When Artificial Intelligence Meets Metacognition: The Experimental Learning Unit Transforming Teaching and Evaluative Practices.

The Maieutic Digital Toolkit

Abstract

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into educational contexts necessitates careful instructional design, with a crucial focus on the teacher's metacognitive role and the urgent need to develop teacher Agency. This article describes the implementation of an Experimental Learning Unit (ELU) in a blended format for 320 teachers, designed to integrate AI tools with metacognitive reflection. The research adopted a two-phase approach: Phase 1 – Exploratory Try-Out (Pilot Study) on a small sample (N=30) for calibration and prototyping, followed by Phase 2 – Operational Experimentation on the extended sample. The focus is the Try-Out methodology and the preliminary results. Preliminary findings indicate that the Try-Out allowed for the optimization of module clarity and the usability of the AI tools. The operational experimentation shows a significant increase in teachers' professional metacognitive awareness (MAI-adaptive scale) and a more critical and reflective adoption of AI tools for assessment. The final output is the creation of an Operational Digital Toolkit.