Broader Impact Projects

About

In an effort to make a broader impact (as defined here by the National Science Foundation), our lab has been exploring different formats for disseminating research into PreK-12 school systems through educational outreach and professional development opportunities for classroom teachers. Specifically, we have designed workshops to present research findings through guided activities, interactive simulations, and collaborative discussions with the aim to seed new curricular ideas that promote AI literacy in practice. Our goals are to support CS education by: (1) fostering a direct exchange between researchers and educators, and (2) providing authentic resources that can be adapted across disciplinary subjects (see Translating Research on Emerging Technologies for Educators and Engaging Educators in Emerging Technology Research for further background about this work). Within the lab, Dr. Cassandra Kelley, Deniz Sonmez Unal, and Sarina Saran work on these projects. 

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Teacher Takeaways

If you are a teacher, you might consider how elements of these activities could be remixed/adapted for use with other educators for professional learning or with students in the classroom. This might be as simple as integrating one of the technology tools or simulations shared within a lesson; it could also be extended into a project-based learning (PBL) lesson or unit where students can explore the role of a researcher by completing the activities and engaging in further discussion. Alternatively, perhaps these activities can inspire new ways of thinking about bringing in real-world application of CS and AI within other classroom contexts, which you can design.

 

Researcher Takeaways

If you are a researcher, you could find this model of dissemination relevant for sharing your work broadly across different practices. We are also in the process of writing up findings from our study about PreK-12 educators' perspectives on the formats for how STEM/CS education research is disseminated in professional development (PD) programs and their reflections on the impacts that these methods might have on their practice, which might offer further insight into the potential value of these efforts.​ 

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