Unlocking AI Literacy: The SMaILE-App Gaming Experience

Santiago Franco Aixela; Maria  Giulia Ballatore; Sara Bernardini; Giacomo Como; Luca Damonte; Alexandra Neacsu; Martina Vanelli

Unlocking AI Literacy: The SMaILE-App Gaming Experience

Santiago Franco Aixela, Maria Giulia Ballatore, Sara Bernardini, Giacomo Como, Luca Damonte, Alexandra Neacsu, Martina Vanelli

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

AI's promise to become embedded in every aspect of modern life is quickly becoming a reality. However, a significant gap emerges in educational resources tailored for adolescents. This void often cultivates misconceptions about AI's capabilities and potential risks. To close this gap, we present SMaILE-App, a novel educational cross-platform app designed to foster AI literacy among individuals aged 10 to 18. While inclusive, the app design is purposely biased towards rectifying the gender gap in STEM. Applying a constructionist educational framework, SMaILE-App promotes learning AI fundamentals through interactive gameplay, merging entertainment with personalized knowledge acquisition. SMaILE-App comprises a suite of \emph{minigames} in an engaging narrative, each focusing on a different AI concept, as well as interactive creational and instructive modules. SMaILE-App rests on two key ideas: AI is not a singular, all-encompassing term but a spectrum of methodologies, each with its nuances, and AI is not without its limitations.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2024 IEEE Gaming, Entertainment, and Media Conference (GEM) - A: Full Papers (Main Track)
Publisher	IEEE
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 5 Mar 2024

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Embargoed Document

1570995191 final
Accepted author manuscript, 7.97 MB
Embargo ends: 9/06/24

Cite this

@inproceedings{bcb2307616934a8f9eb1b04a089a63be,

title = "Unlocking AI Literacy: The SMaILE-App Gaming Experience",

abstract = "AI's promise to become embedded in every aspect of modern life is quickly becoming a reality. However, a significant gap emerges in educational resources tailored for adolescents. This void often cultivates misconceptions about AI's capabilities and potential risks. To close this gap, we present SMaILE-App, a novel educational cross-platform app designed to foster AI literacy among individuals aged 10 to 18. While inclusive, the app design is purposely biased towards rectifying the gender gap in STEM. Applying a constructionist educational framework, SMaILE-App promotes learning AI fundamentals through interactive gameplay, merging entertainment with personalized knowledge acquisition. SMaILE-App comprises a suite of \emph{minigames} in an engaging narrative, each focusing on a different AI concept, as well as interactive creational and instructive modules. SMaILE-App rests on two key ideas: AI is not a singular, all-encompassing term but a spectrum of methodologies, each with its nuances, and AI is not without its limitations.",

author = "{Franco Aixela}, Santiago and {Giulia Ballatore}, Maria and Sara Bernardini and Giacomo Como and Luca Damonte and Alexandra Neacsu and Martina Vanelli",

year = "2024",

month = mar,

day = "5",

language = "English",

booktitle = "2024 IEEE Gaming, Entertainment, and Media Conference (GEM) - A: Full Papers (Main Track)",

publisher = "IEEE",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - Unlocking AI Literacy: The SMaILE-App Gaming Experience

AU - Franco Aixela, Santiago

AU - Giulia Ballatore, Maria

AU - Bernardini, Sara

AU - Como, Giacomo

AU - Damonte, Luca

AU - Neacsu, Alexandra

AU - Vanelli, Martina

PY - 2024/3/5

Y1 - 2024/3/5

N2 - AI's promise to become embedded in every aspect of modern life is quickly becoming a reality. However, a significant gap emerges in educational resources tailored for adolescents. This void often cultivates misconceptions about AI's capabilities and potential risks. To close this gap, we present SMaILE-App, a novel educational cross-platform app designed to foster AI literacy among individuals aged 10 to 18. While inclusive, the app design is purposely biased towards rectifying the gender gap in STEM. Applying a constructionist educational framework, SMaILE-App promotes learning AI fundamentals through interactive gameplay, merging entertainment with personalized knowledge acquisition. SMaILE-App comprises a suite of \emph{minigames} in an engaging narrative, each focusing on a different AI concept, as well as interactive creational and instructive modules. SMaILE-App rests on two key ideas: AI is not a singular, all-encompassing term but a spectrum of methodologies, each with its nuances, and AI is not without its limitations.

AB - AI's promise to become embedded in every aspect of modern life is quickly becoming a reality. However, a significant gap emerges in educational resources tailored for adolescents. This void often cultivates misconceptions about AI's capabilities and potential risks. To close this gap, we present SMaILE-App, a novel educational cross-platform app designed to foster AI literacy among individuals aged 10 to 18. While inclusive, the app design is purposely biased towards rectifying the gender gap in STEM. Applying a constructionist educational framework, SMaILE-App promotes learning AI fundamentals through interactive gameplay, merging entertainment with personalized knowledge acquisition. SMaILE-App comprises a suite of \emph{minigames} in an engaging narrative, each focusing on a different AI concept, as well as interactive creational and instructive modules. SMaILE-App rests on two key ideas: AI is not a singular, all-encompassing term but a spectrum of methodologies, each with its nuances, and AI is not without its limitations.

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - 2024 IEEE Gaming, Entertainment, and Media Conference (GEM) - A: Full Papers (Main Track)

PB - IEEE

ER -