Abstract:

Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly shapes everyday life, including the lives of the youngest members of society. Rapid progress in AI intensifies the need to develop AI literacy from the earliest stages of schooling. Research shows that children can grasp basic AI concepts when teachers present them in an age-appropriate way. Consequently, the introduction of AI concepts in elementary school requires high-quality and pedagogically sound lerning materials, with appropriate clarity, language, pace, and conceptual difficulty, that teachers approve and feel able to use in their teaching.

We developed a set of open interactive educational videos that present essential AI concepts, such as models, shortcomings of AI, types of machine learning, and AI’s ethical implications. The videos follow principles of Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning, cognitive load theory, and guidelines for multimodal educational material. They are intended for students in the second (9–12 years) and third (12–15 years) educational cycles of primary schools and were created specifically for the Slovenian educational system, which is unique in that it lacks a dedicated subject covering AI literacy, nor does it systematically include it in other subjects. Therefore, the materials are designed to be used independently or as teaching material and can be used without prior AI knowledge. Two videos, together with an online questionnaire, were sent to Slovenian primary school teachers from different regions, age groups and subject areas. A total of 106 teachers completed the questionnaire. They first watched both videos and then rated, on a five-point Likert scale, the perceived suitability of the interactive video format for introducing AI concepts and the extent to which the content was appropriately adapted for the intended age group. Furthermore, they could provide open-ended comments with suggestions, criticisms, or concerns about the material. We analyzed the data with descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests to compare evaluations of the material for the two cycles and to explore differences between computer science and other subject teachers.

Teachers generally perceive interactive video as an appropriate and pedagogically valuable format for introducing AI concepts in both cycles. Almost two thirds would use the materials in their teaching, with computer science teachers reporting higher intended use. When teachers evaluated the adaptation of the content to the target student groups, they expressed positive appropriateness for both cycles on all examined dimensions. Non-parametric comparisons show higher ratings for the third cycle, especially for clarity of explanations, language complexity, and difficulty of newly introduced concepts. These findings suggest that teachers see the materials more suited for pupils in the third educational cycle but still fit for younger pupils with additional scaffolding. Overall, the study indicates that carefully designed interactive multimodal materials can support the development of AI literacy, if teachers have access to quality materials. It identifies design principles emerging from teachers’ comments and offers implications for further development of materials, as well as curriculum designee and teacher education for integrating AI-related content into regular classroom practice.

Keywords:

AI literacy, multimodal video based learning, interactive video, teacher perception, technology enhanced learning.