July 29, 2026
Reposted from the The Research Post. Featuring work from One-U Responsible AI Initiative faculty fellow Vineet Pandey.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into classrooms and workplaces, researchers at the University of Utah are helping answer an important question: How can AI support learning without replacing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills students need to succeed?
A multidisciplinary U team has been selected as one of 50 teams nationwide for the National Science Foundation’s inaugural Fostering Interdisciplinary Network Driven Educationally Responsive Solutions Foundry (NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY) program. The initiative brings together educators, researchers, technologists, and communities to develop innovative solutions to some of K–12 education’s most pressing challenges while preparing students for an AI-driven future.
Led by Rebecca Peterson, interim director of the Stark Science Learning Center, the team includes Vineet Pandey and Eliane Wiese from the Kahlert School of Computing and Lauren Barth-Cohen from the departments of Educational Psychology and Physics & Astronomy. Together, the team will explore how generative AI can be thoughtfully integrated into secondary science classrooms to help students make sense of scientific data while strengthening—not replacing—their scientific reasoning.
“Science is about asking good questions and reasoning through the evidence,” Peterson said. “Those are exactly the skills we don’t want students to lose as AI becomes part of the classroom. By designing this with teachers, parents, and students, we can build something that helps young people think deeply and think more, not less.”
During the two-month planning phase, researchers will work directly with teachers and students through focus groups to better understand classroom needs and co-design an AI-supported learning environment grounded in authentic teaching and learning experiences.
The planning award positions the team to compete for a larger NSF development award later this year, which would support prototype development, classroom testing, and continued collaboration with educators.