AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula
Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many industries and becoming increasingly ubiquitous in everyday life. To empower children growing up with AI to navigate society’s evolving sociotechnical context, we developed three middle school AI literacy curricula: Creativ...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer New York
2022
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/144260 |
| _version_ | 1826188228314529792 |
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| author | Williams, Randi Ali, Safinah Devasia, Nisha DiPaola, Daniella Hong, Jenna Kaputsos, Stephen P. Jordan, Brian Breazeal, Cynthia |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory Williams, Randi Ali, Safinah Devasia, Nisha DiPaola, Daniella Hong, Jenna Kaputsos, Stephen P. Jordan, Brian Breazeal, Cynthia |
| author_sort | Williams, Randi |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many industries and becoming increasingly ubiquitous in everyday life. To empower children growing up with AI to navigate society’s evolving sociotechnical context, we developed three middle school AI literacy curricula: Creative AI, Dancing with AI, and How to Train Your Robot. In this paper we discuss how we leveraged three design principles—active learning, embedded ethics, and low barriers to access – to effectively engage students in learning to create and critique AI artifacts. During the summer of 2020, we recruited and trained in-service, middle school teachers from across the United States to co-instruct online workshops with students from their schools. In the workshops, a combination of hands-on unplugged and programming activities facilitated students’ understanding of AI. As students explored technical concepts in tandem with ethical ones, they developed a critical lens to better grasp how AI systems work and how they impact society. We sought to meet the specified needs of students from a range of backgrounds by minimizing the prerequisite knowledge and technology resources students needed to participate. Finally, we conclude with lessons learned and design recommendations for future AI curricula, especially for K-12 in-person and virtual learning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T07:56:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/144260 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T07:56:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Springer New York |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1442602023-12-06T21:18:40Z AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula Williams, Randi Ali, Safinah Devasia, Nisha DiPaola, Daniella Hong, Jenna Kaputsos, Stephen P. Jordan, Brian Breazeal, Cynthia Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many industries and becoming increasingly ubiquitous in everyday life. To empower children growing up with AI to navigate society’s evolving sociotechnical context, we developed three middle school AI literacy curricula: Creative AI, Dancing with AI, and How to Train Your Robot. In this paper we discuss how we leveraged three design principles—active learning, embedded ethics, and low barriers to access – to effectively engage students in learning to create and critique AI artifacts. During the summer of 2020, we recruited and trained in-service, middle school teachers from across the United States to co-instruct online workshops with students from their schools. In the workshops, a combination of hands-on unplugged and programming activities facilitated students’ understanding of AI. As students explored technical concepts in tandem with ethical ones, they developed a critical lens to better grasp how AI systems work and how they impact society. We sought to meet the specified needs of students from a range of backgrounds by minimizing the prerequisite knowledge and technology resources students needed to participate. Finally, we conclude with lessons learned and design recommendations for future AI curricula, especially for K-12 in-person and virtual learning. 2022-08-08T12:19:41Z 2022-08-08T12:19:41Z 2022-08-01 2022-08-07T03:12:15Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/144260 Williams, Randi, Ali, Safinah, Devasia, Nisha, DiPaola, Daniella, Hong, Jenna et al. 2022. "AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula." PUBLISHER_CC en https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-022-00298-y Creative Commons Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Author(s) application/pdf Springer New York Springer New York |
| spellingShingle | Williams, Randi Ali, Safinah Devasia, Nisha DiPaola, Daniella Hong, Jenna Kaputsos, Stephen P. Jordan, Brian Breazeal, Cynthia AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula |
| title | AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula |
| title_full | AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula |
| title_fullStr | AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula |
| title_full_unstemmed | AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula |
| title_short | AI + Ethics Curricula for Middle School Youth: Lessons Learned from Three Project-Based Curricula |
| title_sort | ai ethics curricula for middle school youth lessons learned from three project based curricula |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/144260 |
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