Promoting Middle School Students’ Understanding of AI Ethics Through a Designed AI Curriculum

• In Event: Innovative Pedagogies and Approaches in Engineering and Computing Education

Abstract

This paper provides the design and research of learning activities embedded in an AI curriculum to support middle school students’ understanding of AI ethics. The curriculum was implemented as an online afterschool program and recruited ten students from diverse backgrounds. In the program, students were introduced to various applications of AI in fighting against COVID and engaged in hands-on AI projects to solve problems in that context. Five students had conversations about AI ethics on an assigned topic whether AI technology should be used to check mask-wearing during the COVID pandemic. Based on thematic analysis of their conversations and statistical analysis of their responses in pre and post tests, students showed good understanding of AI ethics in the end.

Authors

• Changzhao Wang, University of Southern California

• Liping Yang, University of Miami