#artificialintelligence #76: How to democratise the teaching and learning of AI

Hello all

I was in the UAE this week at Sharjah speaking on AI and the metaverse

The highlight of my visit was an inspiring meeting with nobel prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus.?

He actually spent time with me inspiring me with my own vision of democratising the teaching of AI.?

I have been using these ideas in my two courses at the #universityofoxford (for #artificialintelligence, #digitaltwins ? https://lnkd.in/eSC2scZ and https://lnkd.in/dRewYpPC), but I plan to develop these ideas outside Oxford as well.?

Background

?In essence, as described below, I am working on the ideas of using acceptance test driven development(ATDD) as a pedagogical tool to democratise the teaching and learning of AI

?The ideas individually are not new, but I think I am applying them in a new context

Test-driven development (TDD) is a software development process relying on software requirements being converted to test cases before software is fully developed, and tracking all software development by repeatedly testing the software against all test cases. This is as opposed to software being developed first and test cases created later.Software engineer Kent Beck, who is credited with having developed TDD.? Closely related to TDD is behaviour driven development (BDD). BDD is an extension of TDD and integrates acceptance testing and user interaction.? BDD focuses on: Where to start in the process; What to test and what not to test; How much to test in one go; What to call the tests and How to understand why a test fails.Similarly, we have ATDD Acceptance test driven development encompasses acceptance testing, and highlights writing acceptance tests before developers begin coding.?

There are of course limitations for TDD such as in the use of for complex systems, TDD for modifying existing systems and TDD for large systems.?

?In this context, I am proposing that we use a combination of scenario based learning , ATDD and TDD as a pedagogical tool for learning? and teaching AI and ML.?

Benefits

My motivations in using this approach as a teaching tool are:?

a)? Inclusion even of people who do not code much

b)? Reduction of cognitive dependencies and cognitive overload for teaching of AI

c)? Incorporation of domain knowledge from the outset

d)? Awareness of end to end processes from the outset?

e)? Assimilating learners with multiple starting points who want to learn AI?

f)? Rapid upskilling

?Context

The use of TDD in AI and ML itself is not new. Here is a good document from IBM on the use of TDD for ML

However, I think my thinking is more aligned with that of Matthew Kirk who makes a connection between TDD and the Scientific method

Also, this article contains?a good discussion for the synergy between ATDD and TDD?Test driven development

So, what I am proposing is a combination of the following

1) scenario based learning?

2) ATDD

3) TDD

4) As applied to learning and teaching AI and ML

5) As a pedagogical tool i.e. not for development but for learning

6) To achieve the benefits listed above

I believe that while the ideas are individually not new, we are applying them in a new context and I hope this will be inclusive.?

This is what I mean by ‘democratising the learning and teaching of AI’ which i aspire to develop as a social venture.

I am piloting these ideas at a few institutions besides my course in Oxford and shall share more as we develop them.

Welcome your thoughts

Many thanks to Matthew Kirk, Fabrizio Romano and Ayse Mutlu from our course

?To conclude

A brief clip of my talk covered by Al Arabiya news HERE

It was also great to meet Dr Saeed Al Daheri and Sumaya Al Hajeri (both part of our course at the #universityofoxford ) and also Ibrahim El Badawi

And also Dr Srinivasan Madapusi from BITS Pilani Dubai?

Many thanks to ohood alabood and sharjah media centre for the excellent organisation? and hospitality

If you want to study with me at our courses at #universityofoxford for ?#artificialintelligence, #digitaltwins please see? https://lnkd.in/eSC2scZ and https://lnkd.in/dRewYpPC),?