Kean Researchers Awarded Grant to Help Young Students Evaluate AI Financial Reasoning
Kean University researchers are examining how high school students use artificial intelligence (AI) to answer financial questions and how educators can help them determine whether the answers they receive can be trusted.
Kean Associate Professor Daehan Kwak, Ph.D., and Professor Jennifer Chen, Ed.D., received a $50,000 planning grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) through its inaugural FINDERS FOUNDRY program. The program supports interdisciplinary teams working with K-12 students to co-design technology and educational tools that prepare students for an increasingly AI-driven world.
“Teachers and the parents have expressed a need for guardrails in terms of how students use AI,” Chen said. “We need to find ways to support and encourage students to use AI ethically, responsibly and effectively. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into students’ academic and everyday lives, they need to learn how to critically evaluate the information and advice provided by these models.”
The project brings together researchers from Kean’s College of Education and The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology with educators and administrators from the Township of Union Public Schools. The collaboration connects Kean research with the needs and experiences of the local school community.
Kwak and Chen are working with technologists, researchers, educators and students to develop an AI tool that will help Union High School students critically evaluate AI-generated financial advice. The Kean team, led by Kwak and Chen, includes George Chang, Ph.D., dean of The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology; Professor Sai Jambunathan, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor Zimeng (Simone) Lyu, Ph.D.; and Assistant Professor Pragya Sharma-Ghimire, Ph.D.
As part of the research, students will evaluate AI-generated financial situations containing both accurate and flawed information, identify errors and determine whether the information provided is reliable.
“We're trying to build scenarios where students are using AI and they are asking the right kind of questions,” Kwak said. “Students get a result from their AI prompt, but what are they going to do with the answer from there?”
Students may turn to AI for help with everyday financial questions, including how to create a budget or manage spending. However, AI systems can produce incorrect or misleading information, making it important for students to critically evaluate the responses rather than simply accept them.
Kean researchers are meeting virtually and in person with Township of Union teachers and administrators to better understand students’ needs and will continue conducting AI experiments into November.
“We have a major university in our backyard and one of our main focuses is to put students in college,” said Jose M. Rodriguez, Ed.D., assistant superintendent of the Township of Union Public Schools. “Having partnerships with the University is extremely valuable because we can learn from each other.”
The project reflects Kean’s commitment to connecting university research with local community needs and collaborating with local educators on emerging issues such as AI.
"We are thankful for Kean University’s continued collaboration with Union Public Schools,” said Gerald Benaquista, Ph.D., superintendent of the Township of Union Public Schools. “We are incredibly grateful for the many opportunities to partner with the outstanding leadership team at Kean."
The $50,000 award supports the project’s discovery and planning phase. The team is refining its concept and gathering input from Union educators to develop a proposal for the next stage.
“We are an anchor institution doing research and encompassing community engagement,” Chang said. “This project is about gaining feedback from a community partner while working on a prototype to be tested with students and teachers. It can also improve collaboration on future projects about other topics.”
NSF is expected to select approximately 20 of the original 50 grant recipients to receive up to $300,000 each in additional funding to continue their research during a one-year development phase.
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