions.

Principles for Transforming Learning

  • From a single narrative to multiple perspectives: Students explore different viewpoints, experiences, and forms of knowledge rather than relying exclusively on dominant or established interpretations.
  • AI as a critical learning partner: AI-generated materials become opportunities to analyse assumptions, inaccuracies, limitations, stereotypes, and methodological challenges.
  • Connecting knowledge and experience: Teaching activities explore how ideas, structures, institutions, and social contexts shape the experiences of individuals and communities.

Inclusive Classroom Design

  • Multiple ways of engaging: Flexible learning activities allow students to access, analyse, and communicate knowledge through different approaches and formats.
  • Accessible methodologies: Clear expectations, flexible pathways, and supportive resources help reduce barriers while maintaining disciplinary standards.
  • Supportive learning environments: Dialogue, feedback, and empathy contribute to learning spaces where diverse students can participate meaningfully.

Learning Outcomes

  • Critical thinking: Students develop the ability to evaluate information, including AI-generated content, through evidence, disciplinary methods, and academic standards.
  • Inclusive participation: Flexible approaches encourage engagement from learners with different experiences, strengths, and learning profiles.
  • Expanded disciplinary perspectives: Students learn to recognise complexity, uncertainty, and multiple viewpoints within knowledge production.

Possible Uses

  • Curriculum redesign focused on inclusion and representation.
  • Teaching workshops on diversity, accessibility, and inclusive methodologies.
  • Activities exploring perspectives, assumptions, and knowledge construction.
  • Staff development sessions on responsible AI integration.
  • Interdisciplinary discussions about inclusive approaches to learning.
Transferability: This framework can support teaching innovation across Humanities, Social Sciences, Education, and interdisciplinary programmes by adapting examples and activities while maintaining its focus on inclusion, critical reflection, and responsible knowledge practices.

Access the Infographic

The infographic version of this guideline is openly available for consultation, teaching activities, workshops, curriculum redesign discussions, and professional development sessions. Educators and institutions are encouraged to reuse and adapt the resource while maintaining appropriate attribution.

Implementation Guide

Step 1 — Explore: Analyse the infographic together with the publication framework to identify the principles most relevant to your teaching context.

Step 2 — Adapt: Select examples, sources, activities, and discussion formats that reflect the needs of your students and the objectives of your discipline.

Step 3 — Apply: Integrate inclusive perspectives, responsible AI practices, and multiple forms of knowledge into your curriculum, classroom activities, or institutional initiatives.

How to Cite and Attribute This Resource

Use this citation when referencing the infographic in research outputs, teaching resources, institutional documents, workshops, conferences, or educational innovation projects.

Center for the Innovation in Ancient Worlds & Heredia Chimeno, C. (2026). CIAW Teaching Infographics: Inclusive Learning, Critical AI Literacy, and Responsible Knowledge Practices [Infographic: Rethinking Ancient History: Inclusion, AI, and Forgotten Voices ]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21763472

For classroom use: This resource can be incorporated into lectures, seminars, online learning platforms, staff training sessions, curriculum review processes, and interdisciplinary teaching projects.

Suggested attribution:
"Adapted from CIAW Teaching Infographics: Inclusive Learning, Critical AI Literacy, and Responsible Knowledge Practices (2026), Center for the Innovation in Ancient Worlds & Heredia Chimeno, C."

Read the Full Publication & Research Background →
GUIDELINE 3 · AI & Antiquity · Volume 2, Issue 1 · 2026
🔍 Open full-size infographic
Guideline on inclusive flipped learning, AI-supported teaching, and accessible learning design across disciplines.

This guideline provides educators and researchers with a framework for addressing Artificial Intelligence verification, academic integrity, and responsible evaluation practices in Higher Education. It focuses on evidence-based verification, transparency, methodological judgement, and the prevention of AI-related accusations becoming instruments of harassment, reputational damage, or factional conflicts within research communities.

Rather than assuming that the presence or alleged use of Artificial Intelligence represents academic misconduct, this approach emphasises that AI-related concerns must be examined through reliable evidence, transparent procedures, and disciplinary standards. Verification should strengthen academic integrity, not become a mechanism for personal attacks, professional exclusion, or conflicts between competing groups of researchers.

Understanding the Challenges

  • AI use and unsupported accusations: Claims that researchers have used Artificial Intelligence improperly require evidence and contextual analysis. Assumptions based only on writing style, productivity, or personal disagreements may lead to unfair judgments.
  • Limits of detection methods: AI detection tools may produce uncertain results and should not be treated as definitive proof of misconduct without additional verification, scholarly review, and examination of research practices.
  • Academic conflicts and reputational harm: In environments marked by competing schools, institutions, or research factions, allegations of AI use may become tools for undermining colleagues rather than improving research standards.

Developing Critical AI Verification Literacy

  • Verification as a core academic skill: Researchers and students should learn to evaluate sources, references, arguments, data, writing processes, and methodological decisions rather than relying on suspicion or automated judgements.
  • Transparent AI practices: Academic communities should promote clarity about when, why, and how AI tools are used in research, teaching, writing, and analysis.
  • Critical evaluation of evidence: AI-related concerns should distinguish between acceptable assistance, methodological weaknesses, accidental errors, and intentional misuse.

Guidance for Educators and Researchers

  • Prioritise evidence-based review: Evaluate possible AI misuse through research documentation, sources, drafts, methodology, citations, and scholarly practices rather than isolated indicators.
  • Promote fair academic dialogue: Address concerns through discussion, peer review, and institutional procedures instead of public accusations or harassment campaigns.
  • Protect research communities: Encourage environments where disagreement about methods, theories, or interpretations does not become confused with evidence of AI misconduct.

Possible Uses

  • Developing institutional frameworks for transparent AI verification practices.
  • Training researchers and educators to evaluate AI-related claims responsibly.
  • Creating guidelines that distinguish academic integrity concerns from interpersonal or factional conflicts.
  • Supporting workshops on AI literacy, evidence evaluation, and responsible scholarly communication.
  • Designing fair procedures for addressing suspected inappropriate AI use.
Transferability: The principles presented here are applicable across disciplines because verification, transparency, evidence-based judgement, and protection against unsupported accusations are fundamental components of academic integrity in any research environment.

Access the Infographic

The infographic provides a concise visual framework for discussing AI verification, academic integrity, evidence evaluation, and responsible scholarly communication. It can be used in researcher training, institutional workshops, doctoral programmes, and discussions about ethical AI practices.

Implementation Guide

Step 1 — Explore: Review the infographic and publication to understand the distinction between AI assistance, methodological limitations, and evidence-based academic evaluation.

Step 2 — Adapt: Use the framework to develop institutional policies, classroom discussions, researcher training activities, or responsible AI guidelines.

Step 3 — Apply: Promote transparent, fair, and evidence-based approaches when addressing possible AI-related concerns in educational and research environments.

How to Cite and Attribute This Resource

Use this citation when referring to the infographic in research articles, academic discussions, institutional documents, teaching resources, workshops, or professional development activities.

Center for the Innovation in Ancient Worlds & Heredia Chimeno, C. (2026). CIAW Teaching Infographics: Inclusive Learning, Critical AI Literacy, and Responsible Knowledge Practices [Infographic: Source Verification and Academic Harassment in the Era of AI ]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21763472

For classroom and research use: This resource can support discussions about AI literacy, academic integrity, research ethics, doctoral training, institutional policy development, and responsible scholarly communication.

Suggested attribution:
"Adapted from CIAW Teaching Infographics: Inclusive Learning, Critical AI Literacy, and Responsible Knowledge Practices (2026), Center for the Innovation in Ancient Worlds & Heredia Chimeno, C."

Read the Full Publication & Research Background →

Using and Adapting These Resources

These guidelines and infographics are designed as open educational resources to support teaching innovation, professional development, and collaborative reflection across disciplines. They can be adapted to different subjects, institutional contexts, and learner communities according to local needs and educational objectives.

Educators and institutions are encouraged to reuse, discuss, and extend these materials while acknowledging the original project, publications, and authors.

Suggested Applications

  • Curriculum redesign and course development.
  • Teaching workshops and professional development activities.
  • Departmental discussions on inclusive pedagogy and AI literacy.
  • Collaborative projects on educational innovation.
  • Research ethics and responsible AI training initiatives.

By connecting inclusive methodologies, critical approaches to technology, and disciplinary expertise, these resources contribute to more accessible, reflective, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

CURRENT RESEARCH

What Are We Working On?

CIAW actively develops research, educational innovation and international collaborations exploring Ancient Studies, neurodiversity and responsible Artificial Intelligence. Our current work combines peer-reviewed publications, inclusive teaching methodologies and collaborative research projects that seek to transform how the ancient world is taught, studied and shared.

Journal of Classics Teaching
Peer-reviewed Publication

Flipped Learning and AI-Supported Itineraries for Neurodivergent Learners: A Case Study in Ancient History

Recently published in the Journal of Classics Teaching (Cambridge University Press), this study investigates how flipped learning, Artificial Intelligence and inclusive instructional design can improve Ancient History teaching for neurodivergent students while strengthening executive function, autonomy and engagement.

DDD UAB
Published Chapter

Rethinking Ancient History: Forgotten Voices, Inclusive Teaching and Artificial Intelligence

Published by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Innovació docent: de la idea a la pràctica en educació superior (2026), this chapter presents the project Forgotten Voices in Antiquity, which reimagines Ancient History teaching by bringing traditionally marginalized groups, including women, children, enslaved people, foreigners, and other underrepresented communities, into the centre of historical analysis.

Through the critical use of Artificial Intelligence, students learn to identify biases, compare AI-generated narratives with primary sources, and develop historical, digital, and ethical literacy within an inclusive and neurodiversity-aware learning environment.

Upcoming Publication

Inclusive Assessment in Online Ancient History: A Neurodiversity-Informed Approach to the Critical Use of AI

Forthcoming in Journal of Classical Teaching this article proposes a neurodiversity-informed redesign of continuous assessment for fully online Ancient History courses. Drawing on inclusive practices developed at institutions such as The Open University and adapted to online higher education, it presents a model based on universal design rather than individual accommodation.

The proposed framework combines short visual learning capsules, asynchronous "silent tutorials", optional live tutorials and structured planning tools to support executive functioning, reduce cognitive overload and improve self-regulation throughout the semester.

Rather than using Artificial Intelligence as a shortcut for academic work, students critically analyse AI-generated interpretations of the ancient world, identifying algorithmic bias, historiographical omissions and stereotyped representations. By comparing AI outputs with primary sources and current scholarship, the approach strengthens both historical thinking and critical AI literacy while promoting more inclusive perspectives on traditionally marginalised groups in Antiquity.

Coming September 2026

AI & Antiquity — Volume 2 · Issue 2

CIAW is currently coordinating a special collection of international contributions dedicated to neurodiversity, inclusive pedagogy and innovation in Ancient Studies. The forthcoming issue brings together researchers from Europe and Latin America working at the intersection of Classics, accessibility and educational transformation.

The Positive Contribution of Neurodivergence to Ancient Studies

Jenny Read-Heimerdinger · Institut Catholique de Toulouse

How neurodivergent strengths—including rigour, clarity and advanced pattern recognition—can enrich research, teaching and scholarly practice in Ancient History and Classics.

The Neurodiverse Teaching the Neurodiverse

Julia Tomas · The Open University

Reflections on teaching Ancient History as a dyspraxic lecturer and how neurodivergent-led pedagogy benefits students across higher education.

The Relaxed Tutorial Project

Cora Beth Fraser · The Open University

A disability-led redesign of online Classics tutorials introducing sensory-friendly learning environments and flexible participation models.

The Case Study of the "Simulacrum"

Sebastián Altamirano · Universidad de Costa Rica

An innovative formative assessment model in Latin that reduces anxiety, improves preparation and supports neurodivergent learners.

NEURODIVERSITY BY DESIGN

Different Minds.
Better Humanities.

CIAW considers neurodiversity an essential source of creativity, innovation, critical thinking and scholarly excellence. Rather than adapting learners to rigid educational models, we design learning environments that recognise different cognitive strengths from the beginning.

Who do we design for?

  • ADHD & Executive Function support
  • Autism Spectrum & Structured clarity
  • Dyslexia & Multimodal learning
  • Dyspraxia & Accessible workflows
  • Tourette Syndrome & Flexible engagement
  • Giftedness & Deep intellectual exploration
  • Highly Sensitive Persons & Low-sensory options
  • Mixed neurocognitive profiles

How does this translate into practice?

  • Chunked learning materials
  • Clear visual hierarchy & typography
  • Executive-function friendly resources
  • Flexible assessment pathways
  • Accessible digital environments
  • Predictable workshop structures
  • Multimodal learning resources
  • Inclusive communication strategies

Artificial Intelligence as Cognitive Support

CIAW explores Artificial Intelligence as an assistive educational technology. Used responsibly, AI can support reading, organisation, summarisation, language learning, historical interpretation and personalised learning pathways, while always preserving human judgement, critical reflection and scholarly verification.

OUR VALUES

The Principles Behind CIAW

Everything we build is guided by openness, inclusion, academic responsibility and long-term collaboration.

📖 Open Knowledge

Whenever possible, our publications, teaching resources and methodologies are openly shared.

⚙ Innovation

We experiment responsibly with new technologies, always evaluating educational impact before technological novelty.

🤝 Collaboration

Ancient Studies benefit from interdisciplinary dialogue between historians, archaeologists, classicists, educators and technologists.

🌍 Accessibility

Accessibility is not an afterthought. It is a design principle embedded in every CIAW initiative.

🧠 Neurodiversity

Different cognitive profiles strengthen teaching, research, problem solving and historical interpretation.

🛡 Academic Integrity

CIAW promotes evidence-based scholarship, transparent methodologies, respectful academic dialogue, and opposes the misuse of digital technologies for harassment, fabricated attribution, coordinated reputational attacks, or other practices that undermine trust in scholarly communities.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Let's Build the Future of Ancient Studies

CIAW welcomes collaborations with universities, schools, research groups, cultural institutions, educators, students and independent scholars interested in inclusive innovation, responsible Artificial Intelligence and Ancient Studies.

Collaborate with CIAW → Visit the Journal