Development of an artificial intelligence curriculum design for children in Taiwan and its impact on learning outcomes

Course description

AI course is designed to provide students with foundational knowledge and practical skills in the field of AI. The course begins with the history and basic concepts of AI, introducing students to the developmental background and core theories of AI. It then delves into key technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, enabling students to understand how these technologies work and their applications in the real world. Students will engage in hands-on projects to learn how to create with AI, divided into four units: drawing with AI, storytelling with AI, making music with AI, and animating with AI. The practical sessions utilize systems developed based on Generative AI, such as Artbreeder, ChatGPT, cutout.pro, and Boomy, to help students build actual project experience. The course will also explore the application of AI across various industries, including healthcare, finance, autonomous vehicles, and customer service. Moreover, the course not only focuses on imparting technical knowledge but also discusses AI ethics and social impacts, allowing students to fully understand the responsible use and potential effects of AI technology. By combining theoretical learning with practical application, this course aims to cultivate students’ critical thinking and innovation abilities.

Classroom materials

This course utilizes “AI Illustrated, Artificial Intelligence for Everyone” by Kang and Li (2022) as the textbook, complemented by PowerPoint presentations. Each student is required to prepare a laptop or tablet and a Google account. Additionally, students are asked to have a parent or guardian assist with registering a ChatGPT account before the course begins, as phone verification is needed for registration.

Course content and educational objectives

This course, designed for children’s education, blends theory with practice to cultivate a comprehensive understanding and application ability of AI among children. The course includes 10 units, covering a wide range of content from basic AI knowledge to specific applications (Table 4). In the first lesson, children will learn about the brief history and working principles of AI, laying the foundation of knowledge. Subsequent lessons will guide students through hands-on operations, using various AI tools for creative projects, such as drawing with Artbreeder, storytelling with ChatGPT, making music with Boomy, and producing animations with cutout.pro. Beyond developing technical skills, the course also covers AI applications in different fields, such as robotics classification, image recognition, speech recognition, machine translation, autonomous driving, and smart surveillance, helping students understand the diversity and practicality of AI. The final lessons focus on discussing the societal impacts of AI, including ethics, biases, and future development trends, aiming to foster children’s correct attitudes and critical thinking towards AI. Through these lessons, students will not only acquire AI knowledge and skills but also develop a profound understanding and positive outlook towards the future development of AI.

Lesson 1: What is AI?

In the first lesson, the teacher begins by posing two questions for the children to answer: (1) What is AI? and (2) What is your ambition? Following this, the teacher introduces the brief history of AI, how AI works, and the classification of AI. This lesson primarily focuses on imparting knowledge and theory, which might be somewhat dry for the students. Hence, the teaching method largely involves using case studies to explain the working principles of AI, particularly the concepts of machine learning and deep learning. Through the use of images and case studies, students’ knowledge retention and understanding are deepened. Figure 2 showcases the presentation of the lesson and the students’ learning process during the first class.

a Presentation for Lesson 1, which includes a brief history of AI, how AI works, and the classification of AI. b Photos of the teacher and students in Lesson 1.

Lesson 2: Drawing with AI

The second lesson primarily teaches students to draw pictures using AI tools. This class is divided into two parts; the first part involves students operating an AI image generation system. Students prepare their photos in advance, and through the AI system, future versions of themselves can be generated. The second part involves learning the “artbreeder” software, which requires initial drawing input, followed by entering prompts and adjusting parameters. Students can experiment with different parameter combinations to achieve satisfactory results. Figure 3 below displays the presentation of the lesson and the students’ learning process during the second class.

a Presentation for Lesson 2, the operational process of AI image generation systems. b Photo of a student learning about AI image generation in the class.

Lesson 3: Application of AI

The third lesson begins with the teacher showing a video about AI robots, followed by an introduction to the three laws of robotics and the types of robots (industrial robots, military robots, educational robots, etc.). Finally, the current five applications of AI in daily life are introduced, including image recognition, speech recognition, machine translation, autonomous driving, and intelligent surveillance. Through video explanations and case study analysis, students learn about the widespread application of AI technology in daily life and its indispensable role in modern living. Figure 4 shows the presentation of the lesson along with photos of students learning and interacting with the teacher.

a Presentation for Lesson 3, which includes an introductory video on AI robots, the three laws of robotics, and types of robots. b Photos of the teacher and students in Lesson 3.

Lesson 4: Story telling with AI

In the fourth lesson, students learn to write stories using AI. Initially, the teacher introduces the earliest applications of AI technology in literature, followed by an explanation of the process and working principles of AI content generation. Subsequently, the three-act structure and types of stories are discussed, acquainting children with the principles of story writing. Finally, the ChatGPT tool is taught, allowing students to learn basic operations of ChatGPT and use the tool to write stories. Figure 5 shows the presentation of the lesson and photos of students during the learning process.

a Presentation for Lesson 4, about the three-act structure and types of stories. b Photos of the teacher and students in Lesson 4.

Lesson 5: AI creativity

In the fifth lesson, the teacher explains through a presentation how AI can enhance human creativity in everyday life. The course is divided into five parts: AI painting, AI design, AI photography, AI media, and AI awakening. Through case analysis, students realize the limitless potential of AI technology. Friendly use can improve work performance in our lives and also increase creativity. Figure 6 shows the presentation of the lesson and photos of students during the learning process.

a Presentation for Lesson 5, about how artificial intelligence can enhance human creativity in everyday life, including five parts: AI painting, AI design, AI photography, AI media, and AI awakening. b Photos of the teacher and students in Lesson 5.

Lesson 6: Animating with AI

The sixth lesson mainly focuses on learning AI tools “Gooey.AI Docs, cutout.pro.” In previous lessons, students wrote stories through ChatGPT; in this lesson, the story is transformed into animated images using AI imaging tools. The teacher explains the tool’s usage, guiding students step by step to complete an animation. Figure 7 shows the presentation of the lesson and photos of students learning during the sixth class.

a Presentation for Lesson 6, about the operation of AI tools ‘Gooey.AI Docs, cutout.pro’. b Photos of the teacher and students in Lesson 6.

Lesson 7: The future of AI and humanity

The seventh lesson primarily explores the flaws and biases of AI. This class discusses the role of AI in modern society and the ethical, social, and professional challenges it brings. The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of AI’s potential and limitations, offering insights into AI and its multidimensional impacts on society, and understanding how to deal with and shape a future driven by AI. Figure 8 shows the presentation of the lesson and photos of students during the learning process.

a Presentation for Lesson 7, about the role of AI in modern society and the ethical, social, and professional challenges it brings. b Photos of the teacher and students in Lesson 7.

Lesson 8: Make music with AI

Lesson 8 aims to teach students how to create music using AI, specifically to compose soundtracks for their previously made animations. Initially, the teacher introduces the basic concepts and principles of AI music creation. By understanding how AI can simulate and learn the music creation process, students discover AI’s potential in the music domain. Next, the course covers how to use Boomy, an AI tool for music creation. Boomy is a platform that allows users to quickly generate original music pieces without the need for professional knowledge or complex musical theory. Students gradually master the skill of creating music with AI, from selecting styles and adjusting elements to generating musical works, and then creating soundtracks for animations. Figure 9 shows the presentation of the lesson and the process of students making soundtracks.

a Presentation for Lesson 8, about the operation of AI music composition tools ‘Boomy’. b Photos of students creating music using the ‘Boomy’ tool.

Lesson 9: Making project

In Lesson 9, students will integrate the knowledge and skills learned throughout the course to create a complete story project with the aid of AI. By integrating what has been learned in previous lessons, students ultimately complete an animated film that includes story creation, visual design, animation, and music, showcasing their unique perspectives and creativity. Figure 10 displays the presentation of the lesson and the process of students making the soundtrack.

a Presentation for Lesson 9, about how to use ChatGPT to write stories. b Photos of students using AI tools to create a story project.

Lesson 10: Presentation

The final lesson involves student presentations, where students report on stage, sharing their stories and reflections on the course learning. Figure 11a displays the course outcome poster, Fig. 11b shows a silhouette of a student’s report, and Fig. 11c, d feature videos produced by students using generative techniques.

a Presentation for Lesson 10, the students’ project results story poster. b Photos of students during the project reporting process. c Video from the project titled ‘Adventurer’. d Video from the project ‘I Became a Mouse’.