From Passive Learning to Co-Creativity: Six Levels of AI-Enhanced Creative Engagement in Education

As AI systems become increasingly integrated into society, the relationship between humans and AI is evolving from simple automation toward co-creative collaboration. This shift is particularly significant in education, where human intuition and imagination can synergize with AI’s computational capabilities to enable novel forms of learning and teaching. Building on this potential and grounded in the #ppAI6 model of creative engagement in AI in education, this chapter explores how educators and learners can engage in progressively deeper and more transformative interactions with AI technologies. The #ppAI6 model distinguishes six levels of creative engagement, ranging from passive consumption of AI-generated content to expansive, participatory knowledge co-creation and transformative learning supported by AI. While most current applications in education remain at early levels, such as interactive consumption through Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS), this work focuses on exploring and designing for higher levels of engagement. Through a structured formative intervention, preservice teachers and EdTech professionals are guided to co-design AI-enhanced learning activities that not only support learner engagement but also cultivate AI literacy and agency.