Middle school Black Girls’ Perspectives on Surveillance: Discourse Shifts in a Critical Machine Learning Project

• In Event: Bridging Gaps: AI and Digital Learning for Diverse Learners

Abstract

This study examines how the discourse of surveillance among middle school black girls shifted through their participation in a critical machine learning (CML) project grounded in sociocultural learning theories and critical discourse analysis. Using a qualitative research design, this study collected data through students' interactions in their classroom. Ordered network analysis (ONA) shows that students initially positioned surveillance as either care or control, but eventually emphasized care as the primary purpose. These findings underscore the importance of integrating critical STEM education allows students to question the technologies they design.

Authors

• Atefeh Behboudi, Vanderbilt University

• Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens, Vanderbilt University