Practical Pathways for Enhancing Artificial Intelligence Literacy among University Teachers in Ningbo under the Background of Digital-Intelligent Transformation

Abstract

Against the backdrop of digital-intelligent transformation, artificial intelligence has evolved from an auxiliary tool into a technological force that is increasingly embedded in university teaching design, research support, administrative services, and social engagement, and is reshaping the modes of knowledge production, talent cultivation, and organizational operation in higher education institutions. For university teachers, artificial intelligence literacy does not merely refer to the ability to use a particular tool; rather, it represents a professional capacity to understand technological logic, judge application boundaries, and transform artificial intelligence into an enabling force for curriculum reform, research innovation, student development, and professional growth. Ningbo has a solid manufacturing foundation, a well-developed port and shipping logistics system, and abundant application scenarios in digital trade, intelligent manufacturing, and industry-education integration, which provide a favorable practical foundation for enhancing artificial intelligence literacy among university teachers. Based on a review of studies on educational digital transformation, teacher digital literacy, and artificial intelligence literacy, and in light of the actual development of higher education institutions in Ningbo, this paper analyzes the major problems in the development of university teachers’ artificial intelligence literacy, including uneven conceptual awareness, incomplete competency structures, fragmented training systems, insufficient disciplinary integration, weak ethical governance, and imperfect evaluation and incentive mechanisms. To address these problems, this paper proposes practical pathways such as standards-based guidance, tiered cultivation, scenario-driven application, curriculum reconstruction, integration of teaching and research, university-government-enterprise collaboration, ethics-first governance, and closed-loop evaluation. The study argues that the enhancement of artificial intelligence literacy among university teachers in Ningbo should not remain at the level of general tool training, but should be oriented toward real teaching, research, and local industrial contexts, enabling teachers to gradually move from simply using artificial intelligence to using it effectively, cautiously, and creatively.