Reflective reading with AI
LitAI is developing an innovative learning environment that supports students in deep and critical on-screen reading.
Adolescents are reading less and less, with far-reaching consequences. For years, studies have pointed to declining reading literacy, exacerbated by digital distractions and the increasing consumption of short screen-based texts. At the same time, expectations are rising. Engaging with digital and AI-generated content requires critical understanding, reflection, and self-regulation.
LitAI develops and evaluates a hybrid teaching and learning environment for deep reading of informational and literary texts in German and English at secondary school level. It combines digital reading support with in-class consolidation and critical reflection in three phases:
- Digital Reading with AI Support: An AI agent (“LitBot”) guides students as they engage with longer texts and supports reading comprehension.
- In-Class Consolidation: Students apply and deepen their understanding of the text in teacher-designed learning tasks and further develop their critical evaluation skills.
- Metacognitive Reflection: Students reflect on the benefits and limitations of interacting with AI.
A key innovation of LitAI is the use of eye tracking: Gaze movements during reading are combined with students’ verbal responses. On this basis, LitBot identifies individual reading patterns and provides adaptive support in real time. The integration of multimodal analysis, artificial intelligence, and thoughtful instructional design is novel and generates both technological and pedagogical value.
LitAI is developed by a joint team from PHZH and ZHAW in cooperation with the University of Zurich. Two Zurich secondary schools (Kantonsschulen) and the Digital Learning Hub Sek II are involved from the outset in the design, development, and piloting of the learning environment, ensuring its effective transfer into classroom practice.
The project strengthens reading literacy and digital agency among young people, thereby contributing to academic success, professional integration, and democratic participation. The learning environment supports teachers in managing heterogeneous classrooms. At the same time, LitAI serves as a model for the responsible and pedagogically sound integration of AI into educational practice.
Team
Dr. Sabine Binder, PHZH
Dr. Michael Wahler, ZHAW School of Engineering
Martin Schuler, ZHAW Angewandte Linguistik
Academic partner
Prof. Dr. Lena Jäger, UZH Institut für Computerlinguistik
Practice partner
Kantonsschule Enge, Zürich
Kantonsschule Büelrain, Winterthur
Running time: 2026-2029