Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Commons^™

Teaching Machine Learning For The Physical Sciences: A Summary Of Lessons Learned And Challenges, Viviana Acquaviva

Publications and Research

This paper summarizes some challenges encountered and best practices established in several years of teaching Machine Learning for the Physical Sciences at the undergraduate and graduate level. I discuss motivations for teaching ML to physicists, desirable properties of pedagogical materials, such as accessibility, relevance, and likeness to real-world research problems, and give examples of components of teaching units.

Teaching Law And Artificial Intelligence, Brendan Johnson, Francis X. Shen

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Ethics Of Ai In Education: Towards A Community-Wide Framework, Wayne Holmes, Kaska Poraysa-Pomsta, Ken Holstein, Emma Sutherland, Toby Baker, Simon Buckingham Shum, Olga C. Santos, Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo, Mutlu Cukurova, Ig Ibert Bittencourt, Kenneth R. Koedinger

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

While Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) research has at its core the desire to support student learning, experience from other AI domains suggest that such ethical intentions are not by themselves sufficient. There is also the need to consider explicitly issues such as fairness, accountability, transparency, bias, autonomy, agency, and inclusion. At a more general level, there is also a need to differentiate between doing ethical things and doing things ethically, to understand and to make pedagogical choices that are ethical, and to account for the ever-present possibility of unintended consequences. However, addressing these and related questions is far …

Simplification Of Robotics Through Autonomous Navigation, Grant Turner

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With self-driving vehicles, college campus food delivery, or even automated home vacuuming systems, robotics is undoubtedly becoming more prevalent in everyday society and it can be expected to continue with time. While many people are owners, users, or even just spectators of theses robotic products or services, there seems to be a negative perception of robotics that poses an intimidation factor regarding the attempt to understand the ideas driving technology. This perception tends to view robotics as machines that require rich education to understand the complexity and interworkings of, thus attempts understand the field are neglected.

To combat this line …

Deapsecure Computational Training For Cybersecurity Students: Improvements, Mid-Stage Evaluation, And Lessons Learned, Wirawan Purwanto, Yuming He, Jewel Ossom, Qiao Zhang, Liuwan Zhu, Karina Arcaute, Masha Sosonkina, Hongyi Wu

University Administration Publications

DeapSECURE is a non-degree computational training program that provides a solid high-performance computing (HPC) and big-data foundation for cybersecurity students. DeapSECURE consists of six modules covering a broad spectrum of topics such as HPC platforms, big-data analytics, machine learning, privacy-preserving methods, and parallel programming. In the second year of this program, to improve the learning experience, we implemented a number of changes, such as grouping modules into two broad categories, "big-data" and "HPC"; creating a single cybersecurity storyline across the modules; and introducing post-workshop (optional) "hackshops." Two major goals of these changes are, firstly, to effectively engage students to maintain …

Understanding And Predicting Retractions Of Published Work, Sai Ajay Modukuri, Sarah Rajtmajer, Anna Cinzia Squicciarini, Jian Wu, C. Lee Giles

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Recent increases in the number of retractions of published papers reflect heightened attention and increased scrutiny in the scientific process motivated, in part, by the replication crisis. These trends motivate computational tools for understanding and assessment of the scholarly record. Here, we sketch the landscape of retracted papers in the Retraction Watch database, a collection of 19k records of published scholarly articles that have been retracted for various reasons (e.g., plagiarism, data error). Using metadata as well as features derived from full-text for a subset of retracted papers in the social and behavioral sciences, we develop a random forest classifier …

Virtual Tutor Personality In Computer Assisted Language Learning, Johanna Dobbriner, Cathy Ennis, Robert J. Ross

Conference papers

The use of intelligent virtual agents in language learning has increased in recent years. Studies into several aspects of personalisation aiming to increase user engagement are an ongoing research topic with avatar personality being one such aspect. As a step towards our development of intelligent virtual avatars, we present two of our initial experiments to explore differences in user interaction with two contrasting avatar personalities -- P1: open-minded, friendly and sociable and P2: closed-off, curt and distant. Each user interacted with a single personality in a video-call setting and gave feedback on the interaction. Our expectations, that P1 would be …

Assessment And Learning In Knowledge Spaces (Aleks) Adaptive System Impact On Students' Perception And Self-Regulated Learning Skills, Honda Harati, Laura Sujo-Montes, Chih-Hsiung Tu, Shadow J.W. Armfield, Cherng-Jyh Yen

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Adaptive learning is an educational method that uses computer algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to customize learning materials and activities based on each user's model. Adaptive learning has been used for more than 20 years. However, it is still unique, and no other system could bring more or even similar capabilities than the ones adaptive technology offers, including the application of AI, psychology, psychometrics, machine learning, and providing a personalized learning environment. However, there are not many studies on its practicality, usefulness, improving students' learning skills, students' perception, etc., due to the limited number of institutes investing in this new …

Artificial Intelligence: A Prospective Or Real Option For Education?, Maha Sourani

Al Jinan الجنان

The education sector is grappling with a plethora of challenges that have compelled scholars and practitioners to begin looking for a solution. Artificial intelligence (AI) is among the proposed solutions that is having significant attention lately. However, its adoption in the education sector remains low because of challenges, such as lack of proper trials, testing, and recommendation for its applicability in the sector. This article seeks to explore the role and potentiality of AI in improving education. A systematic review design is used for this purpose. The methodology corresponds with the rapid survey protocol of Khangura (2012) which provides an …

The Limits Of Machine Learning, Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo

Magisterial Lectures

In this lecture, Dr. Rodrigo discusses how machine-learned models are constrained by the data on which they are based and by the human beings who control them.

Speaker: Ma Mercedes T Rodrigo is a professor at the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science, the head of the Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences, and the Executive Director of Arete. Her areas of specialization are educational technology, artificial intelligence in education, and educational data mining.

Research 4.0: Research In The Age Of Automation, Rob Procter, Ben Glover, Elliot Jones

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Executive Summary

There is a growing consensus that we are at the start of a fourth industrial revolution, driven by developments in Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, robotics, the Internet of Things, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, 5G, new forms of energy storage and quantum computing. This wave of technical innovations is already having a significant impact on how research is conducted, with dramatic change across research methods in recent years within some disciplines, as this project’s interim report set out.

Whilst there are a wide range of technologies associated with the fourth industrial revolution, this report primarily seeks to understand what …

Prerequisite Course Recommendation Based On Course Description And Students’ Grades, Haozhe Zhou

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

What Do Undergraduate Engineering Students And Preservice Teachers Learn By Collaborating And Teaching Engineering And Coding Through Robotics?, Jennifer Jill Kidd, Krishnanand Kaipa, Samuel J. Jacks, Stacie I. Ringleb, Pilar Pazos, Kristie Gutierrez, Orlando M. Ayala, Lillian Maria De Souza Almeida

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This research paper presents preliminary results of an NSF-supported interdisciplinary collaboration between undergraduate engineering students and preservice teachers. The fields of engineering and elementary education share similar challenges when it comes to preparing undergraduate students for the new demands they will encounter in their profession. Engineering students need interprofessional skills that will help them value and negotiate the contributions of various disciplines while working on problems that require a multidisciplinary approach. Increasingly, the solutions to today's complex problems must integrate knowledge and practices from multiple disciplines and engineers must be able to recognize when expertise from outside their field can …

Helping Language Education Teachers Using Ai, Hyechan Jun, Kenneth C. Arnold

Summer Research

Not every language student is equal. That is the reason for differentiated instruction, where the difficulty of the material and lessons is adjusted to suit the needs of each individual student. Unfortunately, differentiated instruction requires spending a significant amount of time and effort to produce individualized content, which— though not impossible—is certainly not easy. That is why in our research we ask: “How can we use artificial intelligence to aid language education teachers in differentiated instruction?”

Perceptions, Potholes, And Possibilities Of Using Digital Voice Assistants To Differentiate Instructions, Adrian A. Weir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Access to technologies and understanding the potential uses of technology to differentiate instruction have been a concern for the teachers and students in a local school district located in the southeastern United States. Despite the emergence of digital voice assistants (DVAs) as tools for instructions, teachers lack knowledge and strategies for using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify teacher knowledge and strategies employed among special education (SPED) teachers using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The concepts of Carol Tomlinson’s differentiation theory and Mishra and Koehler’s TPACK framework served …

Augmenting Education: Ethical Considerations For Incorporating Artificial Intelligence In Education, Dana Remian

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Artificial intelligence (AI) has existed in theory and practice for decades, but applications have been relatively limited in most domains. Recent developments in AI and computing have placed AI-enhanced applications in various industries and a growing number of consumer products. AI platforms and services aimed at enhancing educational outcomes and taking over administrative tasks are becoming more prevalent and appearing in more and more classrooms and offices. Conversations about the disruption and ethical concerns created by AI are occurring in many fields. The development of the technology threatens to outpace academic discussion of its utility and pitfalls in education, however. …

Evaluating Conversation Agent Impact On Student Experience In A Distance Education Course, Grover Walters

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We explore the efficacy of conversation agents operating as an instructional aid in a distance education course. Two aspects of efficacy are considered—conversation agent impact on student perceptions of the experience, and how different design features of the agent affect student perceptions of engagement. Evaluation of the agent is accomplished by collecting data from 24 undergraduate participants separated into random groups. We conduct two rounds of mixedmethod evaluation. Between the two rounds, a modification to the agent occurs based on the outcome of the first evaluation. Findings include limitations related to phrasing and data persistence features of the design that …

Experiences Of Using Intelligent Virtual Assistants By Visually Impaired Students In Online Higher Education, Michele R. Forbes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In today’s world, the attainment of higher education impacts the acquisition of competitive employment and, thus, quality of life. As a group, persons with disabilities continually fall behind others in such academic progress, requiring new efforts to support their earning of advanced credentials. Though highly beneficial for these individuals, obtaining a degree comes with elevated levels of stress. As enrollment of students with disabilities grows in all formats of higher education, those involved must understand the stress endured by these students and how to diminish it. Theories speculate that technology, such as intelligent virtual assistants, may be a viable tool …

Exercises Integrating High School Mathematics With Robot Motion Planning, Ronald I. Greenberg, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper presents progress in developing exercises for high school students incorporating level-appropriate mathematics into robotics activities. We assume mathematical foundations ranging from algebra to precalculus, whereas most prior work on integrating mathematics into robotics uses only very elementary mathematical reasoning or, at the other extreme, is comprised of technical papers or books using calculus and other advanced mathematics. The exercises suggested are relevant to any differerential-drive robot, which is an appropriate model for many different varieties of educational robots. They guide students towards comparing a variety of natural navigational strategies making use of typical movement primitives. The exercises align …

Impact Of Robotic Challenges On Fifth Grade Problem Solving, Julie Rankin

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This action research project was designed to investigate the impact of educational robotics in a fifth grade rural classroom. The integration of science, technology, engineering, and math in education (STEM) has sparked an increase of robotics in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to determine if problem-solving skills can be impacted through continuing involvement with challenges using various educational robotics and programming tools. The study sought to answer two research questions: (1) How does the introduction of robotics challenges in a fifth-grade classroom impact students’ problem solving skills? (2) How do robotics in the classroom impact student interest …

Higher Education In The Ai Age, Yizhi Ma, Keng Siau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A perfect storm is hitting higher education. Decrease funding from traditional funding sources such as State Governments and transformative changes caused by artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize higher education (Siau 2018). Higher education needs to change and evolve quickly and continuously to prepare students for the upheavals in the job market caused by AI, machine learning, and automation. Further, continuous organizational and curriculum changes will be necessary for a higher education institution to stay relevant and to stay afloat. This qualitative research looks at higher education in the AI age. Stakeholders (i.e., administrators, faculty, students, industry recruiters) in higher education …

Mathematics And Programming Exercises For Educational Robot Navigation, Ronald I. Greenberg

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper points students towards ideas they can use towards developing a convenient library for robot navigation, with examples based on Botball primitives, and points educators towards mathematics and programming exercises they can suggest to students, especially advanced high school students.

The Role Of Data Analytics In Education: Possibilities & Limitations, Robert L. Moore

STEMPS Faculty Publications

In the last decade, we have seen dramatic increases in the integration of technology within education. It has now become commonplace for K-5 educators to apply learning management systems (LMS) in ways that were previously only seen in higher education contexts. Similarly, on the higher education side, we are seeing a significant increase in online learning evidenced by the growing number of for-profit online colleges and universities (Picciano, 2012). This chapter utilizes Khan’s Learning Framework (Khan, 2001, 2005) to explore the role data analytics can play in education by looking at the possibilities and limitations of analytics.

Effectiveness Of Physical Robot Versus Robot Simulator In Teaching Introductory Programming, Oka Kurniawan, Norman Tiong Seng Lee, Subhajit Datta, Nachamma Sockalingam, Pey Lin Leong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study reports the use of a physical robot and robot simulator in an introductory programming course in a university and measures students' programming background conceptual learning gain and learning experience. One group used physical robots in their lessons to complete programming assignments, while the other group used robot simulators. We are interested in finding out if there is any difference in the learning gain and experiences between those that use physical robots as compared to robot simulators. Our results suggest that there is no significant difference in terms of students' learning between the two approaches. However, the control group …

Improving Knowledge Tracing Model By Integrating Problem Difficulty, Sein Minn, Feida Zhu, Michel C. Desmarais

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are designed for providing personalized instructions to students with the needs of their skills. Assessment of student knowledge acquisition dynamically is nontrivial during her learning process with ITS. Knowledge tracing, a popular student modeling technique for student knowledge assessment in adaptive tutoring, which is used for tracing student's knowledge state and detecting student's knowledge acquisition by using decomposed individual skill or problems with a single skill per problem. Unfortunately, recent KT models fail to deal with practices of complex skill composition and variety of concepts included in a problem simultaneously. Our goal is to investigate a …

Computational Thinking And Literacy, Sharin Rawhiya Jacob, Mark Warschauer

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Today’s students will enter a workforce that is powerfully shaped by computing. To be successful in a changing economy, students must learn to think algorithmically and computationally, to solve problems with varying levels of abstraction. These computational thinking skills have become so integrated into social function as to represent fundamental literacies. However, computer science has not been widely taught in K-12 schools. Efforts to create computer science standards and frameworks have yet to make their way into mandated course requirements. Despite a plethora of research on digital literacies, research on the role of computational thinking in the literature is sparse. …

Education In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence: How Will Technology Shape Learning?, Keng Siau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here! Higher education needs to prepare students for a world in which AI plays an increasingly dominant role. What are the jobs that can be replaced easily? How would higher education be affected in the age of AI, robotics, machine learning, and automation? How can higher education excel and flourish in the age of AI?

Does The Test Work? Evaluating A Web-Based Language Placement Test, Avizia Long, Sun-Young Shin, Kimberly Geeslin, Erik Willis

Faculty Publications

In response to the need for examples of test validation from which everyday language programs can benefit, this paper reports on a study that used Bachman’s (2005) assessment use argument (AUA) framework to examine evidence to support claims made about the intended interpretations and uses of scores based on a new web-based Spanish language placement test. The test, which consisted of 100 items distributed across five item types (sound discrimination, grammar, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and vocabulary), was tested with 2,201 incoming first-year and transfer students at a large, Midwestern public university. Analyses of internal consistency and validity revealed the …

On The Use Of Semantic-Based Aig To Automatically Generate Programming Exercises, Laura Zavala, Benito Mendoza

Publications and Research

In introductory programming courses, proficiency is typically achieved through substantial practice in the form of relatively small assignments and quizzes. Unfortunately, creating programming assignments and quizzes is both, time-consuming and error-prone. We use Automatic Item Generation (AIG) in order to address the problem of creating numerous programming exercises that can be used for assignments or quizzes in introductory programming courses. AIG is based on the use of test-item templates with embedded variables and formulas which are resolved by a computer program with actual values to generate test-items. Thus, hundreds or even thousands of test-items can be generated with a single …

Smu Master Of It In Business Launches New Artificial Intelligence Track, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The Singapore Management University’s School of Information Systems (SIS) has launched a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) track under its Master of IT in Business (MITB) programme. Geared towards nurturing graduates who are ready for the revolutionary change from AI in data science, the AI track equips a new generation of IT business leaders in careers that bridge AI with business.