Digital Culture & AudioVisual Challenges

Key Words: Information Creations, Structuration Theory, Storytelling, Constructive Learning.

Theoretical Background

Derived from Stasienko's perspective (2023), the posthuman era is characterized by the emergence of a new ontological category that influences human action through the creation of intimate connections. This category, named 'information creations,' includes electronic data and spans a wide range of applications, from computer games to chatbots and avatars. With the advancement of technology, and especially with the development of artificial intelligence—particularly since November 2022, a period marked by the ascendancy of information creations within the digital landscape—the connection between humans and information creations has become increasingly close, blurring the boundaries between these two ontological categories.

Reflecting on Stasienko's viewpoint, our research hypothesis asserts that routine interactions with digital content and AI, such as video games, chatbots, and avatars, lead children to develop a unique relationship with them. This relationship, almost second nature to 'digital natives' – children who have grown up in a digital environment and displaying an intuitive understanding and comfort with technology, according to Prensky (2001) - shapes their social learning and behavior patterns in profound ways, often without any formal educational goal setting. For example, despite the existence of technologies designed specifically for children, research shows that children interact with technology beyond its intended uses, sometimes without adult supervision, as with ChatGPT, Google's Bard, and Microsoft's Bing AI (Kurian 2023). According to Rosenwald (2017), artificial intelligence systems will contribute to shaping children much like television shaped the behavior of their grandparents. From this perspective, information creations in the posthuman era have acquired the capability of "agency," meaning the ability to influence people's actions and behavior, as discussed by Giddens (1979, 1984).

Building upon this perspective, we persist that as information creations as introduced into the lives of 'digital natives' and begin to exert influence within the social structure, they become capable of both influencing and being influenced by human interactions. This reciprocal relationship exemplifies the essence of structuration according to the theory of structuration (Giddens 1984).  But It highlights a notable shift: information creations, although distinct from humans in their ontological status, now participate in the social structuring process, a role that was once exclusive to humans.

Research objectives

Building on the above theoretical insights we present a part of ongoing research project that aims to explore the potential integration of AI into pre-school education. The primary goal is to analyze the fundamental theoretical principles and provide practical examples that embody these principles within the profile of a virtual agent. To assess the effectiveness of such an application, the study will delve into the experiences and perceptions of kindergarten teachers regarding the incorporation of a similar application into their classrooms. The Virtual Agent is designed to achieve the following pedagogical objectives:

1. Enhancing children's comprehension of the ontological status of virtual agents, enabling them to understand both the potential and limitations of information creations and artificial intelligence in general.
2. Cultivating critical thinking skills by involving children in story creation experiences with a virtual agent.

In shaping the personality of the virtual agent, our approach is deeply rooted in constructivist educational theories, particularly drawing upon the insights of scholars like Bruner (1960) and Vygotsky (1962, 1978). These theories emphasize the active role of learners in constructing knowledge through their experiences. Moreover, we enrich this pedagogical framework with artistic narrative techniques inspired by Rodari’s (2003) approach to storytelling. Rodari, known for his innovative methods in education and creative writing, brings a dimension that fosters imagination and creativity, enabling children to explore and understand the world through interactive and engaging narratives. This fusion of educational technology and the art of storytelling shapes a virtual agent that is not only a technological tool but also a catalyst for learning and creative expression.

Research Methodology

The research methodology is founded on three pillars:

1. A theoretical review of literature pertaining to the integration of Virtual Agent in the kindergarten environment, providing a scholarly context and background for the application of AI technologies in early education.
2. Experimentation with the language models Chat GPT 3.5 and Chat GPT 4, aiming to explore and compare their functionalities, effectiveness, and adaptability for the creation of virtual agent.
3. Interviews with kindergarten teachers to gather insights into their views concerning the introduction of a similar device in a preschool setting. This qualitative approach aims to capture the nuanced perspectives and interpretations that kindergarten teachers have regarding the integration of a virtual agent in the kindergarten environment.

REFERENCES

Bruner, J. S. (1960). The Process of Education. Harvard University Press.

Druga, S., & Williams, R. (n.d.). Kids, AI Devices, and Intelligent Toys. MIT Media Lab. Retrieved from https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/kids-ai-devices/

Giddens, A. (1979). Central Problems in Social Theory: Action, Structure, and Contradiction in Social Analysis. University of California Press.

Giddens, A. (1984). The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Polity Press.

Kurian, N. (2023). AI’s Empathy Gap: The Risks of Conversational Artificial Intelligence for Young Children’s Well-Being and Key Ethical Considerations for Early Childhood Education and Care. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 0(0), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491231206004

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424818

Rodari, G. (2003). Γραμματική της φαντασίας: Εισαγωγή στην τέχνη να επινοείς ιστορίες (Γ. Κασαπίδης, Μεταφρ., Χ. Αυγουστιανού, Επιμ.). Μεταίχμιο.

Rosenwald, M. (2017, Μάρτιος 1). How millions of kids are being shaped by know-it-all voice assistants. The Washington Post.https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/howmillions-of-kids-are-being-shaped-by-know-it-allvoice-assistants/2017/03/01/c0a644c4-ef1c-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html

Stasienko, J. (2023). Media Technologies and Posthuman Intimacy [Ebook edition]. Bloomsbury Academic.

Vygotsky, L. (1962). Thought and Language. MIT Press.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.