Teaching AI Concepts Without Devices: Unplugged AI Literacy Practice in the Classroom

Abstract

The growing relevance of AI in education has underscored the need for AI literacy amongst learners globally. Nonetheless, many basic schools in Ghana are unable to offer AI education due to several factors, including a lack of digital infrastructure, computers, and adequate teacher training. In this paper, we describe a practitioner reflective classroom intervention on AI that taught some basics on AI without any use of digital technology. In the classroom, we incorporated a Turing Test role-play game into a grammar lesson on nouns, in which the learners compared human and AI intelligences through discussion, active participation, and problem-solving exercises. It is important to note that the study was conducted in a less-endowed public basic school with no computers or internet access. Our findings show that unplugged AI learning promoted active participation among learners and enabled them to engage effectively in language discussions while also acquiring foundational knowledge of AI. The findings suggest that learners understood that AI requires human commands and operates on patterns.