A GenAI-Enhanced, Digital Storytelling Instructional System for Civic Education: Empowering Student Voices

Abstract

This design case documents a curriculum development project integrating Claude, a generative AI (GenAI) assistant, with Book Creator for collaborative digital storytelling in civic education. The context involved graduate education students preparing for K-12 teaching, exploring Montgomery’s civil rights legacy while developing frameworks for ethical AI collaboration. As GenAI tools proliferate in education, educators face the challenge of leveraging these technologies while preserving student agency and authentic voice—a central tension that this design addresses. The designed artifact comprised a comprehensive instructional system including: (1) a collaboratively authored digital book containing 11 chapters on civic virtues illustrated through local history, (2) structured theoretical prompting frameworks guiding human-AI collaboration while preserving student voice, (3) verification protocols for ensuring historical accuracy, and (4) dual assessment approaches evaluating both final products and collaboration processes. Guided by Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Culturally Responsive Computing, Connected Learning Theory, and Universal Design for Learning principles, the design addressed three critical challenges: maintaining student authorship in the age of generative AI, ensuring culturally responsive representation of Montgomery’s diverse communities, and developing appropriate assessment paradigms for AI-collaborative work. Key design elements included progressive disclosure of AI assistance, explicit cultural preservation requirements, and transparent documentation of AI interactions. This case describes the concrete frameworks we developed for integrating GenAI thoughtfully in humanities education while aiming to maintain pedagogical integrity, student agency, and cultural authenticity.