Education - Teacher Inquiry into Student Learning, Inquiry learning, Robotics and AI

Week 15

Teacher Inquiry into Student Learning

Inquiry Learning, Robotics and AI

This class started by pondering about which jobs might still exist in 20 years time, our group came up with jobs and industries such as Pro gamer, IT Infrastructure, AI and Singers. We then searched for them in this website to see if our hunches were correct.

Apparently the word robot originally came from Czech ‘robota’ which translated means ‘forced labour’ or ‘slavery’. We discussed many different definitions, and I teach aspects of robotics to our students at school. Our Lego Robots consist of motors for movement and sensors to react to the environment. Sensors include sound, light, colour ultra-sonic etc. It is always fun talking about how robots can be used to automate what humans can do and how they can sometimes even do a better job. For example the ultrasonic sensors are a sense we humans don’t have, bats and dolphins use echolocation for navigation which is what these sensors are replicating. I also love talking about our cars like my Lexus which has this kind of sensor to help me park and plays a huge part in the safety of using the cruise control features. Through the use of ultrasonic/sonar sensors our cars know how close they are to other objects.

We also breifly looked at Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics:

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

There are many ethical dilemmas that will be programmed into AI systems and robotics. We must educate our future developers to understand the complexities of the ethical dilemmas that are presented because of our technological capabilities. Sometimes we must ask ourselves just because we do something - should we do it? What is the impact of our technological advances to all stakeholders? Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have also backed some principles to ensure humanity benefits from technological advances.

We then moved on to looking at an Inquiry Based Learning Video - We have experienced this growing up and trying to make sense of the world. We have asked questions like how do cars move? It is our natural urge to inquire, and think to make meaning. IB learning starts with a question. Traditionally done as Sage on a Stage with teacher knowing correct answer. Now days inquiry is more dynamic and involves student agency as they drive their own learning through constructivism, asking questions and gathering new knowledge and reflect.

Here are some ideas from Harpaz (2005) on six characteristics of 'fertile' questions that might be used in an inquiry:

• Open - there are several different or competing answers
• Undermining - makes the learner question their basic assumptions
• Rich - cannot be answered without careful and lengthy research, often able to be broken into subsidiary questions
• Connected - relevant to the learners
• Charged - has an ethical dimension
• Practical - is able to be researched given the available resources

We also had a brief look at the NZ Ministry Teaching as Inquiry Model and the updated Spiral of Inquiry Model also often used with more focus on agency and collaboration.

One of the last activities was to have a go with some different kinds of robotics kits. As my partner and I were very unfamiliar with the robotic arm we had a go with this. I had no real idea about how to work the electronics and programme the Arduino in the time frame given would have had to look up most of it. So my partner got it going and after the coding was done I got the gist of it. A great day all round.

References
Harpaz, N. (2005). Teaching and Learning in a Community of Thinking. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 20(2), 136-157. Retrieved from http://yoramharpaz.com/pubs/en_learning/teaching-learning.pdf