AI – Harmful or Helpful?

7-10

https://orion-uploads.openroadmedia.com/md_cc02afb44a93-robbie.jpg

Summary

This activity is part of a series of activities for an introduction to AI course for secondary students. Students will read and view sources of information and think about whether AI is detrimental or beneficial for humanity.

Suggested steps

1. Direct students to various sources of information (news articles, fiction, non-fiction, opinion) about the pros and cons of AI. For example:
   1. The ‘Interesting Engineering’ website https://interestingengineering.com/7-ways-ai-will-help-humanity-not-harm-it
   2. Bernard Marr’s ‘Is artificial intelligence dangerous?’ video https://youtu.be/XVS4Iw8zc88
   3. Eliene Augenbraun’s article about Elon Musk https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-artificial-intelligence-may-be-more-dangerous-than-nukes/
   4. The I, Robot story Robbie by Isaac Asimov https://youtu.be/xA8xj_6Uq7M

2. Students consider how their view on AI has changed or been confirmed.
3. Students submit 1-2 paragraphs summarising their thoughts on a learning management platform such as Canvas

Discussion

• Do students believe that AI may possibly become detrimental rather than helpful to humans ?
• Or do they believe it is impossible for technology to become dangerous to humans?

Why is this relevant?

Tasks such as this are relevant to the Digital Technologies curriculum key concepts of impact and interactions. At its core, Digital Technologies is about people; and so with the rapid pace of exciting hardware and software innovation, time needs to be taken to consider the benefits, both intended and unintended, of new technologies.

Assessment

Assessment will be focused on the students’ ability to critically evaluate the information available to them.

Curriculum links

Links with the Digital Technologies curriculum area

This activity links with other curriculum areas including English (e.g.: persuasive writing) and History (e.g.: primary and secondary sources of information), as well as the general capabilities of Critical and Creative Thinking and Ethical Behaviour

AI Lawn Bowls

7-10

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj6-IKN8r3mAhXIZSsKHfrnBjgQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theurbanlist.com%2Fperth%2Fa-list%2Flawn-bowls-perth&psig=AOvVaw0p01SDmuP2YZVN5bnwqZim&ust=1576713555660506

This lesson is not mine, but taken directly from an article by  Dr Joshua Ho(2018) in Teacher Magazine titled AI classroom activity: Machine Learning. [My comments are in square brackets].

Ho’s lesson can be found at https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/ai-classroom-activity-machine-learning

Summary

Ho’s activity looks at the concept of machine learning and applies it building a lawn bowling robot using Lego EV3

Suggested steps

1. The challenge Ho put to his students was to build a lawn bowling robot so he first explained the game of lawn bowling and how it is similar to a number guessing game he had previously done with them. [Taking students to play a game of lawn bowls at their local RSL/bowls venue would be a great hook].
2. Time was spent building a robotic arm
3. Code from a number guessing game was used as a basis to code the robotic arm with ‘my guess’ being the amount of force the arm uses. [The Digital Technologies for the Australian Curriculum project based learning workbooks by David Grover& Seven Vinton published in 2018 take students step by step coding a number guessing game using Python]
4. Students were given time to ‘train’ their robot for a class competition

Discussion

• Ho’s task stimulates discussion of how AI principles are used to solve practical problems

Why is this relevant?

Tasks such as Ho’s  explore the Digital Technologies curriculum key concepts of algorithms and implementation in a practical and engaging way.

Assessment

Assessment will be focused on the students’ ability to design/modify algorithms

Curriculum links

Links with the Digital Technologies curriculum area