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Mannila, L., Hallström, J., Nordlöf, C., Heintz, F., Sperling, K. & Stenliden, L. (2025). Framing AI Literacy for K-12 Education: Insights from Multi-Perspective and International Stakeholders. In: ACE '25: Proceedings of the 27th Australasian Computing Education Conference: . Paper presented at ACE '25: The 27th Australasian Computing Education Conference, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA, FEB 12-13, 2025 (pp. 85-94). Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Framing AI Literacy for K-12 Education: Insights from Multi-Perspective and International Stakeholders
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2025 (English)In: ACE '25: Proceedings of the 27th Australasian Computing Education Conference, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2025, p. 85-94Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

National and international policy documents emphasize the need for AI-related competencies “for all”, but there is little clarity on what these competencies should include, and determining what non-experts need to know remains a challenge. AI literacy has become a widely discussed topic in this context, often referring to a set of skills that empower individuals to critically evaluate AI, communicate and collaborate effectively with AI systems, and utilize AI as a tool across diverse contexts, including online environments, homes, schools, and workplaces. However, what AI literacy looks like in practice depends on factors such as age, level of education, and individual background. In this article, we frame AI literacy based on a qualitative analysis of the views of 33 international experts from various disciplines on what AI literacy in K-12 education should encompass. This analysis builds on existing AI literacy frameworks, with a focus on understanding and critically evaluating AI’s role in daily life, recognizing and using AI, and designing AI solutions for everyday problems. The findings show that experts emphasize a wide range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, highlighting the importance of multiple perspectives when exploring this emerging field.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2025
National Category
Didactics Computer Systems
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-212950 (URN)10.1145/3716640.3716650 (DOI)001480949300010 ()9798400714252 (ISBN)
Conference
ACE '25: The 27th Australasian Computing Education Conference, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA, FEB 12-13, 2025
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2022-03553
Note

Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council

Available from: 2025-04-11 Created: 2025-04-11 Last updated: 2025-06-11
Mannila, L. (2023). Integrating Programming in Other Subjects at Primary Level: Tool, Glue or Ideation. In: Therese Keane and Andrew Fluck (Ed.), Teaching Coding in K-12 Schools: (pp. 127-144). Springer
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Integrating Programming in Other Subjects at Primary Level: Tool, Glue or Ideation
2023 (English)In: Teaching Coding in K-12 Schools / [ed] Therese Keane and Andrew Fluck, Springer , 2023, p. 127-144Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

As a result of the increased digitalisation and its transformational impact on our society, voices have been raised globally for the importance of programming and computing for everyone. Consequently, programming has been introduced in curricula worldwide, either as part of a stand-alone computing-related subject or integrated into other subjects. While the former alternative may seem more straightforward, there are several reasons for why some countries – such as Finland – have opted for the latter approach. In this chapter, I discuss the introduction of programming in the Finnish national core curriculum for grades 1–6 (ages 7–13 years), with particular focus on the cross-curricular aspects. In addition to describing the implementation process, I present three models for introducing programming in other subjects.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2023
National Category
Computer Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-193190 (URN)10.1007/978-3-031-21970-2_9 (DOI)9783031219696 (ISBN)9783031219702 (ISBN)
Available from: 2023-04-19 Created: 2023-04-19 Last updated: 2023-08-15Bibliographically approved
Mannila, L. & Heintz, F. (2023). Introducing programming and computational thinking in grades 1–9: Sweden in an international context. In: Jonas Hallström, Marc J. de Vries (Ed.), Programming and computational thinking in technology education: Swedish and international perspectives (pp. 60-88). Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, Sidorna 60-88
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Introducing programming and computational thinking in grades 1–9: Sweden in an international context
2023 (English)In: Programming and computational thinking in technology education: Swedish and international perspectives / [ed] Jonas Hallström, Marc J. de Vries, Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2023, Vol. Sidorna 60-88, p. 60-88Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

In this chapter, we situate Sweden in an international context focusing on how programming and computational thinking have been introduced into primary and lower-secondary education (grades 1–9 in the Swedish system). Our review shows that the strategies used in different countries have their own pros and cons, and there is no clear evidence establishing that one method is preferable. Moreover, due to a lack of clear guidelines, decisions on how programming is taught, by whom, and when, are commonly made at school level, also in Sweden. This freedom, or burden, to locally decide on how to implement the curriculum has left teachers in a difficult position, where they are to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum without proper training, time, and competence needed. This has naturally had a negative impact on how programming and computational thinking have been and are introduced at schools. Based on the review we provide six recommendations, which posit that to succeed, a much more systematic and holistic approach is needed, addressing the needs of teachers, students, and schools.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2023
National Category
Educational Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-200434 (URN)9789004687912 (ISBN)
Available from: 2024-01-25 Created: 2024-01-25 Last updated: 2024-01-25Bibliographically approved
Mannila, L. & Skog, M. (2023). "Look at our smart shoe" - a scalable online concept for introducing design as part of computational thinking in grades 1-6. In: 22ND ANNUAL ACM INTERACTION DESIGN AND CHILDREN CONFERENCE, IDC 2023: Rediscovering Childhood: . Paper presented at 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference (IDC), NW Univ, Ctr Comp Sci & Learning Sci, Chicago, IL, jun 19-sep 22, 2023 (pp. 222-232). ASSOC COMPUTING MACHINERY
Open this publication in new window or tab >>"Look at our smart shoe" - a scalable online concept for introducing design as part of computational thinking in grades 1-6
2023 (English)In: 22ND ANNUAL ACM INTERACTION DESIGN AND CHILDREN CONFERENCE, IDC 2023: Rediscovering Childhood, ASSOC COMPUTING MACHINERY , 2023, p. 222-232Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

While programming is a process covering many stages, many of the tasks K-12 students meet at school are small with little need for, e.g., analysis or design. These earlier phases are, however, important to let children meet open-ended problems, brainstorm solutions and ideate their own creative designs. In this paper, we present a model for an online, scalable and scaffolded design workshop for covering such aspects at K-12 level. Through a case study with 1200 students and 60 teachers on IoT and smart things, we describe the workshop and the resulting designs. While the students managed to design their own artifacts, more time had been needed for covering ethical aspects related to technology design. The results suggest creating separate workshops for different grade levels, and also for design and ethical aspects respectively. Moreover, additional resources could support teachers in continuing the discussion with the students after the workshop.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ASSOC COMPUTING MACHINERY, 2023
National Category
Computer Sciences Human Computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-193189 (URN)10.1145/3585088.3589377 (DOI)001103422700019 ()9798400701313 (ISBN)
Conference
22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference (IDC), NW Univ, Ctr Comp Sci & Learning Sci, Chicago, IL, jun 19-sep 22, 2023
Note

Funding: Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation

Available from: 2023-04-19 Created: 2023-04-19 Last updated: 2024-01-17
Mannila, L., Leinonen, T., Bauters, M. & Veermans, M. (2023). Student and teacher co-agency when combining CT with arts and design in a cross-curricular project. Computers and Education Open, 4, Article ID 100132.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Student and teacher co-agency when combining CT with arts and design in a cross-curricular project
2023 (English)In: Computers and Education Open, ISSN 2666-5573, Vol. 4, article id 100132Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The technological development has raised awareness for the importance of digital competence and computational thinking (CT) to understand the digital world and has resulted in revised curricula in many countries. In Finland, a new curriculum for grades 1–9 came into force in 2016 introducing digital competence (including programming) to be integrated in other subjects. Most teachers lack prior experience in programming and there is a need for suitable instructional models. This article presents a cross-curricular teaching sequence and the results from a case study conducted in four Finnish schools. Students in grades 4–6 collaboratively worked on a project combining arts, design and CT with other subjects. The results show that students demonstrated several CT abilities while working on their projects, in particular creativity, tinkering and debugging. The findings also indicate that teachers and students learned together (co-agency) and suggest that models like the teaching sequence can help and encourage teachers to integrate programming and CT in a cross-curricular manner. Still, the teachers’ knowledge, ambition level and understanding of the task at hand, as well as the organizational support appear to play a notable role when planning and carrying out projects of this kind. While CT is commonly seen as developed through programming, the teaching sequence seems to have fostered CT abilities through the project as a whole, with programming playing the role of a tool or a glue depending on the time available, and the students’ skill and ambition level.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ELSEVIER, 2023
Keywords
K-12 education; Computational thinking; Cross-curricular projects; Arts and design
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-193188 (URN)10.1016/j.caeo.2023.100132 (DOI)000968246200001 ()
Available from: 2023-04-19 Created: 2023-04-19 Last updated: 2023-08-17
Strömbäck, F., Mannila, L. & Kamkar, M. (2023). Using Model-Checking and Peer-Grading to Provide Automated Feedback to Concurrency Exercises in Progvis. In: ACE '23: Proceedings of the 25th Australasian Computing Education Conference. Paper presented at ACE '23: Australasian Computing Education Conference (pp. 11-20). Association for Computing Machinery
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Using Model-Checking and Peer-Grading to Provide Automated Feedback to Concurrency Exercises in Progvis
2023 (English)In: ACE '23: Proceedings of the 25th Australasian Computing Education Conference, Association for Computing Machinery , 2023, p. 11-20Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Previous research has shown that even though many students are aware of overarching problems with concurrency, they are less successful in addressing any issues they have found. This implies that the students have not yet developed a mental model that describes the behavior of concurrent systems with enough accuracy. One way to help students explore the non-determinism of concurrent systems and thereby develop their mental model is through the use of visualization tools. One example of such a tool is Progvis, which provides students with a detailed visualization of the program state, and allows students to single-step individual threads to explore the program’s behavior in a concurrent environment. One problem with this type of tools is that they are not able to provide feedback on whether or not a proposed solution is correct, which limits their percieved usefulness. To increase the percieved usefulness of Progvis, we extended it with a system that utilizes model-checking and peer-grading to provide automated feedback to students. Our hopes were that this would encourage students to further use Progvis to practice concurrent programming. The system was used during two years in a course on concurrency and operating systems. This made it possible to utilize the experiences from the first year to further improve the system for the second year. Overall, the students expressed that they found our additions helpful. Additionally, we observed a slight increase in usage in the second year compared to the first year, which suggests that the improvements in the second year increased students’ motivation to some extent.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery, 2023
Series
ACE ’23
Keywords
undergraduate, gamification, model checking, synchronization, concurrency, visualization, peer grading, computer science education
National Category
Computer Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-191344 (URN)10.1145/3576123.3576125 (DOI)9781450399418 (ISBN)
Conference
ACE '23: Australasian Computing Education Conference
Available from: 2023-01-30 Created: 2023-01-30 Last updated: 2023-02-08Bibliographically approved
Mannila, L. (2023). Viewing the Finnish national curriculum through AI glasses: participatory design for integrating AI in grades 1-9. In: : . Paper presented at CHI 2023, AI Literacy Workshop, Hamburg.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Viewing the Finnish national curriculum through AI glasses: participatory design for integrating AI in grades 1-9
2023 (English)Conference paper, Published paper (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The research described in this position paper aims at addressing the emerging need for scientifically grounded guidance on how tointroduce AI in K-12 education in Finland. Although there are currently no explicit requirements to teach AI in the Finnish curriculum, digital competence, including programming, is to be integrated across the curriculum. We propose that programming can be used as a gateway for introducing AI, since both programming and AI can be viewed from a technological (using, modifying, creating) and a societal perspective (questions related to ethics, security and privacy). Also, connecting programming education to a given context, such as AI, can help organize the content into a meaningful whole and anchor it in students’ reality by considering current phenomena. The proposed research builds on a design-based methdology including close collaboration with teachers, addressing questions related to curriculum design and evaluation as well as teacher training and professional development.

National Category
Computer Sciences Educational Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-193238 (URN)
Conference
CHI 2023, AI Literacy Workshop, Hamburg
Available from: 2023-04-25 Created: 2023-04-25 Last updated: 2023-04-25
Strömbäck, F., Mannila, L. & Kamkar, M. (2022). A Weak Memory Model in Progvis: Verification and Improved Accuracy of Visualizations of Concurrent Programs to Aid Student Learning. In: Ilkka Jormanainen, Andrew Petersen (Ed.), Koli Calling '22: Proceedings of the 22nd Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research: . Paper presented at Koli Calling '22: the 22nd Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research, November 2022, Koli Finland. ACM Publications, Article ID 14.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A Weak Memory Model in Progvis: Verification and Improved Accuracy of Visualizations of Concurrent Programs to Aid Student Learning
2022 (English)In: Koli Calling '22: Proceedings of the 22nd Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research / [ed] Ilkka Jormanainen, Andrew Petersen, ACM Publications, 2022, article id 14Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Previous research has shown that many students struggle with solving small concurrency problems after their first course on concurrency. A possible reason for this is that students do not have a suitable mental model of the semantics of the underlying programming language, and are therefore not able to properly reason about the program’s behavior. One way to help students learn concurrency and improve their mental model is through the use of visualization tools. Progvis is one such visualization tool that is not only aimed at concepts related to concurrency, but also provides an accurate visualization of more fundamental concepts to illustrate how they interact with concurrency. In previous work, the authors of Progvis performed a small-scale evaluation of the tool, and highlighted some areas of improvement. In this paper, we address these shortcomings by improving the memory model visualized by Progvis and implementing a model checker. We also evaluate Progvis on a larger scale by incorporating it into a course on concurrency and operating systems, which allows assessing whether using Progvis aids students in learning concurrency. The results indicate that Progvis (with our improvements) is successful in helping students realize how concurrency interacts with more fundamental concepts, and that students find it useful in helping them understand the content of the concurrency assignments.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ACM Publications, 2022
Keywords
concurrency, synchronization, visualization, computer science education
National Category
Computer and Information Sciences Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-190519 (URN)10.1145/3564721.3565947 (DOI)2-s2.0-85142922678 (Scopus ID)9781450396165 (ISBN)
Conference
Koli Calling '22: the 22nd Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research, November 2022, Koli Finland
Available from: 2022-12-12 Created: 2022-12-12 Last updated: 2023-01-30Bibliographically approved
Mannila, L., Åkerfeldt, A., Kjällander, S. & Heintz, F. (2022). Exploring Gender Differences in Primary School Programming. In: 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE): . Paper presented at IEEE Frontiers in Education, Uppsala, Sweden, 08-11 October, 2022. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring Gender Differences in Primary School Programming
2022 (English)In: 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2022Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

As a result of the increased digitalisation, many countries have introduced programming in their primary education curricula. One main objective is to give all children equal opportunities to develop the skills needed to be an active participant and producer in a digitalized society. This also addresses another important objective, that of increased diversity and broadened participation. Despite technology being a natural part in our everyday lives, stereotypical views of programming as a primarily male activity still exist. In this paper, we explore girls’ and boys’ experiences of programming at school and in their spare time. The study is situated in primary school classrooms in Sweden, where programming was introduced in a cross-curricular manner as part of digital competence in 2018. While most students reported having some programming experience, it was quite limited. The results show that, compared to the girls, boys in grades 4-9 are somewhat more positive towards programming and get more programming experience both at school and in their spare time. Similarly, boys rated their self-perceived programming skills higher than the girls. In grades 1-3, no gender disparity was found in students’ attitudes, experiences or skills. However, the gender differences in grades 4-9 were not reflected to an equally high extent in the students’ programming skills, as girls and boys did equally well on many skills related tasks. The analysis highlights the importance of well planned, motivating and relevant tasks in order to provide positive experiences of programming in the classroom.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2022
Series
Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference, ISSN 1539-4565, E-ISSN 2377-634X
National Category
Computer Sciences Computer Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-193191 (URN)10.1109/FIE56618.2022.9962482 (DOI)001204427600108 ()2-s2.0-85143749648 (Scopus ID)9781665462440 (ISBN)9781665462457 (ISBN)
Conference
IEEE Frontiers in Education, Uppsala, Sweden, 08-11 October, 2022
Available from: 2023-04-19 Created: 2023-04-19 Last updated: 2024-11-15Bibliographically approved
Åkerfeldt, A., Kjällander, S., Mannila, L. & Heintz, F. (2022). Exploring programming didactics in primary school - a gender perspective. In: 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE): . Paper presented at IEEE Frontiers in Education, Uppsala, Sweden, 08-11 October, 2022. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring programming didactics in primary school - a gender perspective
2022 (English)In: 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2022Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This Research Full Paper explore inclusion in programming in primary school. Education plays a crucial role in engaging a diverse group of students with different social backgrounds and interests. Therefore, this study aims to shed light upon inclusion in programming in primary school, focusing on gender to increase the knowledge regarding inclusion in programming didactics. The following research questions have guided the study: How are programming activities designed in primary school? How do pupils approach the programming tasks given? Can any gender differences be observed, and what are the consequences for the teaching practice? The theoretical framework used to analyse the empirical material is at the intersection between multimodal social semiotics [1] and a design-oriented perspective [2]. The empirical material consists of classroom video observations. Programming lessons in grades 4-8 have been observed and videos was recorded during 2019-2020. The pupils have worked on eight different programming tasks during the lessons. Analysis of these programming activities (tasks, instructions and resources used) focusing on gender has been made. Findings show two aspects 1) interest and position and 2) representations of knowledge. Regarding interest and position, the study of programming activities shows both similarities and differences between girls’ and boys’ approach to the task. Similarities are shown regarding the learning activities. No differences in coding strategies or creativity are observed if the task has an open design. The differences are shown in the guided tasks, where boys tend to engage in the tasks from their interests rather than following instructions and girls tend to follow the instructions given by the teacher. From a gender perspective, the boys might find programming more creative and fun, and the girls might feel less engaged as their interest falls into the background. Secondly, knowledge representations might affect who is seen as an expert within the CS field. For example, in grades 4 and 5, a male voice was represented in the video clips and a guest teacher used when presenting programming activities. The resources used in the lessons can be seen as representations of knowledge. In this case, they are always connected to a social and cultural domain [3], an environment foremost represented by males in this case.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2022
Series
Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference, ISSN 1539-4565, E-ISSN 2377-634X
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-193193 (URN)10.1109/FIE56618.2022.9962386 (DOI)001204427600013 ()2-s2.0-85143789849 (Scopus ID)9781665462440 (ISBN)9781665462457 (ISBN)
Conference
IEEE Frontiers in Education, Uppsala, Sweden, 08-11 October, 2022
Available from: 2023-04-19 Created: 2023-04-19 Last updated: 2024-11-15Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0001-6020-2737

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