RAPID: DRL AI: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI for Equity and Access in Robotics Education

在教育机器人的背景下，这个快速项目审查了面向任务的生成性人工智能(AI)工具的教育公平潜力，以帮助完成工程设计中的创造性生产力任务。这个时间敏感的项目将调查如何通过开发和测试虚拟机器人构建游戏中的人工智能机器人设计助手来支持表现较差的学习者。研究将评估面向任务的生成性人工智能工具的设计和实施，并测试生成性人工智能辅助在这一特定背景下缩小公平差距的潜力。这项建议是为了回应尊敬的同事信(DCL)：在正式和非正式环境中迅速加快对K-12教育中人工智能的研究(NSF 23-097)，并由学生和教师创新技术体验计划(ITEST)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，这些项目有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程的知识和兴趣。原型系统开发和基于设计的研究方法将探索初始技术设计空间，并发现和定义基于原型任务辅助人工智能工具的未来研究更具挑战性的问题。成果包括一个未来研究的平台，在第一年可以接触到超过500,000名K-12学生、教育工作者和政策制定者。交叉设计的课堂研究将评估该工具的任务表现和激励效果，测试先前机器人经验较少的学习者是否具有更大的影响，以及在没有该工具的情况下后续表现较差等外围影响。结果将为整个领域开发人工智能工具的努力提供信息，以促进适龄的公平学习，支持对人工智能的兴趣，并以道德、负责和有效的方式将生成性人工智能整合到教育中。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。

In the context of educational robotics, this RAPID project examines the educational equity potential of a task-oriented generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool to assist with creative productivity tasks in engineering design. This time-sensitive project will investigate how to support lower-performing learners through development and testing of an AI robot design assistant in a virtual robot-building game. Research will evaluate the design and implementation of the task-oriented generative AI tool and test the potential of generative AI assistance to close the equity gap in this specific context. This proposal was received in response to the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL): Rapidly Accelerating Research on Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education in Formal and Informal Settings (NSF 23-097) and 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.The prototype system development and design-based research approach will explore the initial technical design space and uncover and define what are the more challenging problems for future research based on the prototype task-assistive AI tool. Outcomes include a platform for future research that could reach over 500,000 K-12 students, educators, and policymakers in its first year. A crossover-design classroom study will assess task performance and motivational effects of the tool, testing for greater impact among learners with lower prior robotics experience, as well as peripheral effects such as poor subsequent performance in the absence of the tool. Results will inform field-wide efforts to develop AI tools for advancing age-appropriate equitable learning, supporting interest in AI, and integrating generative AI in education in an ethical, responsible, and effective way.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.