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A Model to Enhance Students’ AI Literacy

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Wednesday, November 13, 2024
By Xue Zhou, Lilian Schofield
Illustration by iStock/Udomdech Jaroenthanaporn
A guideline to help educators seamlessly integrate AI into the curriculum—and ensure all students are prepared for the AI-driven future.
  • The AI in Teaching and Learning framework at Queen Mary University of London provides staff with structured guidance on how to advance students’ AI skills in curricular and extracurricular activities.
  • Faculty use a bottom-up approach so that students build their skills gradually, from acquiring basic knowledge to testing practical uses to engaging in critical evaluation and creative application.
  • The framework promotes an inclusive learning environment where all students have access to AI tools and opportunities to explore AI’s capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations.

 
The emergence of ChatGPT put AI’s role in the classroom at the forefront of academic discourse. At first, many faculty contested its use in educational settings. But over the last year, that opposition has dissipated, as higher education institutions face increased pressure to improve students’ AI literacy for the sake of future employability.

Indeed, there remains a gap in AI literacy on campuses among both staff and students. While some frameworks have been developed to address that gap—such as the —few target teaching and learning.

With this in mind, the two of us have developed the  at Queen Mary University of London, specifically to guide educators as they embed relevant activities into their teaching. Our model is inspired by the  introduced by Davy Ng, Samuel Chu, and Maggie Qiao of the University of Hong Kong and Jac Leung of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Their pedagogical approach consists of four dimensions:

Know and understand AI. Students first build a solid foundation of knowledge about generative AI (GenAI), so that they understand the fundamental concepts, capabilities, and limitations of GenAI technologies.

Use and apply AI. Next, they work on cultivating practical skills, utilizing GenAI tools in various learning contexts.

Evaluate and create with AI. Finally, students are encouraged to engage in critical thinking and creativity. They are pushed to assess the quality of AI applications, evaluate the content they generate, and innovate using AI technologies. 

AI ethics. They are asked to consider AI’s ethical and responsible use through all the dimensions above.

Similarly, the goal of our own framework, described below, is to ensure that all students progressively develop their AI skills throughout their studies.

A Quick Introduction

Our model includes three levels of progression. At the foundational level, students undertake learning activities that allow them to understand basic AI usage for tasks such as searching for information, checking grammar, and applying ethics when using AI for academic writing. (This level coincides with the “know and understand” dimension.)

At the intermediate level, students use and apply AI technologies for higher-order thinking and learning activities such as analysis and problem-solving (“use and apply”). They reach the advanced level when they can use AI tools for creativity, innovation, critical analysis, and co-creation (“evaluate and create”).

Interior chart with the heading "Model to Enhance Students' AI Literacy." The chart includes three vertical rectangular boxes ascending in stair-step fashion. The box at lower left features dark turquoise shading at top with the text "Foundational Level: Understand fundamental AI concepts" and light turquoise at bottom with the text "Use AI for basic learning tasks, such as information searches and grammar checks." The middle box, slightly higher and to the right, features dark lime green shading at the top and the text "Intermediate Level: Apply AI concepts in practical scenarios" and light lime green shading at the bottom with the text "Apply AI for problem-solving, data analysis, and evaluation." The third box, still higher and to the right, features dark blue shading at the top with the text "Advanced Level: Develop higher-order AI skills" and lighter blue shading on the bottom with the text "Use AI for creating, innovating, and engaging in learning activities that require higher-order thinking." Below all three boxes is a horizontal line with an arrow point to right with the word "Start" at the far left and the word "Completion" at far right, to illustrate the advancing levels of AI literacy.

These levels of progression—from lower-order thinking to higher-order thinking—reflect the activities and educational goals depicted in .

A Bottom-Up Approach to AI Integration

We recognize that not all educators are skilled with AI, nor do all educators feel confident incorporating AI into their teaching or allowing students to use the technology for learning support. That’s why we recommend taking an incremental bottom-up approach to implementing the framework.

Faculty who teach in Queen Mary’s BSc Business Management program ease AI into their teaching, slowly integrating it into extracurricular and core-curricular activities. At the extracurricular level, all students are invited to enroll in a self-directed learning program that covers various aspects of AI literacy, such as using AI for literature searches, academic writing, and revision. Students who successfully complete the program receive certificates that recognize their acquired AI skills and knowledge.

We also offer several optional face-to-face training opportunities where students learn to use AI to support their learning. These sessions explore topics relevant to the technology such as data analysis, ethics, and creativity.

Activities to Develop Each Level of Literacy:

Level 1—Foundational (Know and Understand)
Learning Objective Know, understand, and explore the basic functions of AI tools to support learning.
AI Tools Bing, Canva, ChatGPT, ChatPDF, Claude, Gamma, Grammarly, Gemini, Llama 2, Lucidchart, Notion AI, Midjourney, Miro, Monica, Otter, Quillbot 
Ask Students to Use AI:
  • To define AI’s scope, concepts, techniques, and basic algorithms.
  • To use AI to formulate queries and explore alternative responses to deepen comprehension.
  • To take transcribed notes, reflect on those notes, and revise the learned material.
  • To brainstorm initial ideas and structures for writing assignments and research projects. (ChatGPT, Claude)
  • To mind map ideas, organize themes, and structure thoughts to promote visual learning.
  • To complete writing exercises to ensure grammatical accuracy and improve quality and clarity. (ChatGPT, Grammarly)
  • To summarize articles and case studies to improve comprehension.
  • To share ideas, plan projects, and visualize concepts for group work in an interactive environment. (Miro, Lucidchart)
  • To craft presentations and construct professional profiles to enhance presentation skills. (Gamma, Canva)
  • To produce images relevant to tasks that involve artistic and practical outputs. (Midjourney)

Level 2—Intermediate (Use and Apply)
Learning Objective Apply AI knowledge, concepts, and applications to streamline and complement traditional research practices. 
AI Tools Connected Papers, Consensus, Covidence, Elicit, Perplexity, Poe, and Rayyan 
Ask Students to Use AI:
  • To organize project sources, conduct literature reviews, and gather research for assignments. (Connected Papers, Consensus)
  • To perform systematic literature reviews and synthesize existing research findings. (Elicit, Covidence, Rayyan)
  • To search for academic resources in ways that complement traditional research methodologies, as well as evaluate the quality of the output. (ChatGPT)
  • To develop practical solutions to specific problems and encourage analytical thinking.
  • To analyze raw data and identify trends to enhance data visualization and decision-making skills.
  • To conduct data analysis tasks that involve handling, processing, and drawing conclusion from large datasets.
  • To create multimedia content, such as videos or sketches, to promote creativity and familiarity with the latest digital communication tools.

Level 3—Advanced (Evaluate and Create)
Learning Objective Evaluate AI-generated content and data quality. 
AI Tools APPRAISE-AI, Bricks, HyperWrite, Julius, Llama 2, Microsoft Copilot, and Power BI 
Ask Students to Use AI:
  • To assess various data types, distinguish between structured and unstructured data, and evaluate data quality.
  • To choose the most applicable AI tools to evaluate datasets, before analyzing each tool’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • To manipulate, evaluate, and analyze datasets to understand the practical applications and limitations of these tools.
  • To read case studies, evaluating decisions and outcomes and creating alternative solutions.
  • To maintain journals to record their observations and reflect on their experiences with societal issues—then use AI tools to analyze these journals for prevalent themes and sentiments. 

All Levels—AI Ethics
Learning Objectives Comprehend the moral and ethical consequences of AI. Make informed decisions regarding its use in various contexts. 
AI Tools All 
Schools Should:
  • Clearly define and communicate policies about when and how students can use AI to support their learning and how they must acknowledge GenAI assistance in their work.
  • Make students aware of AI’s limitations and its potential to “hallucinate” unreliable or nonexistent references.
  • Hold discussions with students about the need to confirm the accuracy and quality of AI-generated information.
  • Work with students to identify the ethical issues and biases that AI presents.
  • Allow students to participate in creating policies, guidelines, and frameworks for the ethical and responsible usage of AI.

Although extracurricular activities can be an integral way for students to build their AI literacy, they also must have deliberate, ongoing exposure to the technology across one or more dimension. That’s why, in our core undergraduate curriculum, we integrate AI into at least one compulsory module in each of the program’s three educational levels:

  • At Level 4 (Year 1), AI is incorporated into Challenges in Business and Management, a module that develops foundational AI skills. Students use GenAI tools for learning activities such as notetaking, presentations, and lecture summaries. At this stage, faculty teach students how to use GenAI ethically for presentations and how to acknowledge that use.
  • At Level 5 (Year 2), AI is incorporated into Working with Business Data, a module that develops AI skills at both the intermediate and advanced levels. Students use AI tools such as Copilot, Power BI, Bricks, and Julius for data analysis and interpretation. Faculty address AI ethics by asking students to analyze AI-generated content to detect bias and false information.
  • At Level 6 (Year 3), AI teaching and learning activities are embedded in Strategic Analysis and Practice, an advanced-level module that focuses on higher-order thinking and application. Students co-create content with AI as part of class simulation activities, while considering the ethical and responsible use of AI for additional learning support.

We not only encourage students to use free GenAI tools, but also offer access to the web-based version of Copilot that is licensed by the university. This ensures that our AI curriculum is inclusive and makes it far more likely that all students will acquire essential AI skills.

Additionally, Queen Mary’s School of Business and Management supports its staff’s AI pedagogical knowledge. For example, each year the school holds four sessions where faculty can share best practices, as well as highlight the ways they use different AI tools for teaching and learning, assessment and feedback, and research.

Practical Suggestions

When schools design and adopt new AI curricula, program directors play a critical role in mapping program learning outcomes, identifying gaps in students’ AI skills, and finding ways to close these gaps by introducing new modules or extracurricular activities. We offer the suggestions below for program directors who wish to adopt the AI Teaching and Learning framework in their programs:

  • Integrate AI skills across the curriculum. Don’t treat AI as a standalone subject. When faculty make AI part of every subject, students will see its relevance in different contexts and be better prepared for its widespread application in the workplace.
  • Incorporate AI at a module level. This will ensure that all students engage with the tools in active learning. For example, to address the “use and apply” dimension, Queen Mary incorporated AI into its capstone project module. More than 90 percent of students have reported satisfaction and engagement with the activities.
  • Incorporate AI into at least 10 percent of a program’s content. By meeting that minimum target, schools make it more likely that at least one module at each level will provide students with opportunities to develop AI skills.
  • Support AI literacy with extracurricular activities. Extracurricular offerings can include self-directed AI literacy training modules that cover topics such as using AI for learning, information searches, writing, and revision.

Advantages to a Bottom-Up Strategy

Business schools face greater urgency to develop students’ AI literacy skills through rapid adoption of AI in their classrooms. A top-down approach often involves cumbersome approval processes that delay action. Conversely, bottom-up approaches face less resistance from educators, because AI integration for teaching and learning is not imposed on them but championed by them.

Indeed, bottom-up strategies are critical when it comes to faculty effectively using AI’s potential to enhance students’ AI literacy. When module organizers and tutors take the lead, they not only will tailor AI integration to suit educational goals, but also will advocate its benefits to peers,  that accelerates adoption.

The educators who are closest to students’ learning processes are the ones who are best able to integrate AI into teaching and learning. That is why it is so important for business schools to provide students with a clear framework to help them develop their AI literacy. With such support, these educators will ensure that students remain employable and empowered in the AI-enabled economy.

To gain access to Queen Mary’s AI in Teaching and Learning framework, please complete this .

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Authors
Xue Zhou
Academic Head of the AI Education Centre, Queen Mary University of London
Lilian Schofield
Deputy Director of Student Experience, Queen Mary University of London
The views expressed by contributors to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Insights do not represent an official position of ´óÏó´«Ã½, unless clearly stated.
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