Fostering students' AI literacy development through educational games: AI knowledge, affective and cognitive engagement.

Background: As the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to increase, there is a need for effective scaffolding and support for novice learners. Educators have encountered challenges in effectively scaffolding novice learners AI concepts, and providing appropriate motivational suppo...

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Published in:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 40; no. 5; pp. 2049 - 2065
Main Authors: Ng, Davy Tsz Kit, Xinyu, Chen, Leung, Jac Ka Lok, Chu, Samuel Kai Wah
Format: pictorial research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Oct2024
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Oct2024
      vid: 40
      iid: 5
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/jcal.13009
        181038786
      ppf: 2049
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        atl: Fostering students' AI literacy development through educational games: AI knowledge, affective and cognitive engagement.
      aug:
        au:
          Ng, Davy Tsz Kit
          Xinyu, Chen
          Leung, Jac Ka Lok
          Chu, Samuel Kai Wah
        affil: Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
      sug:
        subj:
          Artificial Intelligence Education
          Computer Literacy Education
          Electronic Books
          Gamification
          Student Knowledge
          Affect
          Cognition
          Student Attitudes
          Learning Methods
          Outcomes of Education
          Human
          Quasi-Experimental Studies
          Pretest-Posttest Design
          Focus Groups
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Motivation
          Self-Efficacy
          Career Planning and Development
          Artificial Intelligence Ethical Issues
          Learning Environment
          Feedback
          Simulations
          Students, High School
          World Wide Web
          Multimethod Studies
          Curriculum Development
          Randomized Controlled Trials
          Hong Kong
          Random Assignment
          Thematic Analysis
          Quality Improvement
          Descriptive Statistics
          Mann-Whitney U Test
          Nonparametric Statistics
          Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test
          T-Tests
          Confidence
      ab: Background: As the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to increase, there is a need for effective scaffolding and support for novice learners. Educators have encountered challenges in effectively scaffolding novice learners AI concepts, and providing appropriate motivational support. Research evidence has shown the potential of game‐based approaches to fostering secondary school students' AI literacy and motivation to learn AI. Objectives: This study developed an online platform TreasureIsland to gamify ebooks and investigated whether and how students playing with it can effectively enhance their AI literacy. This study aims to contribute an empirical and theoretical basis for AI literacy education and promote the use of gamification that would be broadly applied in other schools. Methods: A quasi‐experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the proposed gamified approach, which included a control group using an ebook with playful resources. To triangulate the quantitative results obtained from the pre and post‐test, focus group interviews were also conducted. Results: The platform was effective in improving students' motivation, self‐efficacy, career interest, and understanding of AI concepts and ethics, but did not enhance their confidence of using AI, and high cognition of applying, evaluating and creating AI. TreasureIsland players demonstrated significant improvement in all affective and cognitive domains, except for the ability to apply, evaluate, and create AI. Interviews revealed that the gamified approach could promote students' AI literacy by adhering to guidelines, including (1) creating a competitive and motivating learning environment through game mechanics, (2) providing scaffolding modules and feedback, and (3) visualising complex AI concepts via simulations. Feedback collected from the study suggested adding pedagogical elements such as flipped classrooms and project‐based learning in future research to improve the instructional design, and enable students to reach a higher level of cognition. Conclusions: This study concludes that the use of gamification can provide affective and cognitive support and an enjoyable experience for fostering learners' AI literacy. It helps instructional designers and teachers enrich the pedagogical knowledge related to gamified platform and AI literacy. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: AI literacy is considered as an important digital literacy skill that many secondary schools started to incorporate AI in computer/STEAM curricula.Game‐based approach has been incorporated to foster students' AI literacy and knowledge.Gamification is increasingly used to enhance students' digital literacy skills and learning motivation. What this paper adds: We designed a platform to gamify ebooks and compared the effects using merely ebook using a mixed‐methods case study design.Gamifying ebooks can lead to improvement in AI literacy, affective and cognitive engagement.While this pedagogy fostered students' AI knowledge and understanding, it cannot effectively enhance students' higher cognition skills. Implications for practice and/or policy: We synthesised the evidence that shows the effectiveness of gamification to foster students' learning motivation, basic understanding of AI knowledge and ethics.We updated the AI literacy framework and explored the relations between students' engagement, and AI knowledge.This study proposed a meaningful measure of AI literacy development through considering affective and cognitive domains.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        randomized controlled trial
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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