Aligning the Operationalization of Digital Competences with Perceived AI Literacy: The Case of HE Students in IT Engineering and Teacher Education

The paper presents research and preliminary findings aimed at improving curricula so that digital competencies are aligned with the required Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy. The research was conducted at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Čačak, University of Kragujevac (Serbia). The participants in the research were future computer science teachers and IT engineering students. The research tool for self-evaluation of AI literacy was a questionnaire based on the Serbian version of the AILS (Artificial Intelligence Literacy Scale), while digital competencies, based on the DigComp framework, were determined by objective testing. The research took into account the socioeconomic status of the students, demographic characteristics, and English language proficiency. Preliminary results indicated the persistence of significant relationships between certain digital competencies (such as programming, digital signal processing, and creative thinking) and all four constructs of AI literacy. The research findings highlight the impact of AI literacy on data analysis performance and problem solving.