How A.I. Will Be Impacting Informal STEM Education … Sooner Than You'd Think
Welcome to the January 2023 edition of the Improved Insights Newsletter: a newsletter for folks in informal STEM learning spaces who want to learn more about how to measure and communicate the impacts of their work.
I’m Sarah M. Dunifon - a long-time STEM educator, evaluator, and equity advocate. After spending time working in museums, nonprofits, and higher education, I now work on cutting-edge informal STEM learning research and evaluation with my team at Improved Insights. We specialize in informal STEM learning and youth programs.
This monthly newsletter includes tips, resources, and news on informal STEM learning evaluation. We hope you find it valuable! Now, let’s get started —
How A.I. Will Be Impacting Informal STEM Education … Sooner Than You'd Think
The beginning of 2023 has brought some exciting developments in A.I. technology. Most of you have probably heard of, and maybe even experimented with the new platform developed by Open AI called ChatGPT. Models like ChatGPT are trained to synthesize information, provide answers to user inquiries, produce written copy in different writing styles, and more. I think of it as similar to a search engine, but way smarter. But what does this new tool mean for informal STEM education, and how will this impact everyday processes for our professional lives?
In this month's newsletter, we'll review a few experiments that I ran to test ChatGPTs capabilities, talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of the platform, and ask the larger question, “how will A.I. become a normal part of our everyday work?” To read the full article, check it out in our Insights. In the meantime, here’s a taste:
This introduces the question of how A.I. will become a normal part of our work, and likely sooner than you think. At one point in time, the Internet was thought of as a niche tech advancement that only geeks were interested in (self-identified geek here). Now, it’s ubiquitous. The same will likely happen with A.I. So, rather than fighting against this advancement or looking for ways to curtail its use, we ought to welcome it and identify ways to use it for our advancement.
Formal education has had an immediate pushback to its use, with students asking the model to write essays for class, among other things. But - much like the calculator - we should see A.I. as a tool rather than a cheating mechanism. Perhaps this is the time for us to reevaluate what it means to assess learning in the classroom. Similarly, informal educators should consider what A.I. could mean for their programs and their audiences.
It’s also important that we pay close attention to our changing field and put safeguards in place to ensure A.I. models are not replicating inequity. As we know, programming and programmers can hold a lot of bias. But, used correctly, this type of tool can produce better learning experiences and more equitable outcomes. It all depends on how we use it.
Here are two imagined ways in which ISE professionals might use A.I. in the near future.
Future Application One:
Imagine a kiosk in a museum where visitors can look at an artifact and ask A.I. real-time questions about it. Now, imagine that the kiosk can collect data on common visitor question themes (as an evaluator, I’d love this) and then create a recommendation for permanent signage. Or, maybe permanent signage won’t need to exist anymore. Maybe A.I.-informed signage that digests real-time news and scientific breakthroughs, plus visitor inquiries, becomes the standard for crafting information that is more timely and relevant to visitors.
Future Application Two:
Pretend you’re creating a bird-watching program for teens. You ask them to take their devices (iPads, cellphones, etc.) out into the field and collect photos of birds that they see. Then, they use A.I. to identify the types of birds, create a digital checklist of common birds found in their neighborhood, and adapt it using weather and seasonal data for what birds they might see when. Now, not only have you created a program that allows teens to learn about birds, they’ve become more tech-literate and created a tool for others to use, focused on place-based learning. How cool!
The potential applications are endless, and as A.I. models like ChatGPT continue to advance, we have the opportunity to welcome these advancements into our practice.
ii Updates
Sarah Dunifon has a new book chapter out in "Zoos and Aquariums in the Public Mind," part of the Psychology and Our Planet series by Knology. The series, published in partnership with Springer Nature Switzerland AG, aims to bring knowledge to action to improve industries and communities affected by climate change. The chapter provides an overview of recent research and suggests a research agenda in the field of zoos and aquariums. Check it out here.
We're working on something fun and we'd love for you to be a part of it. We're in the process of creating innovative mini-training modules on research and evaluation topics and are seeking feedback from a small group of individuals like you. The first set of mini-modules focuses on using color psychology in evaluation. If you sign up, we’ll email you with access to the modules and a short survey for feedback in the coming weeks. Combined, the review and survey should take no more than 30-45 minutes to complete. You'll not only be learning and helping us improve our modules, but will be entered into a drawing for a $20 Visa gift card as a token of appreciation. If you're interested in using color psychology to enhance the impact of your data visualizations and reports, sign up now!
60-Second Suggestions
Here are a few of my favorite things this month, usually pertaining to informal STEM education and evaluation, but occasionally some fun personal stuff, too.
What's the value of a museum visit? According to this study, it's 864 € or about $900. One primary aim of this year-long study was to demonstrate the intrinsic value of a museum visit and translate that into a calculated financial value. This calculation serves to better demonstrate the benefit of a museum visit with those who support and fund museums.
This article by the American Alliance of Museums highlights a collection of resources specifically by and for BIPOC museum professionals. The collection includes articles, podcasts, and other media forms, intended to support those in DEAI-oriented roles at museums. The ultimate goal is for this resource to be a living document for BIPOC professionals at all stages of their museum careers, as well as a much-needed conversation starter around how the museum space can be more supportive of voices that have not been as present.
If you enjoyed our blog post this month, check out this article from MIT about ChatGPT and A.I.-assisted writing. Faculty members provide advice and insight into how new A.I. tools will influence formal and higher education.
As more new and exciting developments emerge around ChatGPT and other A.I. tools, I would love to hear how you are using them to optimize your work life (and personal life!), and how you are engaging with A.I. in the informal STEM space.
Until next time - thanks!