AI Literacies and the Advancement of Opened Culture: Global Perspectives and Practices

Key Points:

In an age of significant academic transformation due to the vector of artificial intelligence (AI), this paper explores the intersection of AI literacies and open educational practices (OEP) in fostering an “opened culture” across learning environments and communities. The authors situate AI literacies as a set of interconnected competencies transcending technology use with a propensity for advancing the goals of open pedagogy. Inspired by Stuart Hall’s work in cultural studies and Douglas Belshaw’s work in digital literacies, this qualitative research presents insights from 34 educators from around the world, surfacing the impact of AI on how open educational practitioners are collaborating, creating OER, and building connections to the communities that they serve. Acknowledging broader debates in the field on AI and openness, this research advances the burgeoning discourse on AI in open education, illuminating new pathways for empiricism and advocacy as the field collectively reimagines a more open and inclusive future of learning.

Author Note: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Angela Gunder: angela@openedculture.org

Introduction

Appendices

You are being asked to participate in a research study for UNESCO IITE on AI in higher/open education. Your participation in this research study is voluntary and you do not have to participate. Your reflections provided here will be attributed to you as a means of building connections and community with the field around the perspectives that you share. Please only share information you are comfortable with being made public as a UNESCO IITE open knowledge product. Prior to publication, we will conduct member checks where you will be able to confirm or clarify your responses.

Feel free to ask questions before making your decision whether or not to participate. For questions or concerns about the study you may contact Dr. Angela Gunder by email at angela@openedculture.org.

Thank you in advance for your time and insights.

Name:

Email address:

Occupation/Role:

Institution/Organization:

Years of Experience:

AI Usage Matrix:

Which of the following thematic areas would you be willing to share your perspectives on?

AI Literacies (Competencies and Skills) Only
AI Literacies + AI and Open Education

Would you be willing to participate in a follow-up Zoom interview if the researchers decide further data collection or clarification is needed?

What literacies practices and skills do current and future learners need to utilize in order to be successful?

What literacies practices and skills do instructors need to utilize in order to support the achievement of student success outcomes?

What literacies practices and skills do administrators need to utilize in order to support the achievement of student success outcomes?

Which of the following literacies are essential for effectively integrating AI into educational settings?

Briefly describe your role and how it relates to the development of AI literacies in educational contexts.

Describe the ways you are developing your own AI literacies in both professional and personal settings.

In what ways are you observing learners applying AI-related literacies into their learning processes?

In what ways are you observing instructors applying AI-related literacies into their learning processes?

In what ways are you observing administrators supporting the development of AI-related literacies across their organizations as a driver of institutional innovation and improvement?

Who should be responsible for teaching AI literacies within educational settings?

What practices should instructors and administrators engage in to ensure that the development of AI literacies is equitable amongst learners?

How do you see the roles of educators transforming with the increasing use of AI in education?

What specific literacies are needed to use AI tools in the development of Open Educational Practices (OEP)?

What technological or digital literacies are needed to use AI tools for open education?

What pedagogical skills are needed to use AI tools for open education?

How do AI literacies give meaning to open collaboration?

How do AI literacies support innovation in open education?

What are the ways in which communities can engage in developing and utilizing AI literacies for open education?

In your work, what practices have you seen employed using generative AI and open educational practices (OEP)?

What are the current considerations that educators need to be aware of with regard to generative AI and open pedagogies?

What are the potential difficulties that educators must mitigate in successfully integrating generative AI in the classroom in ways that protect and advance openness?

What foundational processes and systems do leaders need to build in order to harness the power of generative AI for open education, as well as mitigate its potential harm?

Briefly describe your role in education, and in particular, share:
- Which open educational practices (OEP) do you engage in as part of your role?
- Which AI literacies do you employ as part of your role?
What types of open educational resources (OER) have you seen people creating using AI?
Do you see OEP supporting the development of AI literacies? And if so, how?
Do you see AI literacies supporting the development of OEP, and if so, how?
What do people need to know about technology in order to use AI for open education work?
What content or subject knowledge do people need to have in order to use AI for open education?
What should people know about pedagogy and the learning process in order to use AI for open education work?
How might AI be used to improve the ways that we create OER?
How can AI help us improve the impact of open education in directly supporting the communities that we serve?
What effect do you think AI is having on the ways in which people collaborate on open education projects?
How do you see AI literacies and open pedagogy as connected?

Susan Adams (US)
Aneesha Bakharia (Australia)
Maha Bali (Egypt)
Doug Belshaw (UK)
José Antonio Bowen (US)
Aras Bozkurt (Türkiye)
Melody Buckner (US)
Kiran Budhrani (US)
Liz Chase (Australia)
Melody Chin (Singapore)
Julie Curtis (US)
Van Davis (US)
Vincent Del Casino, Jr. (US)
Reed Dickson (US)
Gerry Hanley (US)
Reed Hepler (US)
Isabel Hilinger (Chile)
Lisa Jacka (Australia)
Vistasp Karbhari (US)
Julie Lindsay (Australia)
Liza Long (US)
Kathryn MacCullum (New Zealand)
Ebenezer Malcalm (Ghana)
Punya Mishra (US)
Julian Moore (Australia)
John Okewole (Nigeria)
Ebba Ossiannilsson (Sweden)
Nicola Pallitt (South Africa)
David Parsons (New Zealand)
Samantha Seah (Singapore)
Judith Sebesta (US)
George Siemens (Australia)
Melissa Vito (US)
Leigh Graves Wolf (Ireland)
Rosa Maria Vicari (Brazil)
Miguel Vieira (Brazil)
Wen Wen (US)

By Drs. Angela Gunder, Joshua Herron, and Nicole Weber, with significant contributions from Drs. Colette Chelf and Sherry Birdwell. This taxonomy is a remix of Doug Belshaw’s work in his book, The Essential Elements of Digital Literacies, and is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

The Dimensions of AI Literacies were designed to meet the increasing demand for skills that enable educators, learners, and leaders to understand the phenomena surrounding AI in education, particularly in developing uses aligned to socioculturally situated values. Adapted from Doug Belshaw's Essential Elements of Digital Literacies 1, this framework recognizes AI literacies as a broad, interconnected spectrum of competencies, rather than a reductive divide between those who are AI-literate and and AI-illiterate. By viewing AI literacies as a diverse set of skills, this taxonomy offers nuanced insight into how AI can enhance teaching and learning across various cultural and social settings. This perspective supports educators in crafting inclusive and flexible learning experiences, empowers learners to approach AI tools with critical and creative thinking, and equips leaders to drive responsible and effective AI integration within their institutions. Moreover, as AI technologies proliferate and grow in sophistication, this taxonomy provides strategists and practitioners with a responsive vocabulary to navigate the swiftly shifting AI landscape in education. These dimensions give educators and leaders a foundation to foster collaborative, reflective discussions on AI, promoting the development of skills that will meaningfully influence the future of education.

Cultural

Recognizing the connections between people, AI-informed resources and tools, and points of engagement within AI tools and AI-enabled environments.

Characteristics

Cultural AI Literacies involve understanding the accepted contexts in which AI tools are used by learners, educators, and administrators, recognizing the sociocultural norms and practices that shape these contexts. They include learning how others employ AI tools within teaching and learning environments, encompassing the various inputs, such as prompt engineering, and the processes, like iterative conversations with large language models (LLMs) to enhance the quality and accuracy of generated content. Additionally, cultural AI literacies require familiarity with the different outputs produced by AI tools, such as multimodal artifacts like text, graphics, and videos. By understanding these diverse applications, individuals can use AI in ways that are culturally sensitive and aligned with educational goals.

Example Applications by Role

A learner can use AI tools to explore cultural perspectives regarding current or historical events, comparing how AI databases provide information based on cultural inputs. Additionally, they can explore how AI-generated content such as text, images, and videos may be interpreted differently in diverse cultural and educational contexts.

An educator can apply cultural AI literacies by recognizing how different student populations interact with AI tools. This involves tailoring instructional content to fit the cultural backgrounds and learning preferences of diverse students. Educators can use AI tools to generate culturally responsive materials, such as adapting case studies, examples, or even feedback that reflect the values and norms of the students' communities.

A leader can analyze data from various student demographics to develop culturally informed strategies for AI tool implementation. They can use AI to facilitate cross-cultural communication within educational communities, ensuring that AI initiatives and policies are inclusive, equitable, and sensitive to the cultural contexts of the educators and students involved.

Cognitive

Expanding intellectual capabilities by engaging with AI-enabled processes and environments.

Characteristics

Cognitive AI Literacies involve developing the skills necessary to navigate various AI environments to build knowledge and understanding effectively. Just as physical strength is built through regular exercise, cognitive AI literacies require active engagement with different AI tools and systems, fostering exploration and play to develop familiarity and expertise. This process also entails exposure to a wide range of data sets and knowledge sources, recognizing that AI tends to generalize based on the most dominant narratives present. Furthermore, cognitive AI literacies involve understanding the strengths and limitations of AI—identifying what AI tools are well-suited to handle and recognizing the tasks that are better performed by humans. This balanced approach helps ensure that AI is used appropriately and effectively in educational contexts.

Example Applications by Role

A learner can use AI-powered platforms to identify patterns in research data or generate hypotheses based on various scenarios. By navigating these AI environments, learners build intellectual agility, learning how to evaluate AI outputs critically and apply them to their own projects and studies.

An educator can use AI to create adaptive learning experiences that challenge students at different levels of understanding, fostering deep cognitive engagement. Additionally, by integrating AI into their teaching practices, educators help students recognize when and how to question AI outputs, ensuring they understand AI's capabilities and limitations in solving complex problems.

A leader can facilitate professional development opportunities that encourage educators to engage with AI tools, promoting a culture of continuous learning and cognitive growth within the institution. By fostering an environment where AI is used thoughtfully, leaders ensure that AI’s capabilities are maximized to enhance both teaching and administrative practices without diminishing human judgment.

Constructive

Utilizing AI tools to build, remix, and generate new content, applying AI capabilities.

Characteristics

Constructive AI Literacies involve understanding what it means to construct, build, or make something within AI-enabled environments. These literacies encompass practices of remixing, where AI tools are used to help individuals create new content by adapting and revising existing materials. Given the complexities of attribution in many AI-generated works, developing constructive AI literacies also aligns closely with critical AI literacies. It requires users to identify the original sources of content, ensure proper credit is given, and navigate the ethical implications of appropriating and remixing material. This approach fosters a responsible and creative use of AI, encouraging innovation while respecting intellectual property and ethical considerations.

Example Applications by Role

A learner might use AI to assist in remixing information from different sources into coherent arguments or generating creative visual designs for presentations. By interacting with AI in this way, learners not only enhance their technical skills but also improve their capacity for critical thinking and synthesis, turning AI outputs into original, well-crafted work.

An educator can utilize AI to remix content from various sources, such as generating quizzes tailored to the needs of specific students or adapting lesson plans to different learning styles. Additionally, educators can encourage students to engage in constructive projects, where they apply AI tools to generate their own learning materials or collaborate on AI-driven group projects.

A leader can leverage AI to generate innovative content that supports decision-making. Leaders can also create AI-enhanced professional development programs for staff, using AI-generated insights to tailor content and learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of educators and administrators.

Communicative

Leveraging AI technologies to convey ideas effectively, recognizing the sociocultural practices and nuances that AI interprets and influences in different settings.

Characteristics

Communicative AI Literacies focus on using AI tools to convey meaning for a specific purpose, ensuring that ideas and messages are effectively communicated. These literacies are closely linked to Constructive AI Literacies, as they involve creating or crafting content to express an idea or message. They also connect with Cultural AI Literacies by requiring an understanding of discourse style, tone, and voice to tailor communication appropriately for different audiences and contexts. Furthermore, Communicative AI Literacies recognize the social dynamics of AI use, where both human and technological actors interact—understanding how one communicates with AI tools, such as chatbots, directly influences the outputs received. These literacies promote effective communication in an AI-enabled world by blending technical skill with cultural awareness and purposeful intent.

Example Applications by Role

A learner can utilize AI tools to enhance their communication by refining ideas, adjusting tone, and tailoring their messages for different audiences, including cross-culturally.

An educator can use AI tools to improve the clarity and tone of content and feedback for their learners. In this way, AI can streamline feedback, offering personalized suggestions to students in a clear, constructive manner, enhancing the learning experience and improving overall communication with learners.

A leader can leverage AI to assist in generating well-structured, data-driven responses to feedback. By streamlining communication processes and improving responsiveness, AI supports leaders in managing feedback and maintaining open, productive dialogue.

Confident

Developing the ability to solve problems and manage learning within AI-driven environments by understanding and harnessing their unique features and potentials.

Characteristics

Confident AI Literacies emphasize developing self-assurance and self-reliance in using AI tools to generate ideas, put those ideas into action, and evaluate their effectiveness and impact. These literacies cultivate a sense of curiosity and a willingness to explore new AI tools and AI-enabled environments, understanding that there is freedom to fail and that failure serves as a valuable data point for iterative improvement. Confident AI literacies also involve being open and authentic about both successes and challenges, fostering a growth mindset that embraces learning from mistakes. They include the ability to manage one’s own learning and solve problems by leveraging feedback generated by both human instructors and AI tools. Developing these literacies requires normalizing assessment processes and applying feedback within a networked community of practice, where continuous learning and adaptation are encouraged and supported.

Example Applications by Role

A learner can use AI platforms to generate study plans, ask targeted questions, or seek explanations for difficult concepts. By experimenting with different AI features—such as adaptive learning environments or AI-generated feedback—students build confidence in their ability to manage their learning, making them more autonomous and proactive in pursuing their educational goals.

An educator can use AI tools to enhance their teaching practices and troubleshoot classroom challenges. Educators who are confident in AI’s capabilities can deploy it effectively to address individual student needs, provide personalized feedback or develop alternative instructional strategies.

A leader can harness AI-powered data analytics to inform policy decisions, track institutional progress, or predict future trends. This confident approach empowers leaders to use AI not just reactively but proactively, solving problems and guiding their organizations through the evolving AI-driven landscape.

Creative

Engaging in ideation and generative actions using AI, focusing on how AI can add value and introduce new possibilities within specific contexts.

Characteristics

Creative AI Literacies challenge the misconception that creativity is an innate trait, emphasizing instead that it is a skill that can be developed and nurtured. These literacies involve the ability to generate new ideas, put them into action, and assess their value and impact, with these evaluations shaped by both individual insights and community standards. Creative AI literacies encourage experimenting with new methods and processes to achieve outcomes that were previously difficult or even impossible, requiring a strong sense of innovation and the ability to make sense of novel situations. They also rely on the confident literacies of being willing to take risks and exercising a level of autonomy and agency in exploring AI's possibilities. Furthermore, creative AI literacies are inclusive of reimagining learning activities for an AI-enabled world, fostering an environment where both educators and learners use AI tools to enhance creativity and drive new approaches to teaching and learning.

Example Applications by Role

A learner can brainstorm innovative solutions, generate unique content such as essays, art, or multimedia projects, and remix existing materials to fit new contexts. For example, a student might use an AI text generator to draft an outline for a research paper or utilize AI image tools to create visual representations for a class project.

An educator can use AI to co-create dynamic lesson plans, simulations, or assessments that allow for creative exploration.

A leader can use AI tools to envision novel strategic initiatives, generate new programs or policies, or even create more engaging and interactive professional development experiences for staff.

Critical

Examining the power dynamics and ethical considerations inherent in AI practices, reflecting on the broader societal impacts of AI-driven decisions and actions.

Characteristics

Critical AI Literacies are among the most essential literacies in this early stage of AI integration in education. They begin with examining the power structures embedded within AI environments, identifying who or what is privileged in these systems, and understanding who is included or excluded from data sets or environments. This involves recognizing the biases present in AI tools and questioning the assumptions behind these decisions. They require users to spot inaccurate or misleading outputs generated by AI and assess the accuracy and veracity of content. Additionally, they involve understanding how and where user inputs are used, including awareness of when content inputs may be training other large language models (LLMs), and addressing related privacy and security concerns, such as compliance with institutional policies and federal regulations. Moreover, these literacies include using AI-generated data to make informed, critical decisions about strategy, resource allocation, and operational processes, ensuring that AI tools are applied responsibly and ethically in educational contexts.

Example Applications by Role

A learner can critically assess the data sources an AI tool uses to generate responses, ensuring they understand how these data might reflect dominant cultural or ideological perspectives.

An educator can explore how an AI grading system could inadvertently favor certain student demographics and take steps to mitigate such biases. Educators also reflect on their ethical responsibilities when integrating AI into their classrooms, ensuring that AI enhances rather than diminishes critical thinking.

A leader can examine the use of AI in student admissions or performance assessments, ensuring that the technology does not inadvertently reinforce systemic inequities.

Civic

Employing AI knowledge and skills to contribute positively to society, using AI to foster community empowerment, engagement, and societal progress.

Characteristics

Civic AI Literacies focus on using AI knowledge and skills to contribute positively to society by fostering more equitable and inclusive learning environments. These literacies involve considering how AI can help create culturally affirming content that promotes a sense of belonging and community in the classroom. Civic AI literacies also emphasize the use of AI to achieve adaptive and personalized learning, which respects and builds upon learners' past experiences and skills while meeting them where they are to further their knowledge. Additionally, these literacies encourage creating openness around AI usage, addressing issues like the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to AI tools and their development. Ultimately, Civic AI Literacies view AI as an enabler for broader participation in society, empowering individuals to engage more fully in civic life and contribute to societal progress.

Example Applications by Role

A learner can leverage AI tools to analyze social issues, create content that raises awareness, or develop solutions to community problems.

An educator can guide learners in applying AI tools to analyze social justice issues, develop community projects, or contribute to civic discourse.

A leader can use AI to enhance transparency in institutional decision-making or to identify and address community needs. For instance, an educational leader could use AI to gather feedback from students, educators, and community members, ensuring that policies reflect diverse perspectives and promote civic responsibility.

You can visit the Opened Culture website for an alternative display of the Dimensions of AI Literacies taxonomy above.

_{(Image courtesy of Unsplash. License CC BY.)}

Summary:

Examining how AI influences open collaboration, the creation of OERs, and the alignment of resources and initiatives to the needs and values of the open community.

Source: AI Literacies and the Advancement of Opened Culture: Global Perspectives and Practices