Artificial intelligence has immense potential to enhance student learning experiences—if implemented correctly. In order to support AI literacy, it’s best to teach educators and students how to understand, use and evaluate AI tools.
That’s according to a new AI literacy framework from Digital Promise, a nonprofit that seeks to advance equitable education systems. AI literacy—which the organization defines as “the knowledge and skills that enable people to critically understand, evaluate and use AI systems and tools to safely and effectively participate in an increasingly digital world”—has emerged as a necessary skill set for both students and educators.
As mentioned previously, the framework defines three interconnected “modes of engagement” crucial for supporting engagement:
- Understand: Obtaining basic knowledge of what these tools can do and how they work leads to informed decisions about using AI systems.
- Use: Interacting, creating and problem-solving with AI as a progression of use for specific contexts and purposes.
- Evaluate: Centering human judgment and justice to consider the pros and cons of AI to individuals, society and the environment.
“Public schools have a critical role to integrate AI literacy throughout PK-12 education so that our current and future communities are aware and able to critically evaluate AI systems,” the framework reads.
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Digital Promise also outlines five strategies you can start using today to promote AI literacy in your classrooms. Here’s a look at each of them:
- Provide guidance for adoption and evaluation (systems leaders and policymakers)
- Integrate AI literacy across grades and subject-area learning (system and school administrators)
- Facilitate ongoing, just-in-time professional learning (instructional leaders)
- Design powerful learning experiences (teachers and instructional leaders)
- Promote awareness and agency (leaders, teachers, learners, caregivers and community members)
“Informed users are essential for the safe and effective use of AI,” the paper reads. “We call on school leaders and policymakers to champion AI literacy for all learners, educators and community members.”
Read the full paper which includes examples of each literacy framework here.
