Journals @ Ontario Tech
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From Digital Storytelling to Design Fiction: Pedagogical Innovations in AI Education for K-12
No full textIn today’s world, AI is not just for experts—it is woven into our daily lives. This makes it essential for students, even at the K–12 level, to develop the skills and understanding to engage meaningfully with AI. This paper explores two narrative-based pedagogical approaches—Digital Storytelling (DST) and Design Fiction Pedagogy (DFP)—for AI education in K–12 contexts. We first compare DST and DFP’s theoretical foundations, educational goals, tools, and affordances. While DST fosters student creativity and digital literacy through personal narrative, DFP extends this by integrating speculative design and ethical reflection. Drawing on conceptual analysis and comparative case studies—Ng et al.’s (2022) implementation of DST in Hong Kong and a 2024 DFP-based AI camp in Ontario, Canada—we examine how each approach supports student understanding of AI. Findings suggest that while DST engages learners in creative storytelling, DFP offers deeper conceptual engagement with future-oriented thinking, critical design, and ethical inquiry. This study lays the foundation for further research into DFP’s potential in AI education and its applicability to other STEAM disciplines, promoting innovation in teaching methodologies
Combatting Teacher Candidates’ Educational Baggage Via the Digital Learning Portfolio
No full textOne of the well-documented problems initial teacher education (ITE) programs face includes the prior assumptions that teacher candidates accumulated over the thousands of hours they have spent observing their own teachers in their own K – 12 experiences as students. If left, unchallenged, teacher candidates may hang on to their “educational baggage”, and possibly hold onto outdated ideas about teaching and learning. This paper investigates a potential strategy to help teacher candidates address their “apprenticeship of observation” (Lortie, 1975) via carefully structured opportunities for exploring prior assumptions through the implementation of a digital learning portfolio (DLP). Reflective analysis summaries obtained from 50 teacher candidates’ DLPs were collected and analyzed upon completion of the first semester of a four-semester post-baccalaureate. Findings revealed the DLP’s potential to enhance teacher candidates’ awareness of prior assumptions about teaching and learning, as well as structured opportunities to explicitly document their perceived changes in learning related to both course content and to self as learners
Welcome to the 2nd Edition of Borg Diem
No full textIn Fall 2024 one of the Executive Editors of Including Disability, Stephanie Cork (SJC), and the Cyborg Jillian Weise (CJW) had a conversation over Google Chat to explore some of the inspirations for this ongoing collaborative dictionary. They discuss the origins and ongoing development of the project as well as issues around access and sharing stories in this way. Cy Weise also shares her dreams for the next versions of Borg Diem, and where she believes this incredible work can go
Preparing Students with Intellectual Disability for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Careers
No full textResearch indicates that outcomes for individuals with intellectual disability in post-secondary education (PSE), employment, and independent living lag in comparison to the general population. Students with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disability, are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers and face barriers in accessing STEM courses and career opportunities. Furthermore, students with intellectual disability are disproportionately affected by the impact of unemployment and underemployment and overall quality of life. Providing students with intellectual disability with opportunities for STEM instruction and access to STEM careers could help them with employment in the field. Therefore, the call exists for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to strengthen employment pathways for individuals with intellectual disability to find and maintain competitive employment, including STEM careers. This paper discusses potential barriers for individuals with intellectual disability in their pursuit of a career in STEM and offers recommendations for addressing the identified issues
Human Rights, Information Access, and Finding Aids
No full textArticle 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is interpreted to grant individuals the right to information access, which includes access to information in archives—and, therefore, in finding aids. Finding aids are intended as first points of contact between archival users and materials, but they are not currently created in wholly accessible manners, which impedes this right. Using examples from music archives, I assess the accessibility of finding aids by applying three metrics: discoverability, usability, and readability. This paper focuses on accessibility from a disability perspective, but the discussed findings and suggested changes are applicable more broadly
Mathematics & Artificial Intelligence: Intersections and Educational Implications
No full textEducational jurisdictions worldwide are integrating AI education in their curricula, across grades K-12, and across subject areas, with a focus on AI applications, societal implications, and AI ethics. Jurisdictions also focusing on how AI works and how AI is developed are realizing that AI relies heavily on mathematical algorithms. The jurisdictions that are advancing K-12 AI mathematics curricula to prepare students to understand and apply the mathematics concepts used by AI systems are focused on grades 11-12 courses. This paper investigates how AI mathematics curricula may be designed for younger grades. First, we take a close look at the nature of a neural network and identify the mathematics typically used. Second, we review K-12 AI curricula in Canada and internationally and note that they lack a focus on AI mathematics. Third, we offer examples of how we may engage students across grades with mathematics used in the neural networks. Last, we look at future directions of AI mathematics education and research. Neural networks are not the only approach to AI, and there is more to AI than neural networks. However, neural networks have led to impressive progress in the field of AI, such as the development of large language models like ChatGPT. For our paper, focusing on neural networks gives us a sufficient starting point for addressing the questions we raise. This paper contributes to conversations about the intersection of AI education and mathematics education, and the development and research of AI mathematics curricula and teaching and learning resources across K-12