Effects of Generative AI-Assisted Media Literacy Instruction on Learning Achievement and Cognitive Load among Elementary School Students

Abstract

The increasing use of social media by young people, combined with their limited ability to critically evaluate the credibility of media content, highlights the growing need for effective media literacy education. In Taiwan, teachers often rely on tools such as the Taiwan FactCheck Center to help students identify fake news. However, because of elementary school students’ limited reading and search skills, their cognitive load may increase and hinder their learning. Generative AI chatbots, with their intuitive interactions and accessible outputs, offer the potential to support learning and reduce cognitive demands. This study examined how integrating a generative AI chatbot into media literacy instruction for upper elementary students affects their learning achievement, cognitive load, and technology acceptance. A total of 56 upper elementary students participated in this quasi-experimental study, which focused on fake news detection as the core instructional theme. The experimental group used a generative AI chatbot as a learning tool, while the control group used the Taiwan FactCheck Center website alongside conventional online search strategies. This study also evaluated differences between two instructional approaches regarding fake news identification and cognitive load. The findings revealed that using a generative AI chatbot significantly enhanced students’ ability to identify fake news. Although the difference in cognitive load between groups was not statistically significant, students in the experimental group reported relatively lower levels of cognitive load. Additionally, students showed high technology acceptance for the AI chatbot, suggesting its potential as an effective tool in elementary media literacy instruction.

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