Teaching high school students to teach machines

Abstract

In this paper we present elements of a learner-centered AI curriculum for high school students that was field-tested in two private high schools. One of these elements is a unit in which students explore the possibilities of machine intelligence and consciousness through readings and hands-on activities. Also presented in the paper is a unit for teaching students about artificial neural networks (ANN) and their application. In this unit students learn to develop and train ANNs through small projects and activities that lead up to an independent research project. Examples of student projects are presented including the application of ANNs for modeling the ozone disinfection of water, the price of real estate as determined by housing features in a local market, and admission into an independent boarding school based upon admissions application data.