Research Scientist (AI education)

Job Description

The MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program (MIT-STEP) is a leader in designing for and integrating educational technology into K-12 classrooms. As a research scientist in the STEP Lab the individual will study how people learn and how to create better ways for people to learn and to teach. This means that the research scientist will both design and create learning environments and experiences, and study how the learning experiences and environments help or hinder learning. As a key member of a collaborative team, the research scientist will collaborate with diverse team members such as designers, developers and other researchers on cutting edge projects to help improve education both in K-12 formal and informal education.

The research scientist will design, iteratively develop, and refine AI educational tools and curricula and serve as a researcher on two NSF funded AI education projects (tinyurl.com/EdAIresearcher). Areas of inquiry include preparing teachers to integrate artificial intelligence experiences in middle school classrooms, measuring the impact of teacher professional development on teacher learning and enactment of lessons, and on students’ learning of Ai concept knowledge, ethics in AI, and AI career futures. The Research Scientist will participate in existing studies along these lines.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**):

• Serve a dual role of AI education designer/developer and education researcher.
• Co-lead and support studies using qualitative, quantitative, and design-based methods.
• Co-coordinate the projects with PI and PM.
• Plan and coordinate educational activities with partner school districts, organizations, and institutions.
• Create and adapt curricula and tools, professional development programs, and research instruments.
• Teach AI concepts to teacher and student audiences.
• Work with research team to define data to capture from learning activities.
• Collect, clean, organize, and analyze data from instruments, artifacts, interviews, and observations.
• Work with a large and diverse research team spread across several locations.
• Publish articles and reports for scholarly and practitioner communities.
• Other duties as needed or required.

REQUIRED: Earned doctorate in learning sciences, education, social science, or a related field. Broad expertise in qualitative, quantitative, and design-based research methods, with deep expertise in at least one methodological approach (e.g. interaction analysis, learning analytics, discourse analysis, etc.). Experience in designing and executing sophisticated research designs. Track record of impactful publications. Strong interest in advancing excellence and equity in education through improving professional learning experiences for educators. Background knowledge of AI and machine learning. Excellent communication and technical skills. Able to work independently and contribute to an interdisciplinary team.  Some US travel required.

PREFERRED: Three to five years of research experience, including research experience in computer science education and computational thinking, designing and developing interventions to teach AI, developing assessments of student cognition and student learning in regular school day K-12 classrooms. Experience conducting data-intensive research, such as analysis of interaction data from web-based systems. Technical expertise in AI, data science, design and construction of models, and computer programming.

If interested, please contact Irene Lee, ialee@mit.edu with your cv and letter of interest.