RAPID: DRL AI: Non-digital Hands-on AI Learning Resources for Middle-School Students

年轻的学习者需要有机会围绕AI建立批判性的意识。为了迅速扩大对人工智能教育的包容性，K-12教育工作者需要开展以下活动：（a）成本低，（B）不需要专门技术，（c）可以在对人工智能知之甚少的情况下领导，并在时间限制和竞争课程需求的环境中使用，（d）具有明确的学习目标和跨学科的联系。“不插电”活动是有趣的，实践的学习经验，促进学习人工智能没有编程可以解决这些限制。该项目将创建一个不插电活动的公共存储库，以促进中学生对人工智能的适龄理解。其目的是扩大获得人工智能教育的机会，特别是对于在STEM中代表性不足的学习者。本提案是对亲爱的同事信（DCL）的回应：在正式和非正式环境中迅速加速对K-12教育中阿尔蒂智力的研究（NSF 23-097），并由学生和教师创新技术经验（ITEST）计划资助，该计划支持建立对实践，计划要素，背景和过程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。项目团队将探讨三个关键研究问题：1）我们如何设计一套不插电的活动，使青少年学习者能够通过他们自己的身体和身份的透镜学习人工智能？2)青少年和教育工作者如何看待不插电式人工智能扫盲活动？3）不插电活动是否有效地培养了中学生的人工智能素养，特别是当它与人工智能对他们生活的影响有关时？研究人员将参与基于迭代设计的研究，开发多达15个不插电的活动，这些活动涵盖各种人工智能素养学习目标和相关的跨学科联系。研究设计包括与20至30名成年人的访谈，包括教师，家长和课后小组领导人以及20至30名参与活动的青少年和其他反馈。青少年还将完成一个回顾性的后测试，以评估学习。该项目将提供一个人工智能扫盲活动的开源资源库，并将在家长和教育工作者中广泛传播。此外，该项目将有助于以证据为基础的理解不插电资源是否以及如何支持青少年学习人工智能，包括可用于指导未来干预的设计建议。这项工作将产生关于青少年通过身体和个人身份的透镜学习人工智能的新理论。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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而被认为值得支持。

Young learners need opportunities to build critical awareness surrounding AI. To rapidly expand inclusive access to AI education, K-12 educators need activities that (a) are low-cost, (b) do not require specialized technology, (c) can be led with little prior knowledge of AI and used in settings with time constraints and competing curricular needs, and (d) have clear learning objectives and tie-ins across disciplines. “Unplugged” activities that are playful, hands-on learning experiences that foster learning about AI without programming can address these constraints. This project will create a public repository of unplugged activities for fostering middle school aged youth’s age-appropriate understanding of AI. The aim is to broaden access to AI education, especially for learners underrepresented in STEM. 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 project team will explore three key research questions: 1) how can we design a set of unplugged activities that empower young adolescent learners to learn about AI through the lens of their own bodies and identities?; 2) How do adolescents and educators perceive unplugged AI literacy activities?; and 3) Are unplugged activities effective at fostering middle-school learners’ AI literacy, especially as it relates to AI’s impact on their lives? Researchers will engage in iterative design-based research to develop up to 15 unplugged activities that span a variety of AI literacy learning objectives and relevant cross-disciplinary connections. Research design includes interviews with 20 to 30 adults including teachers, parents, and after-school group leaders as well as 20-30 teens who will engage with the activities and offer feedback. Teens will additionally complete a retrospective post-test to assess learning. This project will contribute an open-source repository of AI literacy activities that will be widely disseminated amongst parents and educators. In addition, this project will contribute an evidence-based understanding of whether and how unplugged resources can support young adolescents’ learning about AI, including design recommendations that can be used to guide future interventions. This work will result in new theories about the ways in which adolescents learn about AI through their bodies and the lens of their personal identities.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.