Machine Learning and the Five Big Ideas in AI

This article provides an in-depth look at how K-12 students should be introduced to Machine Learning and the knowledge and skills they will develop as a result. We begin with an overview of the AI4K12 Initiative, which is developing national guidelines for teaching AI in K-12, and briefly discuss each of the Five Big Ideas in AI that serve as the organizing framework for the guidelines. We then discuss the general format and structure of the guidelines and grade band progression charts and provide a theoretical framework that highlights the developmental appropriateness of the knowledge and skills we want to impart to students and the learning experiences we expect them to engage in. Development of the guidelines is informed by best practices from Learning Sciences and CS Education research, and by the need for alignment with CSTA's K-12 Computer Science Standards, Common Core standards, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The remainder of the article provides an in-depth exploration of the AI4K12 Big Idea 3 (Learning) grade band progression chart to unpack the concepts we expect students to master at each grade band. We present examples to illustrate the progressions from two perspectives: horizontal (across grade bands) and vertical (across concepts for a given grade band). Finally, we discuss how these guidelines can be used to create learning experiences that make connections across the Five Big Ideas, and free online tools that facilitate these experiences.

Automated summary

This article provides an in-depth examination of how K-12 students should be introduced to Machine Learning and the skills and knowledge they will gain. It discusses the AI4K12 Initiative, which is developing national guidelines for teaching AI in K-12, and outlines the organizational framework and structure of the guidelines. The article also emphasizes the importance of aligning with best practices from Learning Sciences and CS Education research, as well as other standards. It further explores the grade band progression chart for the AI4K12 Big Idea 3 (Learning), providing examples of both horizontal (across grade bands) and vertical (across concepts) progressions. The article concludes by discussing the use of these guidelines to create learning experiences that connect the Five Big Ideas, as well as free online tools that facilitate these experiences.