Abstract

Purpose: In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, individuals equipped with fundamental understanding and practical skills in artificial intelligence (AI) are essential. This study aimed to validate the effectiveness of AI education for enhancing AI literacy among business major student. Research design, data and methodology: Data for analyzing the effectiveness of the AI Fundamental Education Program for business major students were collected through surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the semester. Structural equation modeling was employed to perform basic statistical analyses regarding gender, grade, and prior software (SW) education duration. To validate the effectiveness of AI education, seven variables - AI interest, AI perception, data analysis/utilization, AI projects, AI literacy, AI self-efficacy, and AI learning persistence - were defined and derived. Results: All seven operationally defined variables showed statistically significant positive changes. The average differences were observed as follows: 0.47 for AI interest, 0.32 for AI perception, 0.37 for data analysis/utilization, 0.27 for AI projects, 0.25 for AI literacy, 0.39 for AI self-efficacy, and 0.41 for AI learning persistence. Statistically, AI interest exhibited the most substantial average difference. Conclusions: Through this study, the applied AI education was confirmed to enhance learners' overall competencies in AI, proving its utility and effectiveness in AI literacy education for business major students. Future research endeavors should build upon these results, focusing on ongoing studies related to AI education programs tailored to learners from diverse academic backgrounds and conducting continuous efficacy evaluations.