Artificial Intelligence in Compulsory K-12 Computer Science Classrooms: A Scalable Professional Development Offer for Computer Science Teachers

Abstract

Given the ever-growing importance of artificial intelligence in our society and daily lives, everyone needs to learn about the core ideas and principles of this technology. While there is still a lack of empirical findings on the teaching and learning about AI in K-12 education, various teaching approaches and materials have been developed in recent years, and the topic is being introduced into K-12 computer science curricula. However, qualifying CS teachers to adequately teach this new field is a significant challenge, as they require extensive content knowledge as well as pedagogical content knowledge. In this paper, we describe the conditions and challenges and the resulting design of a professional development offer to prepare teachers for the introduction of AI into mandatory K-12 CS education in Bavaria (Germany). By designing a scalable PD program in a blended learning format and building on principles such as the "pedagogical double-decker", we successfully addressed challenges such as limited resources, a large number of teachers to be trained, and the significant heterogeneity of teachers’ backgrounds. We also share the results of a formal evaluation and other lessons learned from the initial implementations, which contribute to the design of professional development for this pressing issue.