Abstract
Teachers are critical to a successful democratic AI curriculum. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become so powerful it is feared. Over 2022 - 2023, teacher-researcher work facilitated AI education in a secondary female-only STEM classroom. Three Participatory Action Research (PAR) cycles of plan-act-observe-reflect uncover classroom dynamics and factors affecting student learning and engagement. Ten secondary students (13 – 17 yo), three STEM teachers, an AI teacher-researcher and five Victoria University (VU) Cyber Security experts produced guidelines for innovative AI pedagogy and coin the pedagogy ‘AI OUR WAY’. Interpretivist thematic qualitative analysis of student work artefacts, student drawings, focus group discussions, teacher interviews and researcher diary notes reveal value in (i) using AI robotics, (ii) excursions to technical settings and science and technology fairs, (iii) female only classes, (iv) female STEM professional role-model guest speakers, (v) student-centred democratic classroom practice, (vi) constructionism ideology and (vii) trusting relationships between students and teachers and between teachers, free from the pressure of competitive assessment grades. We also bring juxtaposing data from research into the use of gamification and gaming technology in secondary and tertiary school settings in China to broaden the canvas of effective traits and characteristics of the merged research in new technologies, social and cultural transformation, doctoral methodology and AI education.
Presenters
Alison Mc GregorUnit Chair and Teaching Academic , College of Arts, Business, Education, Engineering & IT, Victoria University, Victoria, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2024 Special Focus—People, Education, and Technology for a Sustainable Future
KEYWORDS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AI PEDAGOGY, PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH
