I’m Not a Robot - Report on the Implementation of Ai in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

"Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is creating a new reality in daily life with e.g., smart home functions. This in turn has a major impact on both the socialisation processes of children and communication behaviour in family. The increasing technology-driven saturation of our everyday routines with AI is a crucial challenge for educational institutions. However, looking at AI in pedagogical work in kindergartens from a scientific perspective, the topic still has some research gaps. Only a few articles, describe efficient education concepts aiming at fostering AI literacy (cf. Chen et al., 2020; Kandlhofer et al., 2017). In Early Childhood Education (ECE) practice, however, there are many reservations about technology, digital media, and AI in particular (Mertala, 2017). Nevertheless, it is imperative that pedagogically trained professionals understand in depth the implications that arise from the interaction between humans and AI. Within the framework of the project, which is focused on pedagogical practice, educators are encouraged to deal with the topic of AI on the one hand and to test concrete implementation possibilities with didactic materials, so-called toolboxes, on the other. In this way, the use of AI can become a key competence both in pedagogical professional training and in the educational biography of children. Consequently, the aim of I’m not a robot-project is to design transferable and practical modules within the further training of educational professionals to enable an active, creative, and conscious use of AI-based technologies throughout Europe. Furthermore, the goal is to develop and test innovative didactic methods regarding AI teaching and learning materials. The EduSpace Lernwerkstatt -a working unit of the Free University of Bolzano- will conduct the mixed-method study in close cooperation with the project partners, who will all carry out development and testing independently and with country-specific characteristics. The ultimate aim is to develop training programmes for educators that will enable them to integrate current technological developments into their everyday work in a meaningful way."