EAGER: AI for All: Engaging the Public with Collaborative Student-Led AI Education

The University of Colorado will engage interdisciplinary groups of college students in creating educational Artificial Intelligence (AI) content for social media. AI literacy is important not just for people studying or working in technical fields, but for everyone. However, not all relevant learning happens in the classroom—especially since in the United States. many K-12 schools still do not have computing courses. Meanwhile, informal learning for young people increasingly takes place on social media, which is also full of myths, misconceptions, and misinformation around AI. Therefore, better public communication around AI is an urgent concern and should involve AI experts who can communicate both about how it works and its limitations. This project seeks to cultivate communication skills in undergraduates and increase the amount of available high quality educational AI content. Through bringing together computing students with knowledge of AI and non-computing students with knowledge of communication and media production, the ultimate goal of this collaborative, creative effort towards public AI education is learning outcomes for both groups of students, as well as the broader public. Student participant-researchers will also be engaged with research bookending the project—needs assessment for young learners at the start and evaluation of educational outcomes at the end. The intellectual outcomes of this project therefore include identification and examination of: (1) AI knowledge gaps and interest points for young people; (2) learning outcomes (for both AI and communication skills) for all students engaged collaboratively in creating content; and (3) pedagogical efficacy of this type of public education content. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.