CAIRE envisions a future where AI serves as a trusted educational partner—supporting human creativity, judgment, and care to advance equity and opportunity in K–16 education.
About Us
An Interdisciplinary Hub for
Responsible AI in Education
The Center for AI Research and Education (CAIRE) lab is Washington State University’s interdisciplinary hub for design-based research, development, and innovation in responsible AI for education. Anchored in the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences, CAIRE serves as a bridge across WSU colleges to foster cutting-edge research and socially responsive applications of AI in K–16 education.
CAIRE was established to respond to the growing need for ethical, human-centered AI systems that can support student learning, empower educators, and reduce barriers to access.
Strategic Directions
Our Three Visions
Research Ecosystem
CAIRE supports interdisciplinary grant development across WSU colleges and with external partners. The lab identifies funding opportunities, initiates collaborative proposals, and provides infrastructure for proposal development in areas related to AI, learning sciences, and equitable education systems.
Community Engagement
CAIRE engages in sustained outreach with K–12 schools, teachers, and students, particularly in rural and historically underserved communities. Through professional learning workshops, co-design partnerships, and classroom-based research, innovations remain grounded in practice and responsive to local needs.
Scholar Cultivation
CAIRE empowers graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty to become leaders at the intersection of AI and education. The lab offers mentoring, research apprenticeships, writing retreats, and professional development opportunities.
What We Study
Research Areas
CAIRE advances interdisciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and equity. The lab designs and studies human–AI partnerships that help teachers teach more effectively and students learn more deeply. Work integrates learning sciences, computer science, and science education.
AI-Supported Assessment and Instruction
CAIRE develops and tests AI systems that help teachers design and interpret NGSS-aligned assessments, provide real-time feedback, and adapt instruction to diverse learners.
Teacher Learning and AI Co-Design
Teachers collaborate with CAIRE researchers to co-design tools, explore pedagogical uncertainty, and integrate AI meaningfully into practice—especially in rural and under-resourced schools.
AI Literacy and Ethics
CAIRE studies how educators and students understand and use AI,
building frameworks and curricula that promote responsible,
transparent, and equitable use of emerging technologies.