AI Literacy with Gifted Children: Iterative Co-Design and Critical Multimodal Practices

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Bibliographic Details
Title: AI Literacy with Gifted Children: Iterative Co-Design and Critical Multimodal Practices
Language: English
Authors: Tolga Kargın (ORCID 0000-0003-2380-2383), Arda Karataş
Source: Reading Research Quarterly. 2026 61(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy, Academically Gifted, Children, Foreign Countries, Student Developed Materials, Cooperative Learning, Story Telling, Cartoons, Books, Computer Games, Gifted Education, Science Teaching Centers, Arts Centers, Design, Environmental Education, Elementary School Students
Geographic Terms: Turkey
DOI: 10.1002/rrq.70103
ISSN: 0034-0553
1936-2722
Abstract: Drawing on Critical Multimodal Literacy theory (CML), this qualitative case study explores how four gifted fourth-grade students used generative AI tools to create products aimed at solving environmental pollution problems. During the 10-week project, held at the Science and Art Center in Türkiye, the children collaboratively produced a storybook, comic book, and two digital games. Data collected from session video recordings, the researchers' field notes, student artifacts, and semi-structured interviews were subjected to content analysis. This revealed that the children integrated their critical perspectives with multimodal strategies and incorporated AI as a co-designer while generating ideas, storyboarding, and producing a storybook and comic book. The children demonstrated their AI literacy in several ways, particularly revising their prompts until the AI generated the desired outputs and checking the outputs' factual accuracy and consistency. The children's storybook and comic book focused on collective action and environmental justice, while the digital games encouraged the players to adopt responsible waste-related behaviors. The children showed creative agency and critical awareness during the AI-mediated process, thereby demonstrating that even young gifted children can use AI tools to create critical multimodal texts and interactive digital content that aims to help solve a real-world problem. This study makes a novel theoretical contribution by integrating iterative AI co-design within CML as a model for developing AI literacy and social agency in gifted elementary students. The study also extends recent debates about youth agency, authorship, and ethics in the age of AI, offering a new perspective.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503746
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:Drawing on Critical Multimodal Literacy theory (CML), this qualitative case study explores how four gifted fourth-grade students used generative AI tools to create products aimed at solving environmental pollution problems. During the 10-week project, held at the Science and Art Center in Türkiye, the children collaboratively produced a storybook, comic book, and two digital games. Data collected from session video recordings, the researchers' field notes, student artifacts, and semi-structured interviews were subjected to content analysis. This revealed that the children integrated their critical perspectives with multimodal strategies and incorporated AI as a co-designer while generating ideas, storyboarding, and producing a storybook and comic book. The children demonstrated their AI literacy in several ways, particularly revising their prompts until the AI generated the desired outputs and checking the outputs' factual accuracy and consistency. The children's storybook and comic book focused on collective action and environmental justice, while the digital games encouraged the players to adopt responsible waste-related behaviors. The children showed creative agency and critical awareness during the AI-mediated process, thereby demonstrating that even young gifted children can use AI tools to create critical multimodal texts and interactive digital content that aims to help solve a real-world problem. This study makes a novel theoretical contribution by integrating iterative AI co-design within CML as a model for developing AI literacy and social agency in gifted elementary students. The study also extends recent debates about youth agency, authorship, and ethics in the age of AI, offering a new perspective.
ISSN:0034-0553
1936-2722
DOI:10.1002/rrq.70103