Postdoctoral Fellowship: STEMEdIPRF: Exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence in Science Communication: Promoting Identity Development and Equitable Student Learning

这个博士后奖学金研究项目计划探索学生使用基于人工智能的技术工具，如ChatGPT，在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学习的背景下，并调查学生的身份发展，同时提高他们的科学沟通技能，这是所有STEM专业途径的必要能力。人工智能（AI）技术的出现，如ChatGPT，正在扰乱学生在大学学习的方式，并发展在全球经济中竞争的技能。 特别是，STEM中少数群体的代表性不足是一个持续的挑战，可能会受到人工智能使用的影响。这些挑战激发了在发展新的教学和学习方法的过程中对系统性不平等的调查和认识。值得注意的是，目前STEM教育的文献并没有延伸到学生使用AI或AI在身份发展中的作用。为了改善STEM教育并减少STEM差异，该项目将研究人工智能在STEM学习中的使用及其对学生身份发展的影响。此外，在STEM教育和专业背景下开发和使用新的人工智能技术时，必须考虑到来自代表性不足群体的学生的经验。因此，解决STEM差距和扩大参与的一个重要里程碑是为在STEM教学和学习中使用这些工具的公平教学方法建立证据基础。为此，该项目将调查并提供证据，为在科学课程中使用人工智能学习工具（如ChatGPT）提供指导，重点是促进STEM身份发展和公平的学生学习。将进行两个定量定性实验，以确定科学传播的经验如何影响学生的能力，信心和身份发展在通信密集的STEM课程，以及学生如何使用人工智能工具在科学传播，以及这些工具对学生的科学身份发展的影响。定量实验将评估学生作为STEM专业人员和科学传播者的感知科学身份以及学生感知科学传播培训。定性实验将通过写作格式，人工智能的使用，科学写作和科学交流的过程，评估学生的信心，能力和身份发展的经验。提供有关学生如何使用人工智能及其对STEM中身份发展的影响的更详细信息，将支持STEM课程的积极和持久变化，并提供对公平教学功能的深入了解，这些功能专门支持STEM中的少数民族学生，他们的科学身份发展，以及他们获得不断发展的技术。该项目由STEM教育博士后研究奖学金资助（干艾德PRF）计划，旨在提高研究知识，技能，并在干，干教育，教育，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得支持的，使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。

This postdoctoral fellowship research project plans to explore student usage of AI-based technological tools, such as ChatGPT, in the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and investigate students’ identity development while advancing their scientific communication skills, a necessary competency for all STEM professional pathways. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, is sparking disruptions in how students are learning in college spaces and developing skills to compete in a global economy. In particular, the underrepresentation of minoritized groups in STEM is an ongoing challenge and will likely be impacted by the use of AI. These challenges inspire the investigation and awareness of systemic inequities amid the development of new teaching and learning approaches. Notably, the current literature in STEM education does not extend to students’ use of AI or AI’s role in identity development. To improve STEM education and reduce STEM disparities, this project will examine the use of artificial intelligence within STEM learning and its impact on students’ identity development. Moreover, it is vital that the experiences of students from underrepresented groups are taken into account while new AI technology is developed and used in STEM educational and professional contexts. Accordingly, an important milestone in addressing STEM disparities and broadening participation is to develop an evidence base for equitable instructional approaches for the use of these tools in STEM teaching and learning. To this end, this project will investigate and provide evidence to inform guidelines on the use of AI learning tools, such as ChatGPT, in science curricula with a focus on promoting STEM identity development and equitable student learning with AI. Two quantitative-qualitative experiments will be conducted to determine how experiences in science communication impact students’ competencies, confidence, and identity development in a communication-intensive STEM course and how students are using AI tools in scientific communication, and those tools' impact on students' science identity development. The quantitative experiments will assess students’ perceived science identity as STEM professionals and science communicators as well as students’ perceived science communication training. The qualitative experiments will assess students’ experiences with confidence, competency, and identity development through the process of the writing format, use of AI, and scientific writing and science communication. Providing more detailed information on how students use AI and its effects on identity development within STEM will support positive and lasting changes in STEM courses and offer insight into equitable instructional features that specifically support minoritized students in STEM, their science identity development, and their access to evolving technology. This project is funded by the STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) program that aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field.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.