Penn’s Graduate School of Education has released a new high school curriculum that teaches students how to identify and question bias in artificial intelligence systems.
The curriculum, called “AI Auditing for High School,” aims to give students a basic understanding of algorithmic bias and demonsrates hands-on audits of real AI tools. It is part of a larger push at GSE to prepare both students and educators for the rapid expansion of AI in classrooms.
Developed by GSE professor Yasmin Kafai in collaboration with School of Engineering and Applied Science professor Danaë Metaxa and computer science teachers across the United States, the curriculum is designed for students with no prior coding experience.
Kafai said the goal is to help students think critically about how AI works, who it serves, and who it may disadvantage.
“This curriculum empowers students to become critical thinkers and ethical users of technology,” she said in the announcement. “By auditing AI systems, students learn to question how algorithms work, if they work, and who they serve.”
The framework includes four lessons: an introduction to algorithmic bias, an investigations and audits lesson, a TikTok audit, and a physical computing activity using Microbit CreateAI.
The rollout of the curriculum comes as the GSE expands its AI training programs with new funding and partnerships, including its Pioneering AI in School Systems program, which trains K-12 district leaders, principals, and teachers on responsible AI use.
In October, Google awarded Penn GSE a $1 million grant to scale PASS in districts across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
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In November 2024, GSE launched an online master’s program focused on AI in education and ongoing partnerships with districts through the PASS program, which welcomed its first cohort this fall. Feedback from the Philadelphia pilot of PASS has been positive, and GSE officials have said it could serve as a blueprint for other school systems in the region.
