Characteristics and Challenges of AI Education in the Liberal Arts Curriculum of Domestic Universities : With Emphasis on the Linkage between the Primary and Secondary Education Curriculum and the Liberal Arts Curriculum of University in the Digital Trans

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the characteristics and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI) education in the liberal arts curriculum of domestic universities. The revision of the curriculum to strengthen digital literacy has been in the field of the liberal arts in major universities. However, universities haven’t been aligning their curriculum with the core competencies developed in earlier stages. This has resulted in a disconnect occurring between AI education at the primary/secondary level and the university level. This gap can lead to students struggling to advance in AI-related topics as they transition to higher education. The liberal arts education of universities does not consider or reflect any linkage with the coherent system of the national curriculum, such as the 2022 revised national curriculum, of primary and secondary schools, which prevents the progress of students’ learning agency. For example, universities should take steps to open and run AI-related courses, regardless of government-supported projects, such as software (SW)-centered university projects. In fact, these project-based courses have not successfully addressed the need for a comprehensive AI and digital literacy education within the liberal arts. This paper, therefore, makes the following suggestions. Firstly, the liberal arts curriculum for AI education should restore its essence of humanity, preparing students to critically assess both the benefits and risks of AI in experiencing the digital transition. Secondly, universities should open and support AI-related courses in the liberal arts, ensuring that lecturers and professors receive the necessary resources to teach comprehensive AI education effectively.