Keywords
Outreach, Digital literacy, Robots, Collaboration
Description
Libraries are reinventing themselves to stay relevant. As librarians, we recognize the need to be creative to facilitate student learning in the digital age. This academic year Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar tested a new outreach program in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science and the Robotics club. It was intended for the whole community but primarily for students from majors other than computer science, and relatively unfamiliar with coding and AI concepts. The purpose was to bring more students to the library, let them connect with each other, see a hi-tech side of library resources, try new things, engage with simple coding and unveil the mystery of machine learning. The event featured Cozmos, miniature robots capable of social interaction - empowered with facial expressions, movement, and speech. Cozmo expressiveness is captivating, and its functions can be easily programmed with a “drag and drop” application interface on an iPad. During an hour-long event, after an initial introduction, participants were divided into teams, played with robots, tested preset features, and then took part in a fun competition of programming robots to perform simple tasks. The event engaged everyone, with and without previous coding backgrounds. Students loved it and working on the project was a positive experience for all parties involved. Library benefited from a stronger connection to the department and the student club we rarely liaise with. The outreach program engaged students we hardly see in the library, offered them new learning, and enhanced the perceived value of our services. Library involvement in promoting AI and developing digital literacy resonates well with the conference theme “Libraries Pushing Boundaries”. The poster will present an overview of the event and its structure, illustrate what's needed to organize such a program as well as what pitfalls to avoid, and will highlight key learnings from the cross-campus collaboration.
Demystifying AI: a robot-mediated outreach program
Libraries are reinventing themselves to stay relevant. As librarians, we recognize the need to be creative to facilitate student learning in the digital age. This academic year Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar tested a new outreach program in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science and the Robotics club. It was intended for the whole community but primarily for students from majors other than computer science, and relatively unfamiliar with coding and AI concepts. The purpose was to bring more students to the library, let them connect with each other, see a hi-tech side of library resources, try new things, engage with simple coding and unveil the mystery of machine learning. The event featured Cozmos, miniature robots capable of social interaction - empowered with facial expressions, movement, and speech. Cozmo expressiveness is captivating, and its functions can be easily programmed with a “drag and drop” application interface on an iPad. During an hour-long event, after an initial introduction, participants were divided into teams, played with robots, tested preset features, and then took part in a fun competition of programming robots to perform simple tasks. The event engaged everyone, with and without previous coding backgrounds. Students loved it and working on the project was a positive experience for all parties involved. Library benefited from a stronger connection to the department and the student club we rarely liaise with. The outreach program engaged students we hardly see in the library, offered them new learning, and enhanced the perceived value of our services. Library involvement in promoting AI and developing digital literacy resonates well with the conference theme “Libraries Pushing Boundaries”. The poster will present an overview of the event and its structure, illustrate what's needed to organize such a program as well as what pitfalls to avoid, and will highlight key learnings from the cross-campus collaboration.