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

这一博士后研究项目计划探索学生在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学习背景下使用基于人工智能的技术工具(如ChatGPT)的情况，并调查学生的身份发展，同时提高他们的科学交流技能，这是所有STEM职业道路的必备能力。ChatGPT等人工智能(AI)技术的出现，正在引发学生在大学空间学习和培养技能以在全球经济中竞争的方式的颠覆。特别是，小规模群体在STEM中的代表性不足是一项持续的挑战，很可能会受到人工智能使用的影响。这些挑战激发了人们对发展新的教学方法中系统性不平等的调查和认识。值得注意的是，目前STEM教育中的文献并没有延伸到学生对人工智能的使用或人工智能在身份发展中的作用。为了改善STEM教育，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，至关重要的是要考虑到来自代表性不足群体的学生的经验。因此，在解决STEM差异和扩大参与方面的一个重要里程碑是为在STEM教与学中使用这些工具的公平教学方法建立一个证据基础。为此，该项目将调查并提供证据，为在科学课程中使用ChatGPT等人工智能学习工具提供指导方针，重点是促进STEM身份发展和利用人工智能公平学生学习。将进行两个定量-定性实验，以确定在交流密集型STEM课程中，科学交流经验如何影响学生的能力、信心和认同发展，学生如何在科学交流中使用人工智能工具，以及这些工具对学生科学认同发展的影响。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的培训。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来评估学生在自信、能力和身份发展方面的经历。提供有关学生如何在STEM内使用人工智能及其对身份发展的影响的更详细信息，将支持STEM课程的积极和持久的变化，并提供对公平的教学功能的洞察，这些功能专门支持STEM中的小规模学生，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(STEM Ed PRF)计划资助，该计划旨在提高STEM、STEM教育、教育和相关学科的新近博士的研究知识、技能和实践，以促进他们从事基础和应用研究，促进该领域知识的进步。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。

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.