"Alexa, Can I Program You?": Student Perceptions of Conversational Artificial Intelligence Before and After Programming Alexa
Project Overview
The document explores the role of generative AI in education, specifically through the use of conversational agents (CAs) like Amazon Alexa in middle and high school settings. It highlights a study that conducted workshops aimed at enhancing students' understanding of AI and shaping their perceptions of CAs. The findings indicate that these workshops significantly altered students' views regarding Alexa's intelligence and fostered a sense of connection with the agent. The document underscores the importance of AI literacy in contemporary education, advocating for thoughtful design considerations when developing CAs for educational use. Furthermore, it promotes a constructionist approach to teaching AI concepts, suggesting that hands-on experiences can deepen students' engagement and understanding of artificial intelligence. Overall, the study illustrates that integrating generative AI tools in educational environments can positively impact student attitudes towards technology and enhance their learning experiences.
Key Applications
Programming Alexa skills using MIT App Inventor
Context: Middle and high school students in AI education workshops at Title I schools
Implementation: Students programmed their own conversational agents as part of a week-long workshop, using visual block-based coding.
Outcomes: Students reported feeling that Alexa was more intelligent and felt closer to it after the workshops. They also used more computer science-related terms to describe AI.
Challenges: The study faced limitations in generalizability and potential fatigue effects on students' responses.
Implementation Barriers
Implementation barrier
The complexity of AI systems may lead to misunderstandings and misperceptions by students.
Proposed Solutions: Design CAs with transparency about their capabilities and limitations, and consider students' levels of understanding.
Engagement barrier
Students might develop an overreliance on the perceived intelligence and trustworthiness of CAs.
Proposed Solutions: Incorporate design considerations such as personification and playfulness while ensuring educational value and critical thinking.
Project Team
Jessica Van Brummelen
Researcher
Viktoriya Tabunshchyk
Researcher
Tommy Heng
Researcher
Contact Information
For information about the paper, please contact the authors.
Authors: Jessica Van Brummelen, Viktoriya Tabunshchyk, Tommy Heng
Source Publication: View Original PaperLink opens in a new window
Project Contact: Dr. Jianhua Yang
LLM Model Version: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18
Analysis Provider: Openai