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Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., Glazewski, K., Jeon, M., Jantaraweragul, K., Hmelo-Silver, C. E., Scribner, A., Lee, S., Mott, B., & Lester, J. (2023). Lessons learned for AI education with elementary students and teachers. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 33(2), 267–289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-022-00304-3
Ottenbreit et al. (2023), affiliating with Indiana University and North Carolina State University, investigated how to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) effectively and meaningfully to K-12 students. Like Roll and Wylie (2016), this study was published in the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, a reputable and reliable source for educational technology research. The authors state that introducing AI to K-12 students must ensure they are well-prepared and successful as workers, creators, and innovators. However, the framework of successful AI curricula for K-12 students is multifaceted and complex. Therefore, through a qualitative study, Ottenbreit et al. (2023) aimed to investigate introductory AI concepts to implement in education and co-design AI curricula with support from teachers. Many limitations and gaps in previous frameworks were due to the need for K -12 educators who designed AI curricula. Through this study, the authors utilized a two-phased qualitative research design method, including student interviews and collaborative meetings with teachers. The authors’ interviews with students examined their understanding of AI, while the meetings with teachers explored how they would teach AI to those students. Ottenbreit et al.’s (2023) data analysis show that students associate AI with programming or coding, and teachers recognize the importance of educating students on AI technology. Students demonstrated that they have a gap in understanding AI’s decision-making processes but were able to identify the positive and negative implications of using AI in education. Ottenbreit et al. (2023) argue that designing AI curricula that connect to students’ existing knowledge must be meaningful to students, accessible to teachers, and co-designed with educators. This study provides essential insights into successfully designing an AI curriculum for K-12 education. Although this study focuses on a small sample group of 10 students and three teachers, the information is reliable and provides essential information for successful curriculum development. As this is a more recent field of research, it allows for further studies using Ottenbreit et al.’s (2023) approach with larger sample sizes regarding AI curricular design. This study completed by Ottenbreit et al. (2023) is practical for this research question as it identifies introductory AI concepts, emphasizes the importance of teacher involvement, and acknowledges ethical considerations. (358 words)