University Events

Description: Date: Friday, October 4, 2024
Location: Library Grand Reading Room
Time: 2:30-4pm
Please reach out to Kym Welty with any questions: kwelty@umassd.edu

Dr. Yasmin Kafai (University of Pennsylvania)
Title: Promoting Computational Empowerment for All: Youth Peer Auditing of Machine Learning-Powered Applications

Abstract: The increased prominence of artificial intelligence/machine learning applications in youth's lives has called for the development of new computational practices. Our focus on algorithm auditing, a practice which involves repeated examination of an algorithm's output to make more transparent its inner workings and possible impact, provides: (a) building on informal personal practices that youth engage with everyday technologies, (b) connecting with already existing computational thinking practices, and (c) integrating critical evaluation for algorithmic justice. In this presentation, we share findings from a study that positioned youth (ages 14-15) as peer-auditors. We conducted a two-week workshop in which youth designed machine-learning powered applications and later audited each other's projects. We analyzed pre/post clinical interviews in which they were presented with auditing tasks. Our analyses show that in post interviews all youth identified algorithmic biases and inferred dataset and model design issues. Youth also discussed algorithmic justice and machine learning model improvements. Furthermore, youth reflected that auditing provided them new perspectives on model functionality and ideas to improve their own models. We discuss potential applications of algorithm auditing in K-12 education.

Bio: Dr. Kafai is the Lori and Michael Milken President's Distinguished Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. A co-developer of the widely popular programming language Scratch alongside colleagues at the MIT Media Lab, her work explores computational participation in diverse learning environments. She is also the author of several influential books, including "Connected Code" and "Connected Gaming", and holds a doctorate from Harvard University.

Dr. Greses Pérez (Tufts University)
Title: STEM4Girls - They Don't Exist? Tales of Aliens, Unicorns and Women in STEM

Abstract: In STEM disciplines, such as in engineering, some groups are so underrepresented that their very existence is often questioned—like aliens and unicorns. Engineers, as heralds of change and innovation, are entrusted to protect our communities by designing, building, and maintaining our natural, virtual and built environments, navigating the complex interplay between technical and social dimensions. Yet, much like mythical figures, the contributions of underrepresented groups, particularly women, Black, indigenous, and Latina/o/x/e, often go unnoticed or undervalued in engineering. Who they are, what they know, and how they speak are frequently excluded from engineering narratives. Through a mixed methods sequential explanatory design, I investigate the role of language and cultural practices on how people learn engineering, particularly how K-16 Latina/o/x students develop engineering-related practices associated with their communities. In this talk, I argue that the language and cultural resources of students serve as markers for the experiences, values and knowledge of their communities, informing their disciplinary identities and practices. My work highlights how, when learning environments bridge communities and engineering through language and culture, students activate a set of values associated with their background to develop socially just solutions in the engineering design processes, particularly ideation and problem scoping. By recognizing the diverse systems of knowing and speaking in communities, this research challenges the narrative that minoritized groups are rare exceptions in engineering. Instead, it shows how their presence can transform the discipline with engineers who bring a variety of perspectives to the table—especially those that are too often rendered invisible – to create solutions for a world facing unprecedented challenges.

Bio: Dr. Pérez is the McDonnell Family Assistant Professor in Engineering Education at Tufts University, focusing on the experiences of Afro-Latina, Latina, and Black students in engineering. She is the Co-PI and PI of multiple NSF grants, researching the intersection of community and engineering practices, with recent work in climate technology and multilingual education. She earned her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences and Technology Design from Stanford University.

Don't miss this chance to hear from leading experts and engage in thought-provoking discussions. See you there!