Artificial intelligence education for young children: A case study of technology-enhanced embodied learning

Background Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy is a crucial part of digital literacy that all individuals should possess in today's technologically advanced world. Despite the potential benefits that AI education offers, little research has been done on how to teach AI literacy to children.Objectives This study aimed to fill that gap by investigating how children were engaged in AI literacy activities that are supported by intelligent agents. These activities were implemented in a Hong Kong kindergarten with a class of six 5-year-olds (M-age = 62.83 months, SD = 2.91) over a 6-week period.Methods The study gathered data from multiple sources, including classroom observations, teacher interviews, and documents/artefacts.Results and Conclusions The results showed that children could learn about AI through interaction with intelligent agents in embodied learning contexts. The findings of this study have implications for the broader field of digital technology education, particularly in the context of early childhood education.