Change in Attitude toward Artificial Intelligence through Experiential Learning in Artificial Intelligence Education

Given the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the education sector has been actively striving to instill AI-related competencies in students. In a notable development in 2022, South Korea took a pioneering step by overhauling its curriculum with a primary focus on enhancing students' AI skills. However, despite these efforts, a persistent challenge remains: many students continue to harbor unfavorable perceptions and attitudes toward AI. The existing educational methods have proven insufficient in addressing this issue. Consequently, this study embarked on a quest to identify effective strategies for cultivating a more positive outlook on AI among middle school students. To tackle this challenge head-on, an experiential learning-based AI education program was meticulously designed and implemented for middle school students in Korea. The study rigorously evaluated the program's impact on students' attitudes toward AI. The results unveiled a significant improvement in students' perceptions of AI following the intervention, providing solid empirical evidence of the efficacy of the experiential learning-based AI education program in reshaping middle school students' attitudes toward AI. This research underscores the paramount importance of practical, hands-on experiences in education as a potent means to bridge the gap between knowledge and perception. It offers invaluable insights that can guide the development of AI education curricula worldwide, emphasizing the indispensable role of experiential learning approaches in nurturing positive attitudes and beliefs about AI among students.