Learning journeys for scalable AI education: an MIT - USAF collaboration

Abstract

In 2021 the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Department of Defence (DoD) entered into a collaboration with multiple units within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop a new academic program focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) training. Given the size and the diversity within the body of USAF employees, the goal of this collaboration is to design and implement an innovative program that will achieve maximum learning outcomes at scale for learners with diverse roles and educational backgrounds. This program is now piloting and evaluating three different learning journeys addressing three different groups of USAF employees (USAF leaders and decision makers; technology developers; and daily frontend technology users). The learning journeys were designed based on each group’s specific professional needs and academic backgrounds, and they include combinations of online synchronous and asynchronous courses and face-to-face activities. The program’s pilot is currently underway and evaluation research findings are informing the next program iterations. The ultimate goal of this program is to formulate general recommendations on how to serve large numbers of diverse learners at scale in an optimum way. In addition to an evaluation pilot study, MIT experts on AI and the Science of Learning have been asked to review the program and their feedback will be integrated into the next program iteration. This paper presents the three learning journeys as originally designed to serve the three first diverse cohorts of learners, as well as the plan for future improvement and implementation of the program.