Effect of an Analogy-Based Approach of Artificial Intelligence Pedagogy in Upper Primary Schools
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AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent topic in K-12 education recently. However, pedagogical design has remained a major challenge, especially among young learners. Guided by the Zone of Proximal Development theory and AI education research literature, this design-based study proposes an analogy-based pedagogical approach to support AI teaching and learning in upper primary education. This pedagogical approach is centered on human–AI comparison, where humans are gradually shifted from an analogue to a contrast to make visible the attributes, mechanisms, and processes of AI. To evaluate its effectiveness, a quasi-experimental study with mixed methods was conducted. The quantitative comparison shows that the participants in the experimental group learning with the analogy-based pedagogical approach significantly outperformed their peers with the conventional direct instructional approach in all three dimensions of AI knowledge, skills, and ethical awareness. Qualitative analyses further reveal its pedagogical benefits, including demystifying AI through relatable and engaging learning, supporting student comprehension and skill mastery, and nurturing critical thinking and attitudes. The analogy-based approach contributes to the field of K-12 AI education with an age-appropriate, child-friendly pedagogical approach. Notably, AI education should prioritize teaching for student understanding, and AI should be recognized as an independent subject with interdisciplinary applications.
Acceptance Date08/09/2023
All Author(s) ListYun Dai, Ziyan Lin, Ang Liu, Dan Dai, Wenlan Wang
Journal nameJournal of Educational Computing Research
Year2024
Month1
Volume Number61
Issue Number8
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc.
Pages159 - 186
ISSN0735-6331
LanguagesEnglish-United States
KeywordsArtificial Intelligence, pedagogy, instructional design, AI education, primary education, analogy

Last updated on 2024-01-03 at 15:15