Collaborative Research: Integrating AI Learning into Middle School Science through Natural Language Processing

合作研究：通过自然语言处理将人工智能学习融入中学科学

• 批准号: 2147810
• 负责人: Kristy Boyer
• 金额: $ 74.62万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-05-01 至 2025-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2147810&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Integrating; AI; Learning

This project responds to the growing recognition that learners of all ages should have the opportunity to engage with and learn about artificial intelligence (AI). Of AI's many subfields, natural language processing (NLP) is one of the fastest growing. NLP focuses on how to automatically understand spoken or textual data, and billions of these textual or spoken exchanges are recorded online every day. Historically, using NLP required extensive coding expertise and a deep understanding of machine learning, but recent advances and work by the project team have laid the foundation for bringing authentic, situated NLP learning into middle school classrooms. The project foregrounds how to teach NLP with ethics and ethical reasoning applied to relevant local issues and will investigate how to integrate AI learning through NLP into middle school science on weather systems and cycles through problem-based learning. The research team will carry out participatory co-design with teachers and will provide potentially transformative experiences to twelve teachers and over one thousand students, leveraging existing partnerships within a multi-district, two-state effort in Florida, and Indiana in diverse schools with approximately 50% African-American students and the majority of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.Researchers will investigate the ways in which teacher professional development and participatory co-design can be tailored to support teachers' competencies and sense of preparedness to bring authentic, problem-based NLP experiences into science classrooms. For students, the project’s hypothesis is that these innovative experiences will foster competencies and attitudes toward STEM careers. The project is guided by the following research questions. (1) (a) What aspects of participatory co-design are helpful for supporting science teachers' development of AI education and NLP proficiencies? (b) In what ways can existing professional development strategies support AI-integrated science learning? (c) What new strategies emerge throughout the process? (2) (a) What kinds of AI-integrated science learning activities emerge from participatory co-design with teachers? (b) What specific adaptations are necessary to ensure activities are personally, locally, and culturally relevant for students? (3) How does integrated NLP and science support learner competencies (knowledge and skills in NLP and science) and ethical reasoning?; and (4) How does integrated NLP and science support students in establishing high quality engagement and fostering positive attitudes toward STEM careers (interest, identity, and intention to persist)? The project will investigate these questions using a mixed-methods design: qualitative data from teachers and students will include narrative accounts, observations of teaching practices, and interviews with teachers about their preparedness and self-efficacy for teaching AI-integrated science; quantitative data will include knowledge and skills assessments for AI-integrated science administered to both teachers and students. The project's deliverables will include (1) empirical findings from the above research questions and (2) an innovative NLP curriculum integrated into NGSS standards-aligned middle school science. The curriculum will be the outcome of iterative refinement over three years of the project through co-design with teachers. This curriculum, accompanying materials, and learning environment will be made publicly and freely available.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目响应了越来越多的认识，即所有年龄段的学习者都应该有机会参与和学习人工智能（AI）。在人工智能的许多子领域中，自然语言处理（NLP）是增长最快的领域之一。NLP专注于如何自动理解口语或文本数据，每天有数十亿的文本或口语交流被记录在网上。从历史上看，使用NLP需要广泛的编码专业知识和对机器学习的深刻理解，但项目团队的最新进展和工作为将真实的NLP学习带入中学课堂奠定了基础。该项目突出了如何将伦理和伦理推理应用于相关的地方问题来教授NLP，并将研究如何通过基于问题的学习将人工智能学习整合到关于天气系统和周期的中学科学中。研究团队将与教师开展参与式共同设计，并将为12名教师和1000多名学生提供潜在的变革性经验，利用佛罗里达和印第安纳州多个地区、两个州的现有合作伙伴关系，在不同的学校中，大约50%的非裔美国学生和大多数学生有资格享受免费或减少午餐。该项目由学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）计划资助，该计划支持建立对实践，计划元素，背景和过程的理解的项目，有助于增加学生对科学，技术，工程，信息和通信技术（ICT）研究人员将调查教师专业发展和参与式共同设计的方式，以支持教师的能力和准备感，将真实的，基于问题的NLP经验带入科学课堂。对于学生来说，该项目的假设是，这些创新的经验将培养能力和对STEM职业的态度。该项目以下列研究问题为指导。(1)（a）参与式共同设计的哪些方面有助于支持科学教师发展人工智能教育和NLP专业？(b)现有的专业发展策略可以通过哪些方式支持AI整合的科学学习？(c)在整个过程中会出现哪些新的战略？(2)（a）与教师共同参与设计会产生哪些人工智能整合的科学学习活动？(b)有哪些具体的调整是必要的，以确保活动是个人，当地和文化相关的学生？(3)自然语言处理和科学的综合如何支持学习者的能力（自然语言处理和科学的知识和技能）和伦理推理？以及（4）NLP和科学的整合如何支持学生建立高质量的参与和培养对STEM职业的积极态度（兴趣，身份和坚持的意图）？该项目将使用混合方法设计来调查这些问题：教师和学生的定性数据将包括叙述性描述，教学实践的观察，以及对教师的采访，了解他们对教授人工智能综合科学的准备和自我效能;定量数据将包括对教师和学生进行的人工智能综合科学的知识和技能评估。该项目的成果将包括（1）上述研究问题的实证结果和（2）一个创新的NLP课程整合到NGSS标准一致的中学科学。该课程将是通过与教师共同设计，在三年多的项目中反复完善的结果。该课程、附带材料和学习环境将公开和免费提供。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

项目成果

Integrating Natural Language Processing in Middle School Science Classrooms: An Experience Report

将自然语言处理融入中学科学课堂：经验报告

• DOI: 10.1145/3626252.3630881
• 发表时间: 2024
• 期刊: Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE
• 作者: Katuka, Gloria Ashiya;Chakraburty, Srijita;Lee, Hyejeong;Dhama, Sunny;Earle-Randell, Toni;Celepkolu, Mehmet;Boyer, Kristy Elizabeth;Glazewski, Krista;Hmelo-Silver, Cindy;Mcklin, Tom
• 通讯作者: Mcklin, Tom

NLP4Science: Designing a Platform for Integrating Natural Language Processing in Middle School Science Classrooms

NLP4Science：设计一个将自然语言处理融入中学科学课堂的平台

• DOI: 10.1109/vl-hcc57772.2023.00050
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC
• 作者: Dhama, S.;Katuka, G.;Celepkolu, M.;Boyer, K.E.;Glazewski, K.;Hmelo-Silver, C.
• 通讯作者: Hmelo-Silver, C.