Understanding AI Literacy in the Age of ChatGPT
Excellent Educator, Volume: 3, Issue: 3, Page: 1
Summary
Academic Insights
This integrative review analyses 124 empirical and conceptual studies published between 2020 and 2024 to examine how AI literacy has been defined across K–12 and higher education following the emergence of generative AI systems such as ChatGPT. The authors demonstrate that AI literacy is not a single competence but a set of educational intentions shaped by how AI itself is conceptualised in learning contexts. They identify three literacy orientations—functional, critical, and indirectly beneficial—and three perspectives on AI—technical, tool-based, and sociocultural—showing how mismatches between these dimensions contribute to confusion in curriculum design. By offering a unifying analytical framework, the study supports clearer alignment between AI literacy initiatives and intended learning outcomes.
Apply These Now
Clarify whether AI-related activities aim to build tool-use skills, critical evaluation, or broader learning benefits.
Record this intention explicitly when planning lessons or curricula.
Add These in Your Lesson
Ask students to use an AI tool and then analyse how it works and what assumptions it makes.
Encourage reflection on learning that occurs beyond the AI-generated output.
Avoid These Mistakes
Using “AI literacy” as a general label without defining its educational purpose.
Assuming all AI activities develop the same kind of understanding.
Keywords
AI literacy; Generative AI; Conceptual frameworks; K–12 education; Higher education
Source/Citation
Gu, X. (L.), & Ericson, B. J. (2025). AI literacy in K–12 and higher education in the wake of generative AI: An integrative review. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research (ICER). https://doi.org/10.1145/3702652.3744217
Excellent Educator. (2026). Understanding AI Literacy in the Age of ChatGPT. Excellent Educator, 3(3), 1.