Hour of Code (HoC) activities primarily focus on perception and machine learning aspects of AI, with limited hands-on engagement and uneven coverage of the five big ideas of AI education.

Objective: To examine how Hour of Code activities engage with the five big ideas of AI, particularly focusing on machine learning and societal impact.

Methods:

• Content analysis of 47 AI-related HoC activities for middle and high school students
• Collaborative coding by three researchers using the five big ideas framework
• Analysis of instructional approaches (hands-on vs. telling)
• Examination of how activities address machine learning concepts and societal impact

Key Findings:

• Of 557 beginner activities, only 38 (6.82%) were labeled as AI-related
• 83.33% of activities focused on perception, followed by learning (75%)
• Limited coverage of natural interaction (41.67%), societal impact (41.67%), and representation/reasoning (13.89%)
• Most activities relied on "telling" rather than hands-on exploration
• Some activities labeled as AI-related did not actually engage with AI concepts
• Only two activities integrated all five big ideas of AI

Implications:

• Need for broader coverage of AI concepts beyond just perception and learning
• Importance of developing more hands-on and collaborative activities
• Need for clearer definition and labeling of AI-related activities
• Opportunity to better integrate societal impact discussions with technical concepts

Limitations:

• Analysis focused only on content rather than actual implementation
• Study examined only publicly available activities
• Limited to middle and high school activities
• Small sample size of AI-related activities

Future Directions:

• Develop more unplugged and collaborative AI activities
• Create tools that make AI concepts more accessible to novices
• Expand beyond data-centric approaches to include learning algorithms
• Better integrate societal impact discussions into technical content
• Design activities that address everyday algorithmic bias encounters

Title and Authors: "What Can Youth Learn About in One Hour? Examining How Hour of Code Activities Address the Five Big Ideas of Artificial Intelligence" by Luis Morales-Navarro, Yasmin B. Kafai, Eric Yang, Asep Suryana

Published On: December 16, 2024

Published By: arXiv