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By Daniel Strain

Artificial intelligence in classrooms could add up to real advances in education

Take a seat in the classroom听of tomorrow鈥攚here intelligent听computers work side-by-side with听groups of students to support their听engagement in meaningful and听productive learning experiences听designed by their teachers.

That鈥檚 the vision of a new $20 million听research collaboration led by CU听Boulder called the U.S. National听Science Foundation (NSF) AI Institute听for Student-AI Teaming. The effort is听exploring the role artificial intelligence听could play in the future of education听and workforce development, especially听in providing new learning opportunities听for students from historically听underrepresented populations.

Sidney D鈥橫ello, an associate听professor in the Institute of Cognitive听Science (ICS) and the Department of听Computer Science, leads the new听institute. The five-year project will听bring together a team of researchers听from nine universities in close听collaboration with two public school听districts and many private companies听and community leaders. It will also听tap researchers from across the CU听Boulder campus.

鈥淲e aim to advance a new science of听teaming,鈥� D鈥橫ello said. 鈥淲e have a lot听of knowledge of what makes effective听human-human teams. The next phase听is understanding what underlies听effective human-agent teams. In our听case, that means students, AI and听teachers working together.鈥�

The project team hopes that its work听will also inspire kids from Colorado听and beyond to get excited about听topics like AI and computer science.

鈥淭his center aligns with our vision听of producing research that quickly听translates into meaningful societal听impact,鈥� said Keith Molenaar, interim听dean of the College of Engineering听and Applied Science.

D鈥橫ello explained that his team鈥檚 work听touches on a problem that鈥檚 familiar to听anyone who鈥檚 set foot inside a K鈥�12听classroom recently.

鈥淩esearchers and educators听have talked about how important听collaboration is to effective learning听for a long time,鈥� D鈥橫ello said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just听really hard to do that in a classroom听because the teacher can鈥檛 be听omnipresent.鈥�

Imagine an intelligent agent that could听follow what groups of students are听talking about, then ask questions or听provide feedback to enhance their听learning. At the same time, the agent听works with teachers, helping them听orchestrate more effective classroom听interactions, such as by providing听summaries of the small group听discussions.

To make such a reality happen, the听new institute focuses on three main听challenges: In the first, researchers听work to develop new advances in the听fundamental science of how machines听process human language, gestures听and emotions.

鈥淥ur AI partner needs to engage听seamlessly with multi-party, studentled听conversations in noisy classroom听settings,鈥� said Martha Palmer, coprincipal听investigator on the project听and professor in the Department of听Linguistics. 鈥淭his poses many novel听challenges for speech recognition听as well as dialogue understanding,听making iSAT the most daunting and听the most exciting project any of us听have ever been involved in.

Next, the team strives to better听understand how students, AI and听teachers can collaborate effectively in听both classrooms and remote learning听contexts. Last, researchers will go to听classrooms in Denver Public Schools听and other school partners to ask听students and teachers to help them听think up new ideas for technologies.听

The idea of intelligent machines in听schools might make some parents听uneasy. The project, however, draws听on an approach to research called听鈥渞esponsible innovation鈥� to develop听tools that schools actually need.

鈥淐ommunity members must be听included from the very beginning听when it comes to designing and听developing technology that will be听deployed in schools鈥攖his includes听involving students, teachers, parents听and other community leaders,鈥澨齭aid Tamara Sumner, who is part of听the new institute鈥檚 leadership team听and the director of ICS, as well as a听professor of computer science.

William Penuel, a member of the听leadership team and professor in the听School of Education, added that AI is听only going to become a bigger part of听our world in the next few decades鈥攕o kids need to know how it works听and how it can work responsibly.

鈥淪tudents need to understand听how AI functions in the world now,听including its potential role in building听a 鈥榮urveillance economy,鈥� and how it听can help communities design together听for a more just future,鈥� he said.