Youth Matters
Featured Intelligent Chatbots for Positive Reinforcement in Young Learners
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Francisca Onaolapo Oladipo
The research leveraged on the affordances of mobile devices in Nigeria to build conversational agents that interact with kids living in Refugee Camps in Northeast Nigeria. In this paper, I discuss the development of an interactive chatbot trained with the corpus of three local Nigerian Languages (Hausa, Fulfude, and Kanuri) and English (with translations both ways) to stimulate conversations, deliver tailored contents to the users thereby aiding in the detection of jihadist radicalization giveaways in young children through data analysis of the games moves and vocabularies. The study shows how the chatbot can tell the degree of radicalization in an individual and tailor the contents towards such user's need. The chatbot is also being used for secure communications and as a natural communications framework for teaching local languages to non-native humanitarian aid workers.
Human “Power Skills” for Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and Innovation in Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Insights from Student Feedback View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Eva Švejdarová
This paper presents a data-driven analysis of an intensive interdisciplinary course aimed at nurturing unique human "power skills" critical for success in the 21st century. The research draws insights from student feedback to assess the effectiveness and impact of developing these essential competencies. The course design centered on cultivating human-centric abilities, emphasizing a holistic approach to problem-solving and innovation. The surveys revealed significant improvement in students' understanding and application of these competencies. Key aspects included systems thinking, empowering students to perceive challenges comprehensively, and identifying interconnectedness within the educational ecosystem. This led to the formulation of more effective and sustainable solutions. The entrepreneurship component equipped students with the confidence and know-how to identify opportunities within the education industry. Many students expressed a deepening of creativity, adaptability, and ethical practices. Sustainability exploration resonated deeply with students, fostering heightened awareness of environmental, social, and economic dimensions. As a result, students integrated sustainability principles into their innovative solutions, focusing on a long-term positive impact. Innovation, as a driving force, encouraged students to challenge norms and think creatively. Post-course reflections indicated a significant shift in students' mindset, embracing curiosity and experimentation for continuous improvement in education. The data collected from student feedback underscores the significance of human "power skills" for success. Emphasizing entrepreneurship, sustainability, systems thinking, and innovation enriched students' abilities to address complex challenges and drive positive change. These insights hold valuable implications for their future, fostering these distinctive human competencies and empowering individuals to create a sustainable and innovative educational ecosystem.
Meta's "Facebook Files" What It Knew About Negative Effects of Social Media on Young Girls View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Don Sciglimpaglia
In 2021, a former employee of Meta Inc. leaked thousands of confidential documents from the company in what became known as “The Facebook Files”. The documents included a slideshow titled “Teen Mental Health Deep Dive”, which showed internal research based on surveys in the US and in the UK regarding the mental health issues of teenagers and how Instagram may affect them. It also revealed internal discussions about the potential impact on the mental health of young users balanced against the company’s fight with rival social media apps for these consumers. Apps that employ graphics, photos and video are often more appealing to the youngest users. Facing heavy competition from Snapchat and TikTok, Meta sought to build products that could help funnel preteens onto the main Instagram platform and ultimately Facebook. Internal research determined that Instagram could cause damaging negative social comparisons among teens. Importantly, it can exacerbate body image issues among those struggling with the issue, especially young women. Our research set out to evaluate the extent to which Meta’s internal research results can be corroborated and to determine the extent of negative consequences of social media use by teenage girls. We report on the results of a nationwide survey of 392 girls between the ages of 13 and 18 regarding their social media use and concerns.
Enhancing Students’ Digital, Socio-scientific and Multiliteracies with Open Schooling Practices: A Study in Brazilian and British Schools in the Context of the CONNECT Project View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Cíntia Rabello, Tony Sherborne, Alexandra Okada
This study conducts a comparative analysis of two educational frameworks: the CARE-KNOW-DO model (Okada & Sherborne, 2018), designed for Open Schooling practices in Sustainability Education, and the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies (Cope; Kalantzis, 2000; Kalantzis, Cope & Pinheiro, 2020). The primary objectives are: (1) to identify common elements between these frameworks, and (2) to explore how their integration can enhance interdisciplinary practices in schools, particularly in the context of environmental protection. The research methodology includes content analysis of both frameworks and their application in interpreting the open schooling practices of the CONNECT project, which was implemented in Brazilian and British public schools during 2020-2021, focusing on Rewilding to enhance Biodiversity. The study specifically examines the CONNECT project's self-reported semi-structured questionnaires with students and teachers to assess learning outcomes. The results reveal that the CARE-KNOW-DO model and the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies, despite originating from different academic domains (science learning for sustainable development and language teaching for effective communication respectively), exhibit numerous shared characteristics. Integrating these frameworks can help teachers identify both the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary educational practices aimed at sustainability, equity, and responsible citizenship. The study identifies key benefits, particularly increased student engagement and participation in decision-making, including the development of language, information, scientific and media literacies. Yet, it highlights challenges, notably among low-achieving students, in effectively developing and communicating evidence-based arguments, pointing to a need for further support and development in these areas.
