Collaborative Research: Learning probability through AI problem-solving in a Game-based Environment

了解概率在日常生活中是必不可少的。概率推理不仅对人们的决策至关重要，对人工智能(AI)也是如此。人工智能设置了一个现代的背景，将概率概念与现实生活中的情况联系起来。它还提供了独特的互惠学习机会，可以促进学生对人工智能系统和概率推理的理解。该项目旨在改善目前高中概率教育的实践，并设计人工智能问题解决方案，将概率和人工智能概念联系起来。在基于游戏的环境中，学生学习和练习应用概率理论，同时探索基于概率的人工智能算法来解决与他们有意义和相关的问题。该项目具有巨大的潜力，可以促进我们关于如何支持年轻人获得知识，同时针对概率的误解，以及解决帮助国家的年轻人学习人工智能基础的迫切需求。该项目将在洛杉矶联合学区以东的当地地区的教室进行试点。通过与南加州大学维特比K-12 STEM中心的合作，该项目计划广泛传播技术和成果，包括基于游戏的学习环境和教师专业发展资源。该项目旨在通过研究和开发基于游戏的学习环境，利用技术支持的学习来改善目前高中数学教育的实践。该项目将聘请教师作为联合设计师，基于高中概率课程开发人工智能问题解决方案，并通过认知面试研究反复优化问题设计。在这些研究提炼出的教学指导方针和支架策略的基础上，该项目将开发一个基于游戏的学习环境，指导学生进行基于问题解决的学习，解决学生对概率的误解，让他们沉浸在与学生兴趣一致的情景中，并反映出可以应用概率概念和人工智能算法的现实生活中的情景。通过一系列试点研究和扩大研究，该项目将反复优化基于游戏的学习环境，并收集证据，通过客观表现、动机和迁移来衡量学生如何和如何通过游戏学习。此外，该项目将通过专业发展研讨会和试点研究收集教师的反馈，以了解教师如何在课堂教学中使用该游戏。该项目由美国国家科学基金会教育与人力资源局的探索研究预科-12(DRK-12)计划支持。DRK-12旨在通过研究和开发创新的资源、模式和工具，显著提高K-12学前班学生和教师的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发努力的基础上，这些研究和开发工作为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验证明。该项目也是由学生和教师创新技术体验计划(ITEST)共同资助的，该计划支持的项目是建立对实践、计划要素、背景和过程的理解，有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)以及信息和通信技术(ICT)职业的知识和兴趣。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Understanding probability is essential for daily life. Probabilistic reasoning is critical in decision making not only for people but also for artificial intelligence (AI). AI sets a modern context to connect probability concepts to real-life situations. It also provides unique opportunities for reciprocal learning that can advance student understanding of both AI systems and probabilistic reasoning. This project aims to improve the current practice of high school probability education and to design AI problem-solving to connect probability and AI concepts. Set in a game-based environment, students learn and practice applying probability theory while exploring the world of probability-based AI algorithms to solve problems that are meaningful and relevant to them. The project holds significant potential for advancing our knowledge on how to support youth in gaining knowledge while targeting misconceptions of probability, as well as addressing the urgent need of helping the nation’s youth learn the fundamentals of AI. The project will be piloted in classrooms in the Local District East of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Through a partnership with the Viterbi K-12 STEM Center at the University of Southern California, the project plans for broad dissemination of the technology and findings, including the game-based learning environment and teacher professional development resources. The project aims to use technology-supported learning to improve current practice in high school math education through research and development of a game-based learning environment. The project will engage teachers as co-designers to develop AI problem-solving based on the high school probability curriculum, and iteratively refine the problem design through cognitive interview studies. Building on the instructional guidelines and scaffolding strategies distilled from these studies, the project will develop a game-based learning environment that will guide students through problem-solving based learning, address students’ misconceptions in probability, immerse them in scenarios aligned with the interests of the students and mirror those in real-life where the probability concepts and AI algorithms can be applied. Through a series of pilot studies and scaled-up studies, the project will iteratively refine the game-based learning environment and gather evidence of how and how well students learn through the game, measured through objective performance, motivations, and transfer. Additionally, the project will gather feedback from the teachers through professional development workshops and pilot studies, to understand how teachers use the game in classroom teaching. This project is supported by NSF's Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program, in the Directorate for Education & Human Resources. DRK-12 seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. This project is also co-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.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.