Fostering Elementary Students’ AI Literacy in a Learning Environment Empowered by Generative AI

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 9:45am
  In Poster Session: Innovating Pedagogy and Technology to Transform Learning Environments

Abstract

This study examined AI literacy development among 145 fifth-grade students through a three- week intervention in which they directly interacted with generative AI technologies in a collaborative setting. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group using generative AI (GenAI) or a technology-free control group. AI literacy was measured across four areas: awareness, usage, evaluation, and ethics. After the intervention, the GenAI group showed significant improvements in AI usage compared to the control group. Although awareness and evaluation also increased, they did not exceed the levels seen in the control group, and ethics remained high and unchanged in both groups. These findings suggest that even at the elementary level, targeted AI instruction can effectively enhance key aspects of AI literacy.

Authors

• Jiawei Wu, East China Normal University

• Lu Cao, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

• Min Li, East China Normal University

• Shufeng Ma, East China Normal University