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

年轻学习者需要机会来建立围绕人工智能的批判性意识。为了迅速扩大包容性的人工智能教育机会，K-12教育工作者需要开展以下活动：(A)低成本，(B)不需要专门技术，(C)可以在几乎没有人工智能先验知识的情况下进行指导，并在有时间限制和相互竞争的课程需求的情况下使用，以及(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、亲身实践的学习体验，可以促进在不编程的情况下学习人工智能，可以解决这些限制。该项目将创建一个公共活动储存库，以培养中学年龄段青年对人工智能的适龄理解。其目的是扩大接受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。这份建议书是根据《亲爱的同事来信：在正规和非正式环境中迅速加速对K-12教育中的艺术智能的研究》(NSF23-097)，并由学生和教师创新技术体验计划(fi)资助的，该计划支持建立对实践、计划要素、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、该项目团队将探索三个关键的研究问题：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镜头来学习人工智能？2)青少年和教育工作者如何看待不插电的人工智能素养活动？3)不插电的活动是否有助于培养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？(ff)研究人员将从事基于迭代设计的研究，以开发最多15项不插电的活动，这些活动跨越各种人工智能素养学习目标和相关的跨学科联系。研究设计包括对20-30名成年人的访谈，包括教师、家长和课后小组组长，以及20-30名将参与活动和ffer反馈的青少年。青少年还将完成一项回顾的后测，以评估学习情况。该项目将贡献一个开放源码的人工智能扫盲活动储存库，将在家长和教育工作者中广泛传播。此外，该项目将有助于基于证据的理解，了解未连接的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如何通过他们的身体和个人身份的镜头学习人工智能的新理论。这一奖项反映了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。

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.