Baldoni et al. Paper
Matteo Baldoni et al. conducted a case study with 5th-6th grade classes in Italy to investigate the impact of AI activities on students' AI conception. They used pretests and posttests, including computational thinking tests and questionnaires on artificial and human minds, to measure learning outcomes.
The study found that students exposed to AI activities did not show significantly stronger AI conception compared to those engaged in programming-only activities. This suggests that the selection and testing of AI educational activities are crucial for maximizing their benefits on students.
Another study by Baldoni et al. involved nearly 200 11-year-old children in a three-lesson programming course followed by either standard teaching or four lessons specifically on AI using child-friendly programming languages. Pre and post assessments measured computational thinking and understanding of artificial minds.
The research aimed to determine if specialized AI courses would enhance children's understanding of AI compared to general programming courses. They utilized the AMS scale and AMOS questionnaire to gauge results and emphasized the importance of a large sample size to support their hypothesis.