Designing a novel teaching platform for AI: A case study in a Thai school context

Abstract

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained increasing popularity in human society, and it is important to educate people about this emerging technology. Many countries have adopted school curricula to incorporate AI into their classrooms. However, developing tools for discovering AI concepts remains challenging. There are few studies on AI education tools, particularly in Thailand. Objectives: This study designs AIThaiGen, a web-based learning platform for junior high school students that introduces AI concepts. It can communicate with remote hardware stations, allowing students to test their AI models in real-world scenarios. Methods: A total of 106 students in 7th and 8th grade in Thailand participated, and a single-group pre-test-post-test research design was employed in this study. Pre-post-tests on the basic concepts of AI and the students' attitude questionnaire on AIThaiGen were used to collect and analyse data. Results and Conclusions: The results show that there is a significant improvement (p < 0.001) in the pre-post-tests on the basic concepts of AI, and the overall result of the students' attitude questionnaire on AIThaiGen is (Formula presented.), indicating positive outlooks. Furthermore, notable student projects are showcased, highlighting their ability to initiate new ideas for solving real problems after studying with AIThaiGen.