Concept Catalyst: Exploring Scrutable Interfaces to Structure K-12 Teacher Interactions with Generative AI
In plain terms
Many teachers want to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create teaching materials, but existing tools aren't always designed for their classroom needs. This paper introduces "scrutable interfaces," which are user-friendly designs that let people easily adjust an AI's output without understanding its complex inner workings. They developed an AI tool called Concept Catalyst with such an interface, specifically to help K-12 teachers reflect on their teaching as they use generative AI (AI that creates new content, like text or images) for curriculum development. Through an exploratory study using "Wizard-of-Oz testing" (where a human secretly simulates the AI), they found that these interfaces positively structure teacher interactions with AI. This approach helps teachers reflect on their practices, makes their AI use more effective and efficient, and increases their motivation.