Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School

article Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School published Franz Yannik Fleischer author 42660https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0318-0329 Susanne Podworny author 306190000-0002-6313-5987 Rolf Biehler author 16274 363 department This study investigates how 11- to 12-year-old students construct data-based decision trees using data cards for classification purposes. We examine the students' heuristics and reasoning during this process. The research is based on an eight-week teaching unit during which students labeled data, built decision trees, and assessed them using test data. They learned to manually construct decision trees to classify food items as recommendable or not. They utilized data cards with a heuristic that is a simplified form of a machine learning algorithm. We report on evidence that this topic is teachable to middle school students, along with insights for refining our teaching approach and broader implications for teaching machine learning at the school level. International Association for Statistical Education2024 eng Statistics Education Research Journal 1570-182410.52041/serj.v23i1.450 231 Fleischer, Franz Yannik, et al. “Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School.” Statistics Education Research Journal, vol. 23, no. 1, 3, International Association for Statistical Education, 2024, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450">10.52041/serj.v23i1.450</a>. @article{Fleischer_Podworny_Biehler_2024, title={Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School}, volume={23}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450">10.52041/serj.v23i1.450</a>}, number={13}, journal={Statistics Education Research Journal}, publisher={International Association for Statistical Education}, author={Fleischer, Franz Yannik and Podworny, Susanne and Biehler, Rolf}, year={2024} } Fleischer FY, Podworny S, Biehler R. Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School. Statistics Education Research Journal. 2024;23(1). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450">10.52041/serj.v23i1.450</a> F. Y. Fleischer, S. Podworny, and R. Biehler, “Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School,” Statistics Education Research Journal, vol. 23, no. 1, Art. no. 3, 2024, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450">10.52041/serj.v23i1.450</a>. Fleischer, F. Y., Podworny, S., & Biehler, R. (2024). Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School. Statistics Education Research Journal, 23(1), Article 3. <a href="https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450">https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450</a> Fleischer, Franz Yannik, Susanne Podworny, and Rolf Biehler. “Teaching and Learning to Construct Data-Based Decision Trees Using Data Cards as the First Introduction to Machine Learning in Middle School.” Statistics Education Research Journal 23, no. 1 (2024). <a href="https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450">https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v23i1.450</a>. F.Y. Fleischer, S. Podworny, R. Biehler, Statistics Education Research Journal 23 (2024). 556672024-08-21T09:59:33Z2024-08-21T10:02:38Z