Exploring AIFORGOOD Summer Camp Curriculum to Foster Middle School Students' Understanding of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

This study explores the structure of a summer camp curriculum and the development of middle school students' understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Pre-posttests and surveys measuring AI knowledge and attitudes toward AI were analyzed by paired t-tests. Thematic analysis was used to analyze over 30 hours of video footage and student artifacts to examine the integration of curriculum and the development of students' understanding. The curriculum encompassed machine learning (ML), natural language process (NLP), and computer vision (CV), focusing on improving students' understanding of AI through the creation of AI-based artifacts, and mini-projects addressing daily issues faced in homes and schools. The findings revealed that students' overall AI knowledge and attitudes toward AI significantly improved after the intervention. Additionally, students recognized the importance of data quality and quantity in training AI. These findings highlight the positive impact of summer camp curriculum with hands-on experiences, beneficial for fostering middle school students' understanding of AI.