Strand 3
Broadening Participation with Co-Design
An iSAT team member leads partner teachers in a professional learning session.
The foundational question for Strand 3 is: In what ways can inclusive co-design processes empower stakeholders with diverse identities to envision, co-create, critique, and apply AI learning technologies for their schools and comÂmunities? With an emphasis on conceptualizing equity in implementation of AI, expanding forms of classroom engagement, and keeping ethical concerns such as privacy and the unequal distribution of harms at the forefront, Strand 3 plays a critical role in helping to ensure iSAT fulfills its mission to create equitable and socio-collaborative learning experiences for all students. Strand 3’s work in K-12 classrooms over the past 4+ years has amplified the voices of students from all backgrounds to inform the data analysis work of our Strand 1 researchers and the team science and human-computer interaction work of our Strand 2 researchers. Strand 3 focuses on these areas to achieves its goals: Learning Futures Workshop, Curriculum Units and Partnerships with Community Stakeholders.
These are annual workshops consisting of a diverse group of high school students and result in crucial feedback from the participants including what youth want and need our AI Partners to be able to do in the classroom, and—just as important—what they don’t want it to do. These workshops are also used to understand parents’ hopes and concerns around the use of AI in schools.
These units are designed to be used for small group collaboration in the classroom. The intent is to immerse K-12 students in the fundamental concepts of AI, engage in computational thinking, and gather data about the world around them. It also provides our researchers with invaluable data collection. This includes the Moderation unit, Sensor Immersion unit, and Self-Driving Cars unit.
We are constantly working to expand our partnerships both within and beyond Colorado, to ensure that iSAT’s curriculum and AI Partners are being tested in classrooms that are diverse. Our team regularly holds professional learning workshops to train our partner teachers and administrators on our latest curriculum and AI Partners' updates.