Using AI to Monitor Health

NSTA Daily Do Playlist

Alexa for Astronauts: Using AI to Monitor Health—is a series of three lessons that expose students to ideas about artificial intelligence and computer programming in the context of life science utilizing Amazon Alexa and MIT App Inventor. Students design an Alexa skill to help monitor astronauts’ physical health during deep-space exploration.

Lesson Plan 1

How do we know when we are physically well or unwell? Can we use AI to input data and receive output to help monitor our physical wellness?

On Day 1, high school students, as scientists, reflect on the information our bodies provide to answer the following driving question: How do we know when we are physically well or unwell? Students support a claim about physical wellness based on qualitative or quantitative evidence gathered from one or more health indicators of the human whole-body system. On Day 2, high school students, as scientists, revise and use an existing computer program to begin to answer the following driving question: Can we use AI to input data and receive output to help monitor our physical wellness? Students use a computer program and, based on patterns of performance, modify the program to support Artificial Intelligence (AI) in responding to multiple users.

Time: Two 50-minute class periods

Lesson Plan 2

What can vital signs reveal about the proper functioning of body systems? How can Alexa-MIT App Inventor be used to help astronauts determine if their body systems are functioning properly?

In Day 3, high school students, as scientists, consider the information vital signs provide about body systems to answer the following driving question: What can vital signs reveal about the proper functioning of body systems? Students use systems thinking to explain how different vital signs provide information about the functioning of (sub)systems that make up the whole-body system. In Day 4, high school students, as scientists, create a computer program to answer the following driving question: How can Alexa-MIT App Inventor be used to help astronauts determine if their body systems are functioning properly? Students revise and use a program that uses dialogue (input and output), data storage, and calculations to track a single vital sign in real-time and over time.

Time: Two 50-minute class periods

Lesson Plan 3

How can we use AI to monitor and provide feedback on an astronaut’s health when communication with mission control is not possible?

High school students, as scientists, work with their group to choose an indicator and create a computer program that will use AI to monitor astronaut health. Students use systems thinking to explain how different vital signs provide information about the functioning of (sub)systems that make up the whole-body system. With their groups, students revise and use a program that uses dialogue (input and output), data storage, and calculations to track a single vital sign in real-time and over time.

Time: One 50-minute class period