When I think about the design thinking process, I am not very surprised by the use of artificial intelligence by those who participated in the survey. Those who did discuss their use of AI were using chatbots, which Diliberti et al. (2024) also discuss in their article as one of the most popular uses among teachers. The feedback they gave in the initial survey was helpful and had me reflect on changing from my original idea of creating a written guide to having something more interactive, which is when I shifted to a toolkit.
It was important to have interactive elements and resources they could use, as that was mentioned. All the participants noted the need for videos, checklists, infographics, etc. Further, there was mention of the lack of human interaction when using AI, so it was essential to have some community of practice (CoP) element as part of the toolkit. As we learned throughout the MALAT program, a CoP allows those with common interests or concerns to interact and learn to help build new knowledge or practices (Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium, 2016). As I built the toolkit, this feedback was constantly in the back of my mind, and I kept the participants updated when changes were made to get more feedback.
When the digital resource creation is finished, I want to share it with those who participated throughout the design process and with other educators and professionals. This resource has the potential to enhance the use of AI in K-12 education significantly, and I am excited to see the impact it can have. Further, once this course is finished, it will be a resource that can continually grow and change by adding more AI tools and creating more video explanations and digital resources that can be used. With the forum and a CoP, teachers can use this to discuss their AI and use any helpful tips or lesson plans they have used. Thus, the following steps will be to continue adding to the toolkit and introducing it to educators and those who might find it helpful to build that community of practice.
To conclude, this design thinking process was very helpful in guiding the creation of the digital resource. Without those who participated in the survey, I do not think the digital resource would look as it does. It shows the importance of conducting a needs assessment and keeping those who participated updated to continuously receive feedback, especially with those with whom you plan to create a digital resource.
References
Diliberti, M. K., Schwartz, H. L., Doan, S., Shapiro, A., Rainey, L. R., & Lake, R. J. (2024, April 17). Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in K–12 Classrooms. RAND. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-21.html
Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium. (2016). What is a community of practice? Community of Practice. https://www.communityofpractice.ca/background/what-is-a-community-of-practice/
Hi Catherine, thank you for taking the time to reflect about your design experience in LRNT527 and what you learned about process and humans. Those folks that are going to use a tool are the absolute best group to consult (when and where you have time) about what they need and want in a learning experience. Often what they need and want is very different from what you imagine. That is a great lesson! The AI for K-12 resource you created has so much potential to be a useful and helpful place for teachers to explore AI safely and with confidence. Great work and a great learning process it would seem!