This paper reflects on some developing pedagogical approaches for introducing technical, ethical and critical engagement with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in interaction design (IxD) education. As GenAI reshapes creative practice, students must move beyond passive automation toward thoughtful and principled design approaches. Drawing on curriculum development from first year workshops in the Bachelors of Interaction Design at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), the author reflects on AI as a UX design paradigm, tool, and ethical subject. Case studies from workshops include introductions to GenAI and "vibe coding". In these sessions, first-year students engage with AI tools and methodologies developing foundational AI fluency, and critically examine concepts of authorship, bias in generative systems, and their own ethical positioning. The approaches aim to support lifelong learning and positions design education as a space for process-oriented, socially responsive, and critically engaged practice. This paper reflects on how GenAI can be critically and ethically integrated into first-year interaction design education through reflective and experiential learning. The work also offers practical insights for integrating generative AI into design curricula in ways that are technically rigorous and ethically grounded.
Reading comprehension is a cornerstone of cognitive development and lifelong learning. As visual materials increasingly accompany textual content, their pedagogical function extends beyond aesthetic appeal—they shape attention, understanding, and memory. Yet, the nature of visuals most effective for comprehension, particularly within Indian primary classrooms, remains underexplored.This study investigates the differential impact of realistic, cartoon, and no-visual formats on reading comprehension among 400 Indian children aged 9–11 years. The research is grounded in Dual-Coding Theory (Paivio, 1986) and Cognitive Load Theory (Mayer, 2009), integrating the policy vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 toward multimodal and experiential learning. Participants were assigned to one of three visual conditions and tested for factual recall, inferential reasoning, and engagement using standardized reading materials.Statistical analyses (ANOVA, t-tests, correlations) revealed that realistic visuals significantly outperformed cartoon and text-only formats in comprehension accuracy and inferential reasoning, while cartoon visuals achieved the highest engagement scores but slightly lower comprehension depth. Text-only formats yielded the weakest performance, emphasizing the cognitive importance of visuals as scaffolding tools.The study concludes that visuals should be treated as cognitive instruments—structured to aid information integration, schema activation, and motivation—rather than decorative supplements. The results provide actionable guidelines for textbook designers, publishers, and educators under NEP 2020, bridging psychology, design, and pedagogy for evidencebased literacy design.
