AI Literacy: A Framework to Understand, Evaluate, and Use Emerging Technology – Digital Promise

AI Literacy: A Framework to Understand, Evaluate, and Use Emerging Technology

Green blue and purple arrows pointing to a yellow circle at the center

June 18, 2024 | By , , , , , and

Key Ideas

  • AI literacy includes the knowledge and skills that enable humans to critically understand, evaluate, and use AI systems and tools to safely and ethically participate in an increasingly digital world.
  • Digital Promise’s framework recommends AI literacy practices for learners and strategies for leaders to integrate into PK-12 education.
  • We call on school leaders and policymakers to build on existing initiatives to champion AI literacy for all learners, educators, and community members to ensure safe and responsible use of emerging technologies.

Introduction

In our latest paper, AI Literacy: A Framework to Understand, Evaluate, and Use Emerging Technology, Digital Promise shares a framework to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) tools for powerful learning and strategies for educational leaders to implement a clear approach to AI literacy.

As AI becomes increasingly prevalent in our daily lives and educational settings, it is imperative to equip learners, educators, and leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate this technology responsibly. We envision safe, equitable, and meaningful AI and emerging technologies that improve education by enhancing how we teach and learn. Thus, AI literacy has emerged as a skill set for everyone to safely and effectively use these emerging technologies.

AI literacy includes the knowledge and skills that enable people to critically understand, evaluate, and use AI systems and tools to safely and effectively participate in an increasingly digital world.

AI Literacy Framework

A 3D triangular diagram with three bidirectional arrows. The bottom left arrow is blue and labeled 'understand', the bottom right arrow is purple and labeled 'evaluate', and the top arrow is green and oriented vertically, labeled 'use'. The text labels are embedded in the main shaft of the arrows in white font.

Figure 1. AI Literacy Framework includes three components: Understand, Evaluate, and Use

Our framework defines three interconnected Modes of Engagement to support robust engagement in AI literacy, including:

  • Understand: Acquiring basic knowledge of what AI can do and how it works in order to make informed decisions about evaluating and using AI systems and tools.
  • Evaluate: Centering human judgment and justice to critically consider the benefits and/or costs of AI to individuals, society, and the environment.
  • Use: Interacting, creating, and problem-solving with AI as a progression of use for distinct contexts and purposes.
In the center of the expanded framework image is a 3D triangular diagram with three bidirectional arrows. The bottom left arrow is blue and labeled 'understand', the bottom right arrow is purple and labeled 'evaluate', and the top arrow is green and oriented vertically, labeled 'use'. At the center of the three bidirectional arrows is a yellow sphere with the text "Human Judgment" on the top half and "Centering Justice" on the bottom half. Surrounding the sphere and arrows are icons arranged in a circle formation. The top three icons correlate to types of 'use' and have a green background, connected with a green dotted line. The icons represent 'interact,' 'create,' and 'problem solve.' The bottom six icons represent AI literacy practices for 'understand' and 'evaluate' with an indigo background, connected with an alternating blue and purple dashed line. The icons represent 'data privacy & security,' 'ethic & impact,' 'digital communication & expression,' 'information & mis/disinformation,' 'data analysis & inference,' and 'algorithmic thinking, abstraction, & decomposition.' The top three green icons and the bottom six indigo icons are connected with a bidirectional blue arrow on the left and a bidirectional purple arrow on the right.

Figure 2. Expanded AI Literacy Framework, including Core Values, Modes of Engagement, Types of Use, and AI Literacy Practices

Our expanded AI Literacy Framework depicts the relationship between AI Literacy Practices, Core Values, Modes of Engagement, and Types of Use and elaborates essential components of AI literacy to support educational leaders in adapting it to their contexts.

Table 1. Components of expanded AI Literacy Framework

Framework Component Description Examples

AI Literacy Practices

Actionable practices of understand and evaluate that learners can demonstrate

Data Privacy & Security, Information & Mis/Disinformation

Core Values

Underlying principles that support learners to safely and effectively use AI tools

Human Judgment, Centering Justice

Modes of Engagement

Interconnected ways users can engage with AI-enabled tools in order to demonstrate AI literacy

Understand, Evaluate, Use

Types of Use

Distinct purposes for which users engage with AI-enabled tools

Interact, Create, Problem Solve
Framework Component

AI Literacy Practices
Description

Actionable practices of understand and evaluate that learners can demonstrate
Examples

Data Privacy & Security, Information & Mis/Disinformation
Framework Component

Core Values
Description

Underlying principles that support learners to safely and effectively use AI tools
Examples

Human Judgment, Centering Justice
Framework Component

Modes of Engagement
Description

Interconnected ways users can engage with AI-enabled tools in order to demonstrate AI literacy
Examples

Understand, Evaluate, Use
Framework Component

Types of Use
Description

Distinct purposes for which users engage with AI-enabled tools
Examples

Interact, Create, Problem Solve

Strategies to Promote AI Literacy in PK-12 Education

Public schools have a critical role to integrate AI literacy throughout PK–12 education so that our current and future communities are aware and able to critically evaluate AI systems. Our paper outlines five strategies to promote AI literacy in PK–12 education, with examples and guidance for implementing each strategy.

  • Strategy 1: Provide Guidance for Adoption and Evaluation
    Systems Leaders and Policymakers
  • Strategy 2: Integrate AI Literacy Across Grades and Subject-Area Learning
    System and School Administrators
  • Strategy 3: Facilitate Ongoing, Just-In-Time Professional Learning
    Instructional Leaders
  • Strategy 4: Design Powerful Learning Experiences
    Teachers and Instructional Leaders
  • Strategy 5: Promote Awareness and Agency
    Leaders, Teachers, Learners, Caregivers, and Community Members

Informed users are essential for the safe and effective use of AI. We call on school leaders and policymakers to champion AI literacy for all learners, educators, and community members. Together, we can ensure the responsible adoption of emerging technologies.

Want to know more about AI literacy? Find more resources here:

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Author
is a Senior Learning Experience Designer at Digital Promise.
is the Director of Learning Pathways Design at Digital Promise.
is Senior Director, Edtech and Emerging Technologies at Digital Promise.
Dr. is Program Director for Inclusive Computing Research on the Learning Experience Design team at Digital Promise.
is a Senior Research Scientist of STEM Teaching and Learning at Digital Promise.
is Executive Director of Learning Sciences Research at Digital Promise.
is the Senior Advisor for Design Strategy at Digital Promise.

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