ISSN-2348-8824(Print), 3048-5061 (Online) RNI No: HARENG/2021/35200 Vol, XIV, No. 2 December 2023 – March-2024 By Nisha B. Nair ABSTRACT Educational technology constitutes an important aspect of modern education providing unique learning experiences to students and improving their learning. Technological resources (especially computers) have been integrated into education for decades. However, the integration of educational technology in early childhood education is a more recent trend compared to the other levels of education. This fact creates the need to develop, apply, and study the application of resources and methodologies specifically addressed to young children. Artificial Intelligence approaches have been incorporated into educational technology resources providing improved interaction for learners. Computer-based learning is a significant aspect of educational technology. Computers have been used in education since the 1950s so that they may be exploited in multiple ways by students and teachers working individually and in groups. However, educational technology usually involves a combination of resources besides computers to exploit the corresponding characteristics and the advantages offered by each type of resource. This is especially the case in early childhood education. Popular types of technological resources used in early childhood education besides computers are interactive whiteboards and interactive toys. Game consoles and robots may also become popular in early childhood education. Early childhood education curriculum covers several aspects such as language, science, mathematics, arts, and special education. Early childhood education involves both teacher-directed and student-centered activities putting emphasis on collaboration, constructivism, and interdisciplinary tasks. Students interact with resources available in the classroom during structured and non-structured activities. Game-based learning possesses an important role as it promotes collaboration and creativity in an appealing way for young children. INTRODUCTION Intelligent Educational Robots for Young Children A number of research efforts have been presented that involve the integration of intelligent robots in early childhood contexts. The present research approaches mostly involve robots integrated into a classroom or clinical setting. Robots may be exploited at home as well. There are also general research efforts concerning robot-child interaction in any type of setting such as approaches regarding methods for recording and analysing interaction data. Interesting approaches addressed to children with special needs have also been presented. In classroom settings, robots are used for edutainment purposes. Children may learn about, from, and with robots. Children learn about robots as they constitute a technology that according to certain predictions will be available in most homes in the near future. Robots may function as teaching assistants providing learning and social activities. Children may also learn with robots since after long-term child-robot interaction, children may regard robots as peers. AI in kindergarten and AI in secondary and higher education are very different. AI in kindergarten focuses on basic concepts and simple AI activities (e.g., drawing concept maps and AI framing). However, AI in secondary and higher education focuses on programming (e.g., Scratch and Google Teachable Machine), and complex concepts. Kindergarten children need to learn AI. There are many benefits for kindergarten children to learn AI. For example, children enhanced computational thinking skills and problem-solving skills through AI activities and improved AI knowledge through AI curriculum. Furthermore, young children playing with the AI robot improved several inquiry literacy skills (i.e., creative inquiry, emotional inquiry, and collaborative inquiry skills). What is AI for Kids? “AI for Kids” refers to educational initiatives and resources designed to introduce children to the concepts and applications of Artificial Intelligence. This can range from simple coding exercises and interactive games to more advanced projects, such as building AI-powered websites or robots. The goal of AI for kids is to provide hands-on learning experiences that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills, as well as prepare them for future career opportunities in AI. Emerging Trends and Research in Artificial Intelligence Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy has become an emerging topic in digital literacy education research. However, it is still under-explored in early childhood education (ECE) since the AI curriculum for young children has just been designed in recent years. A scoping review was conducted to examine the thematic and content analysis of 16 empirical papers from the years 2016 to 2022. This scoping reviews evaluate, synthesize, and display 16 studies on AI literacy in early childhood education, including curriculum design, AI tools, pedagogical approaches, research designs, assessment methods, and findings. The discussion of the AI literacy implementation in ECE contributes to providing references for educators and researchers to design interventions to engage young children in AI learning. Further we identified a set of challenges and opportunities for AI literacy. Several challenges included: 1. lack of teachers’ AI knowledge, skills, and confidence. 2. lack of curriculum design; and 3. lack of teaching Although educators meet challenges at the beginning stage of developing AI instructional design for young children, AI learning could bring learning opportunities and foster young children’s AI literacy in terms of AI concepts, practices, and perspectives. Five Emerging Trends in Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence Following are the five emerging trends in deep learning and artificial intelligence that needs to be explored: Federated Learning Federated learning is a machine learning approach that allows multiple devices to collaborate on a single model without sharing their data with a central server. This approach is beneficial in situations where data privacy is a concern. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) Generated Adversarial Networks are a type of neural network that can be used to generate new, realistic data based on existing data. For example, GANs have been used to generate realistic images of people, animals and even landscapes. GANs work by pitting two neural networks against each other, with one network generating fake data and the other network trying to detect whether the data is real or fake. Explainable AI (XAI) An approach to AI known as Explainable AI (XAI) aims to increase the transparency and comprehension of machine learning models. XAI is crucial because it can guarantee that AI systems make impartial, fair decisions. Reinforcement Learning A type of machine learning called Reinforcement Learning includes teaching agents to learn via criticism and
ISSN-2348-8824(Print), 3048-5061 (Online) RNI No: HARENG/2021/35200 Vol, XIV, No. 2 December 2023 – March-2024 Dr. Shraddha Kapoor ABSTRACT Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping most of the fields worldwide. On a daily basis, we witness the use of AI in different forms such as using ChatGPT, interacting with Alexa, watching AI-based reels on Instagram, playing AI-based educational games, welcoming the G20 delegates through AI-powered anchors and so much more. It has made its way into different fields such as healthcare, finance, transportation, and education. In the current scenario, AI is playing a key role in implementing and designing ECCE programs. INTRODUCTION Young children nowadays are growing up in a world where AI is omnipresent (Chen and Lin, 2023). This new wave of generative AI has ignited a new hope for better ECE (Yang, 2022). With all the positives, it comes with its own fear of uncertainties (Su and Yang, 2022, 2023). Some educationists and researchers support the use of AI for young children, and some highlight its negative impact and consequences for children as young as 3 years old. According to Chen and Lin (2023), in early childhood education, artificial intelligence is a ‘double-edged sword’ since it has both positive and negative consequences. Its positive implications include tailored learning, personalized interactive support, and enhanced accessibility to broader learning activities. Its negatives include overuse, privacy issues, ethical considerations, addiction, and misuse of AI. AI-powered toys and services such as PopBots, Quickdraw, among others, are designed for early childhood education to provide exciting learning experiences to learners as they engage with robots and kits and learn about them (Williams, 2018; Williams et al., 2019a,b). Young children can explore and appreciate these AI technologies in their daily lives even though they may not grasp the science behind them (Su, 2023). AI has a vital role to play in the administration, implementation and designing of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programs. Some of the potential applications of AI in ECCE are delineated hereunder. Automated Administration Tasks According to a 2018 report by the National University of Education Planning and Administration (NUEPA) titled “Involvement of Teachers in Non-teaching Activities and its Effect on Education, in government schools of our country, teachers devote approximately 19.1% of their working hours to teaching.” They are engaged in other activities such as election-related tasks, pulse polio campaigns, and maintenance mid-day meal records. AI can help teachers to focus more on interacting with their students to promote better learning outcomes by reducing paperwork, data management, and other administrative responsibilities. Content Recommendation Parents and teachers can use AI to suggest age-appropriate and instructive materials such as books, movies, and games for ensuring that children have access to high-quality resources. Data Analysis and Assessment AI can analyse vast amounts of data to evaluate the efficacy of teaching methods, identify the areas of improvement, and offer guidance to educators to modify their strategies. Early Detection and Early Intervention AI can assist in the early identification of developmental or learning difficulties in children. AI systems can identify potential issues by analysing the learning patterns of the learners for enabling timely intervention and support. Educational Games and Apps AI-powered apps and games for learning can provide interactive and fun-filled learning experiences to young children. These apps make learning enjoyable for the learner’s progress and offer personalised feedback. Monitoring and Safety AI can assist in keeping an eye on children in educational environments to ensure their safety and wellbeing. It can be utilized for facial recognition for attendance, security-based monitoring, as well as for obtaining alerts related to unusual activities. Parent-Teacher Communication AI-powered chatbots can help parents and teachers to communicate and work together as partners by providing regular updates on the progress of the learners. This platform can be used for addressing their queries. Parents can also keep a watch on the performance of their child by signing in the platforms being used by the child. Personalised Learning By determining each child’s needs and adapting the educational material to cater to those needs, AI can be used to design individualized learning experiences for each learner. Through tailor-made learning experiences, children can learn at their own pace for maximizing their potential. Speech and Language Development The development of speech and language can be aided by AI-driven speech recognition and language processing technology. AI can help in children’s speech development, proper pronunciation, and improved linguistic comprehension. Virtual Teachers and Tutors AI can function as virtual teachers or tutors by assisting students with their assignments, responding to queries, and explaining diverse topics. Virtual tutors can aid beyond the regular classroom hours. While AI can have multiple advantages, it should be utilized in tandem with the expertise and guidance of parents and teachers. Effective use of AI in early childhood care and education requires collaboration, evaluation, monitoring, and ethical considerations. In order to ensure the appropriate and efficient use of technology for promoting children’s overall development, parents and teachers should work together as partners. Parents and teachers can work collaboratively for maximising learning outcomes in AI-based early childhood care and education. Role of Parent-Teacher Partnership for Ensuring Effective Use of AI Tools Collaboration and Guidance To ensure that children’s interactions with AI-based educational tools are positive and in line with educational goals, parents and teachers should work together to guide these interactions. Data Privacy and Ethical Considerations Children can gain a thorough understanding of the ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence. They may learn about issues such as data security, fairness, and transparency to make sure that they are responsible consumers of AI technology (M, M. 2023). Both parents and teachers can foster ethical AI usage by educating kids about critical thinking values and ethics as well as by building the foundation for their interactions with AI systems. Enhancing Learning Experiences According to a research by Su and Yang, 2022, AI has considerably enhanced children’s abilities in areas such as creativity, emotion regulation, collaborative inquiry, literacy, and computational thinking. Teachers can incorporate AI-based tools and resources into the curriculum in order to enhance
