As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is involving and shaping personal and professional lives, there is a critical need to nurture and prepare AI-enabled problem-solvers. The App-a-Thon program is designed for a six-week that introduces students the foundational knowledge and essential skills to develop innovative solutions with AI responsibly. Our study utilized the convergent mixed-method design to evaluate the impact of the App-a-Thon program on students’ learning outcomes and shifting attitudes in AI perspectives. Quantitative data showed the shifting students’ overall perspectives in AI literacy with large effect size. The qualitative data based on students’ interview showed the awareness to apply technical skills to solve real world problems. The program showed the impact of the computational action approach to tackle authentic challenges.
Zhen Wu Computer Science Department, University of Pittsburgh, Amanda Buddemeyer Learning Research & Development Center and School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh, Erin Walker University of Pittsburgh, Angela Stewart Computer Science Department, University of Pittsburgh
Xiaoxue Du MIT Media Lab, Robert Parks Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Selim Tezel Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jeff Freilich Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nicole Pang Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hal Abelson Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cynthia Breazeal Massachusetts Institute of Technology