As AI becomes more prevalent in Florida classrooms, there is a growing need for students and educators to understand how to thoughtfully and responsibly use the technology.
To support this effort, the University of Florida College of Education hosted a two-day conference last month highlighting research solutions that will help schools throughout Florida successfully incorporate AI tools into the curriculum.
One project that exemplifies how to do this is SharkAI — a concept launched in 2022 with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The flexible, five-module SharkAI curriculum encourages students to use machine learning in ways that mirror real scientific practice. Each module allows teachers to incorporate the material into existing middle school science lessons.
“AI is much more than chatbots,” said Pasha Antonenko, Ph.D., a UF professor of educational technology and co-principal investigator for SharkAI. “Scientists use AI through tools like computer vision to classify species, identify artifacts and sort visual data. Students can see that this identification and sorting doesn’t need to be done by humans. We can use AI tools, so humans can focus on more important scientific work.”
Each element of the SharkAI project was intentionally developed to help middle school students understand both the benefits and limitations of technologies that are shaping today’s workforce.
Sharks were selected because of the significant differences among species, their familiarity to Florida students and the natural curiosity they inspire. Training a machine learning model becomes much more engaging when students can hold real shark teeth in their hands.
The first module introduces AI and the idea of “community science,” or how non-professionals contribute observations or assistance to projects that expands knowledge for everyone. A second module focuses on shark tooth classification and data collection, drawing on earth science, biology, computer science and paleontology.
Later modules ask students to use real fossils and 3D-printed replicas to train machine learning models, then design their own computer vision models. Another module focuses specifically on bias and limitations in machine learning datasets, helping students engage with AI through a responsible and ethical framework.
“It is really important that we carefully and intentionally help students understand what artificial intelligence is and how it can impact them,” said Jeremy Waisome, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UF Department of Engineering Education and co-principal investigator for SharkAI.
To further that goal, a weeklong professional development program allows in-service teachers to work through the SharkAI curriculum while expanding their own understanding of fundamental machine learning concepts.
These sessions have brought dozens of teachers to UF each summer for the past three years, and the SharkAI team has continued refining the curriculum based on teacher feedback.
“Working with teachers and equipping them with accurate knowledge and language, while addressing some of the fears that come with the use of artificial intelligence, are all areas where UF can play a significant role going forward,” Waisome said.
Alaisa Glicco is a writer for the UF College of Education.
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of columns sponsored by the University of Florida.