he VR-funded project started in autumn 2023 and run for four years. It will focus mainly on the 9-13 age group, as this is when children increasingly encounter AI in their everyday lives, but the results will also be useful for other age groups and parts of the school system.
Knowledge about AI and digitalisation is important for being an active and critical citizen. For example, being able to recognise the opportunities and risks associated with AI, social media and false information is something that has become very important in our everyday lives. It is a challenge for schools to know how to address this new area of knowledge and how to equip pupils. The concept of AI literacy is often used to describe the new knowledge base that future citizens will need to master. The concept of AI literacy is being debated by educationalists, policymakers and researchers around the world, and no consensus has yet been reached on what AI literacy should mean. At the same time, some countries have started to develop national guidelines for AI literacy among pupils.
This research project provides a scientifically sound basis for AI literacy in Swedish schools in terms of content, learning activities and pedagogical models. The project consists of three sub-studies. Firstly, an international group of experts jointly defines AI literacy through a Delphi study. The results will form the basis for the second part, where teaching modules and pedagogical models will be developed. In the third part of the project, classroom studies will be carried out, where teachers and students can test and evaluate the teaching of AI.
The project is carried out by an interdisciplinary research group in AI and education at Linköping University and the University of Helsinki.
