Development of artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools

The introduction of artificial intelligence technology in primary and secondary schools can be used as a tool for education, teaching, and student learning on the one hand, and as a content for student learning on the other. Since the national strategic level in July 2017 required the establishment of artificial intelligence-related courses in primary and secondary schools, Asia's primary and secondary schools have made great progress in artificial intelligence education. Some primary and secondary schools have taken the lead in the field of artificial intelligence education. But at the same time we also find that there are still many problems in artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools.

01

Artificial Intelligence Education in Primary and Secondary Schools

National curriculum

The requirements for setting up AI-related courses in primary and secondary schools appear in government documents, starting with the "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan" issued by the State Council in 2017. In the General Senior High School Information Technology Curriculum Standard (2017 Edition), artificial intelligence-related content is not only specifically set in the optional compulsory module, but also covered in the compulsory module. Therefore, research on how to provide artificial intelligence-related courses in middle schools must involve its relationship with information technology courses. The current content of artificial intelligence courses and information technology courses are highly overlapping, and most of the teaching content of information technology courses is the basis of artificial intelligence course contents. Taking the adjusted, improved and optimized information technology course as the main part of the artificial intelligence course, recognized by the majority of front-line teachers and teaching and research personnel, is also a feasible and effective way to make artificial intelligence education for all students.

School Curriculum and Educational Activities

(1) Related educational activities named after "Artificial Intelligence Education"

In July 2017, the "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan" issued by the State Council put forward the requirements for "implementing a smart education program for all, setting up AI-related courses at primary and secondary levels, and gradually promoting programming education" for basic education. In April 2018, the Ministry of Education issued the "Action Plan for the Innovation of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Institutions", which further clarified the need to "build a multi-level artificial intelligence education system and introduce universal AI education at the primary and secondary levels". The two documents have greatly promoted the development of artificial intelligence education represented by artificial intelligence-related courses in the field of basic education.

(2) Educational activities named after "Robot Education"

Around 2000, as the Ministry of Education popularized information technology education in elementary and middle schools across the country, established compulsory information technology courses, and implemented school-to-school projects, "education robots" entered domestic primary and secondary schools. The use of educational robots as a carrier to carry out artificial intelligence education is currently a relatively widespread practice, but some experts believe that it is difficult for educational robots common in schools to carry the core content of artificial intelligence technology.

(3) Educational activities named after "STEM education"

The focus of STEM education is to strengthen the education of students in four aspects: one is scientific literacy, that is, the use of scientific knowledge (such as physics, chemistry, biological sciences and geospatial sciences) to understand and participate in the process of affecting nature; The ability to use, manage, understand, and evaluate technology; the third is engineering literacy, that is, the understanding of technical engineering design and development processes; the fourth is mathematical literacy, that is, the ability of students to discover, express, explain and solve mathematical problems in a variety of situations . In the development of STEM education, art, humanities and other qualities have been gradually increased. There are various forms of STEM education in schools, and there is no uniform standard.

(4) Related educational activities named after "Maker Education"

The word maker comes from the English Maker. Maker education is a new type of education mode that integrates information technology, with "learning in creation" as the main learning method and the purpose of cultivating various innovative talents.

Related subject competitions

All kinds of related discipline competitions are carried out in synchronization with the development of information technology courses. In 2000, the Ministry of Education began to hold "National Primary and Secondary School Computer Production Activities". Since then, some well-known enterprises and government departments or industry associations have successively organized various types of communication activities such as "National Primary and Secondary School Information Technology Innovation and Practice Activities (NOC)". Computer, robot or technological innovation competition related to information technology education. These activities have greatly promoted the popularization and improvement of information technology education, and also provided space for the development of artificial intelligence education.

Training institute related educational activities

After 2017, various types of off-school training institutions with themes of programming, robotics, maker, STEM, drone, and artificial intelligence have emerged. The relevant courses launched by these educational institutions have enriched the students 'off-school education resources, provided a certain space for students' personalized development, and provided new ideas for reference in school education. However, there are also uneven teaching quality and cluttered teaching content. Problems such as disorder may increase the academic burden of students to a certain extent.

02

Existing problems in artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools

Top-level design issues

The core concepts of artificial intelligence are not clearly defined. This problem is particularly prominent at the basic education stage. Because of the unclear understanding of the concept of artificial intelligence, some education administrative department leaders and even education experts confuse artificial intelligence technology with program design, and some equate educational robot activities with artificial intelligence education.

Artificial intelligence technology has developed rapidly in recent years. Thanks to the development of Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing and other technologies, it is closely related to the development of basic disciplines such as information and computing science, network communication, sensing technology, and automatic control technology. It is a high-level and concentrated embodiment of the development of modern information technology. Without the support of other related technologies, the development of artificial intelligence technology will lose its foundation; but if the artificial intelligence technology is extended to all relevant fields, artificial intelligence technology will lose its main direction of development.

Teaching methods, curriculum system and textbook level

There are still many uncertain issues in artificial intelligence in the research field, so it is impossible to unify the teaching methods. Many representative contents in artificial intelligence technology use artificial intelligence algorithms marked by "big data + deep learning", but these algorithms are esoteric and obscure and require students to have a deep knowledge base and ability reserve to understand; at the basic education stage, how to To visualize the working process of artificial intelligence technology, let students open the "black box" and see what it is, which cannot be solved overnight.

From the perspective of the artificial intelligence curriculum system in primary and secondary schools, there are still no systematic books or authoritative guidelines for artificial intelligence curriculum systems to provide reference for the implementation of artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools. In addition, the textbooks of some courses are too difficult. At an exchange meeting on artificial intelligence in primary and middle schools, some experts said that some doctors of liberal arts had been shown to read an earlier artificial intelligence textbook. They also felt it was difficult , Can not understand some of the content in the book.

Faculty issues

Faculty building is a core issue in the development of AI-related courses. Primary and secondary school information technology teachers will become the main body to undertake artificial intelligence course teaching tasks. Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of the development of information technology. Frontline teachers generally have not received professional training and need to invest a lot of time and energy for learning. However, related learning resources and teaching cases are scarce. Teachers have difficulties in teaching related content.

Equipment problem

The smooth development of artificial intelligence courses requires the support of necessary teaching equipment. What kind of equipment is needed for artificial intelligence courses and how to improve the cost-effectiveness of artificial intelligence education equipment, there are many issues that need to be further studied. At present, the teaching environment of information technology compulsory courses in primary and secondary schools has not been able to meet the teaching needs, and the equipment update cannot keep up. The school's artificial intelligence laboratory and related equipment are almost blank.

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Suggestions for the development of artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools

Relevant government departments should speed up the formulation of relevant policies, determine the boundaries of artificial intelligence teaching at different stages of primary, junior high and high schools, define what to teach, and form a complete artificial intelligence teaching policy. Relevant departments or relevant institutions should regularly evaluate existing artificial intelligence textbooks for primary and secondary schools. The focus can be gradually shifted from the compilation of textbooks to the compilation of casebooks. The collection of casebooks can also be conducted to reflect current hotspots and other outstanding The selection, recognition, reward and promotion of artificial intelligence cases promote the vigorous development of this field.

At the same time, artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools should attach importance to the training of "AI +" compound talents. It is suggested that schools with conditions can jointly build a cross-disciplinary course in artificial intelligence through collective research and discussion of teachers from different disciplines. You can also conduct cross-disciplinary research on artificial intelligence with universities, training institutions outside the school, and well-known artificial intelligence companies to explore innovative training models.

In terms of teacher training, we can regularly conduct training of artificial intelligence teachers in primary and secondary schools, transfer knowledge, share experiences, and establish a mechanism for lifelong learning. For example, Boxin Technology has developed artificial intelligence courses, with teacher's books, student books and course supporting equipment, providing a comprehensive curriculum system for primary and secondary school teachers, pragmatic knowledge of artificial intelligence, sharing current hot AI cases, and serving the majority of primary and secondary school teachers. Lays the foundation for artificial intelligence teaching.