2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

[Traditional Research Paper]: Fostering Teenagers’ Understanding of Community-Centered Edge AI Systems

Presented at Community Engagement Division (COMMENG) Technical Session 2

Edge AI (on-device machine learning using sensor-rich microcontrollers) offers an underexplored platform for K–12 AI education that foregrounds physical computing, authentic engineering trade-offs, and community relevance. This qualitative multi-artifact case study examined how twelve youth (ages 11–13) engaged with edge AI design during a two-week informal learning camp structured around the Community-Engaged Engineering Design (CEED) framework, which integrates the Engineering Design Process with collaborative stakeholder engagement principles drawn from the IAP2 (International Association for Public Participation) spectrum and the Collaborative Design Framework. Across three teams, we analyzed brainstorming reports, prototypes, and showcase posters to address two research questions: (1) how learners identify and frame community-relevant problems for edge AI solutions, and (2) how learners leverage scaffolded activities to integrate sensors, inference logic, and community need. Findings reveal that specificity of community framing served not only as a motivational scaffold but as a cognitive one: teams with more defined user contexts produced more coherent sensor-inference logic. Stakeholder engagement reached the consult level at most, reflecting the time constraints of informal settings. This study advances informal learning design and equity-oriented computing education by modeling how edge AI and participatory engineering frameworks can be integrated for youth from underrepresented communities.

Authors

Dr. Andrea Ramirez-Salgado http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-0001-2672 University of Florida [biography]

Andrea Ramirez-Salgado is an Instructional Assistant Professor in Engineering Education at the University of Florida, where she teaches courses in artificial intelligence and data science. Her research examines how instructional practices shape students’ identities in engineering and computer science, and how these
identities affect their career goals and persistence. She is particularly committed to creating inclusive, engaging learning environments that support diverse learners.
Yessy Eka Ambarwati http://orcid.org/https://0009-0002-3547-5869 University of Florida [biography]

Yessy Eka Ambarwati is a Fulbright Scholar and Research Associate at the University of Florida, pursuing a Master’s in Educational Technology. Her research centers on AI hardware-based learning and game-based instructional design in STEM education, with contributions to an NSF-funded project on microelectronics and Edge AI curriculum development.
Woorin Hwang http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7260-3431 [biography]

Woorin Hwang is a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Technology at the University of Florida. Her research is focused on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning, with ongoing projects related to AI literacy, Internet of Things (IoT), and engineering education. Prior to joining the University of Florida, Ms. Hwang worked as a teacher and instructional designer in South Korea, where she led several projects in learning content design and the development of educational systems.
Anany Sharma University of Florida
Megan Barnes University of North Texas
Nicole Dominguez
Dillon Donihue
Dr. Pavlo Antonenko [biography]

Pavlo "Pasha" Antonenko is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the University of Florida. His interests focus on the design of technology-enhanced learning environments and rigorous mixed-method research on the effective conditions for tec
Dr. Swarup Bhunia
Lauren Eutsler University of North Texas [biography]

Dr. Lauren Eutsler is an Associate Professor of Learning Technologies and Director of the Texas Center for Educational Technology at the University of North Texas. Her research examines technology integration, artificial intelligence, and literacy in K–16 learning environments. She currently co-leads a NSF-funded project that engage teachers and students in hands-on STEM and AI learning through microelectronics and engineering design.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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