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Open UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities)

POSITION: RAICA Undergraduate Researcher
START DATE: June 12, 2023
END DATE: August 25, 2023
HOURS: 20-40hr/wk
PAY RATE: $17/hr

RAICA (Responsible AI for Computational Action) designs project-based modules to help students understand the artificial intelligence that is all around them, and empower them to build projects they care about, using AI. To date, RAICA has developed five middle school modules and will be expanding to design high school and elementary school modules. We are part of the MIT RAISE group, with PI’s Dr. Cynthia Breazeal, Dr. Hal Abelson, and Dr. Eric Klopfer to design lessons that teach students from around the world about AI and empower them to take responsible computational action.

Up to 3 UROPs will work closely with the curriculum development team to research the current global landscape of elementary school computer science (CS) and technology. How are students currently acquiring technology skills? Where are there opportunities to learn about AI in elementary school? What CS curricula are already being used? What do teachers wish learning about AI looked like in their classroom? Research methods will include surveys, focus groups, and literature, curriculum, and edtech reviews. As part of the research, UROPs may be asked to prototype student projects using different technologies. The final deliverable will be a report in a slide deck with speaker notes.

Valued skills & knowledge
We understand that UROP’s are an opportunity to learn and grow new skills, so while we don’t have a set list of required skills, a combination of some of the skills and knowledge listed below are preferred.

  • Teaching experience, especially elementary school-aged children
  • Understanding of computational thinking
  • Experience with software development and/or AI tools
  • Willingness to learn and try new things

Complete this Google form to apply.

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Title: Assessment of the Everyday AI teacher professional development program
Estimated Work Hours: 20-40 hours per week
Opportunity Dates: June 5 – September 1st, 2023
Rate: $16 per hour
Overview: MIT STEP Lab is seeking UROPs to collaborate on research to assess the impacts of an AI professional development (PD) program on teachers. This research is being conducted by the National Science Foundation funded Everyday AI (EdAI) project at the MIT STEP Lab. In this project, researchers at MIT and Boston College prepare 40 middle school teachers from school districts in Florida, Illinois, New York, and Virginia to offer the Developing AI Literacy (DAILy) curriculum that interweaves AI concepts, ethics in AI, and AI career awareness. As student researchers, UROPs will investigate how the Everyday AI PD program supports teachers to learn, adopt, modify, and teach the DAILy curriculum in a wide range of settings and how the teachers’ implementation of the curriculum impacts students’ learning.Each UROP student will be responsible for processing observation data (cleaning, organizing, and labeling), and performing quantitative and qualitative analysis (i.e. calculating descriptive statistics, participating in interaction or discourse analysis). The outcome of this research component will be analyses of participating teachers’ learning and enactment of lessons including their pedagogy and learning objectives for students; and associated student learning outcomes. UROP students will have the opportunity to co-author research publications, co-present the research at conferences, and provide recommendations for the field of AI education.
Term: Summer 2023
PI/Faculty Sponsor/Program Director: Eric Klopfer
Contact Email: ksmoore@mit.edu