The way we teach STEM is out of date. Here’s how we can update it | Science & Tech - Qrius

This article was originally published on the World Economic Forum’s website.

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What can be done to support more humane, ethical, and effective technology? Can teaching STEM differently make a difference? argues Mitchell Baker, Executive Chairwoman of the Board, Mozilla.

Photo: Pexels 908284

The Internet’s dark side is more evident than ever, as “Big Tech” platforms give users tools to manipulate opinion, spew hate, and incite violence. To restore the Internet’s positive potential, we must ensure that those who drive its progress learn to assess the social, economic, and political consequences of their work.

After a prolonged honeymoon for the digital economy, the dark side of the Internet, social media, and “Big Tech” has become increasingly apparent in recent years. Online, what is good for business is not necessarily good for individuals or societies. Big Tech platforms make it easy to manipulate opinion, spew hate, and incite violence. 

We once naively believed that mass access to the World Wide Web would inevitably democratize information; today, we worry about the emergence of an “addiction economy” that is bad for everyone. What can be done to support more humane, ethical, and effective technology? 

One important way to address this problem in a systemic way is by reforming education in the so-called STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering, and math. Policymakers worldwide are already focusing on increasing the number of STEM graduates and the diversity of STEM students. But we should also expand the scope of STEM education, to ensure that students learn to evaluate and respond to the social, economic, and political consequences of their work...

Fortunately, the seeds of this educational revolution are already sprouting. Some universities are adding ethics classes to the STEM curriculum. Stanford University, with its deep links to the tech industry, has recently added courses with topics like “Ethics, Public Policy, and Technological Change” and “Computers, Ethics, and Public Policy.”

Stanford has also recently launched a new Human-Centered AI Initiative, which recognizes that “the development of AI should be paired with an ongoing study of its impact on human society, and guided accordingly.” Last year, Cornell launched the Milstein Program in Technology and Humanity. 

These early initiatives can serve as important testing grounds for new curricula and methods. But the real change will come only when all STEM programs provide students with the tools they need to carry out a credible assessment of their work’s effects on humanity.
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Source: Qrius