Introducing ReadyAI’s PBL Program at CITERS 2023
CITERS 2023 Overview
In the past month, our team at ReadyAI presented our latest research proposal at the Centre for Information Technology in Education Research Symposium (CITERS) in Hong Kong. The theme for this year’s annual symposium is “Empowering Communities and Transforming Learning.” The 5 sub-themes cover topics of AI application in class, technology-supported teaching and learning, innovative curriculum design, culture of AI education, and assessment in learning outcomes.
CITERS 2023 brought together students, researchers, and educators in learning technologies to exchange insights and empower each other. The fourth subtheme — Culture, Technology, and Learning — specifically addressed underrepresented communities in AI education. It called for practitioners’ attention to devising culturally responsive curriculum and teaching practices. Our research project was submitted under this category.
Project Summary
Our paper is entitled “Closing the Gap: Exploring the Gendered Impact of Project-Based AI Learning on Students’ Self-Efficacy, Career Interest, and AI Content Knowledge.” This proposal is a summary of our past PBL project at Union Area School. We sampled 104 middle school students who participated in our Fresh Squeeze learning program. We used a quantitative and non-experimental method to analyze the data collected from pre- and post-program surveys. We found that all students significantly improved their self-efficacy in excelling in AI-related courses. They also demonstrated more interest in a career in AI after the program. Finally, they all learned more about AI and data literacy.
Although the data did not show a significant difference between boys and girls, we believed the gendered impact still existed as a result of lurking variables. For instance, our program was led by strong female role models. This means teachers’ gender could potentially play a part in students’ in-class performance. Peer influence and internalized stereotypes could also implicitly impact students’ efficacy level along the gender line. Our future research will refine our methods by including qualitative data, conducting longitudinal studies, and setting up benchmarks. Overall, our research confirmed the PBL program’s numerous merits in students’ academic and sociocognitive development. We will also continue probing into the gendered (and intersectional) aspects of AI education.
Our Teamwork
Our participation in CITERS 2023 would not have succeeded without our teamwork. From the drafting process to the presentation preparation, our team maintained seamless communication despite working from different parts of the world. The three of us organized meetings to discuss the revisions based on the reviewers’ feedback, as well as planning on the logistics of conference attendance. We stayed close via email to answer each others’ questions and to share the documents for our poster design. One week before Erica and Haotian left for Hong Kong, we held an online meeting to rehearse the presentation. We prepared tentative Q&A prompts so that we could articulate our research objectives and findings to the audience. Our cooperation and organization ensured our paper was polished and our participation went on smoothly.
CITERS 2023 Experience
At CITERS 2023, our team successfully presented our research work. The poster presentation was well-received, prompting intriguing discussions and insightful feedback that would guide our future endeavors.
The conference was a rewarding platform that provided us with valuable networking opportunities and prospects for future collaborations. Several researchers and professors from renowned institutions such as The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong expressed interest in our work and suggested possible collaborations. Moreover, our informative interactions with local K-12 educators offered insights into the teaching experience in Hong Kong and helped us understand potential market opportunities more effectively.
In addition, the symposium presented a wealth of learning experiences. By attending presentations from other professionals in the education community, our team was able to keep pace with current trends in education research. This experience broadened our understanding of the field and sparked a plethora of new ideas for our future K-12 AI projects.
Final Thoughts (Future Work)
Building on our findings from the CITERS 2023 work and presentation, we have charted out the following avenues for future work:
1. Enhanced Methodologies: To better understand the gendered impact on AI learning outcomes, we will refine our research methods by incorporating qualitative data, such as interviews and observations. This will provide a more holistic understanding of students’ learning experiences and potentially uncover variables that quantitative data may overlook.
2. Longitudinal Studies: To evaluate the long-term impact of our AI PBL program, we will conduct longitudinal studies. By tracking students’ progress over time, we hope to discern any enduring effects on their self-efficacy, career interest, and AI knowledge assessment. This long-term perspective will give us insights into the program’s persistent impact and its potential role in shaping students’ future career paths.
3. Benchmarks: To ensure that our work aligns with industry and academic standards, we will set up related benchmarks for AI education. These benchmarks will not only help evaluate our progress but also provide a roadmap for other educational institutions interested in similar programs.
4. Collaborations: The interest expressed by various educators and researchers at CITERS 2023 has opened up avenues for potential collaborations. We aim to partner with these individuals and institutions to create a robust network that promotes AI education. These collaborations could range from joint research projects to sharing of resources and best practices.
5. Intersectionality in AI Education: Recognizing that gender is just one aspect of a student’s identity, we plan to extend our research to consider intersectional factors such as race, socioeconomic status, and culture. By doing so, we aim to design more inclusive and accessible AI education programs.
6. Expansion of AI PBL Program: Building on the positive feedback and the promising results from our research, we plan to expand our AI PBL program to more schools and communities. Our goal is to reach out to underrepresented groups and contribute to a more diverse and equitable AI community.
If you are interested in our work and would like to collaborate or learn more about our programs and initiatives, feel free to visit our website at www.readyai.org or email us at info@readyai.org for more information. We look forward to potential partnerships and furthering the conversation on AI education.
Erica Hooshi is an undergraduate student majoring in Chemistry at Yale University (BS Intensive program) and is entering her Junior year. At Yale she is in a Computational Organic Chemistry Research Lab. She plans on attending Medical School and eventually tying in medicine with AI and technology. She has always believed that AI is the future. This was her first project with ReadyAI and she looks forward to continuing working on multiple projects.
Haotian Fang is an undergraduate majoring in Philosophy of Science and Computer Science at University of Pittsburgh. His research interest encompasses Transparency and Trust in AI Systems, Phenomenology, and Cognitive Science. He has worked on multiple projects about K-12 AI Education with ReadyAI, and led the WAICY (World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth) in 2020 and 2021.
Shuhan Li is a masters student at Teachers College, Columbia University. She currently studies International and Comparative Education. Shuhan also had an undergraduate degree in Economics and Social & Cultural Analysis at New York University. Shuhan specializes in educational research and transnational activism. Her research encompasses AI education, diversity and inclusion, intersectional politics, and sustainable development. She presented at EAAI 2023 with Jordan Mroziak about critical pedagogy for K-12 CS education. With ReadyAI, Shuhan has two research papers accepted as posters in the CITERS and AIED conferences. Shuhan is also the project manager at a start-up NGO for climate justice.
