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The Science of Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction

The Science Teacher—March/April 2024 (Volume 91, Issue 2)

By Sandy Watson

Over the past few years, computer science education has expanded globally, including aspects of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in graduate and undergraduate education settings. However, less has been accomplished regarding how to introduce AI to K-12 students. While many K-12 students regularly interact with AI in the form of predictive text, facial recognition, cellphone voice assistants, etc., there has been little effort made by educational researchers regarding how best to introduce K-12 students to AI and help them understand how it works. However, the AI for K-12 Working Group is developing national guidelines for K-12 AI education (Touretzky et al., 2019). AI has become ubiquitous, revolutionizing many of the fields it touches, from medicine to education to the business world, and its capabilities are rapidly expanding along with its role across the globe. AI is applicable across multiple contexts, including K-12 education, and students need to be learning what it is and how it works from a young age so they will be better prepared for a future where AI plays a prominent role. In this article, the author shares three lessons that serve to introduce high school students to artificial intelligence/machine learning.

STEM Technology High School Grade K

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