Academic Portfolio

Katlin Eyre
Applied Social Science- Political Science and History
Science, Technology, and Society
University of Wisconsin-Stout
eyrek2998@my.uwstout.edu
katlin-elizabeth-eyre.weebly.com

Thank you for visiting my academic portfolio. My name is Katlin Eyre, I am a student at the
University of Wisconsin-Stout. My studies include a major in applied social science and my
concentration includes political science and history, I also have a minor in science, technology,
society. My professional interests include work in research or policy analysis.

Throughout my educational career at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, I have demonstrated 3

years of research and data analysis skills. This has been shown through my courses in
quantitative and qualitative research methods, applied social science capstone, public policy
analysis and a variety of political science courses. I am proficient in Microsoft office (Outlook,
Word, Excel, PowerPoint), social media, survey tools and statistical software. I have work
experience in research as a research assistant for the university. I also have strong verbal and
written communication skills that I have demonstrated by presenting at the National Conference
of Undergraduate Research. Other skills I would consider strengths of mine include leadership,
problem solving, critical thinking, and adaptability. I am passionate and hardworking, and I excel
as an individual or as a part of a team.
Project: Impact of Life Skills Curriculum on Students’ Well-being
Class: APSS 400- Applied Social Science Capstone
Class Term: Fall 2018
Project Summary:
I chose this project because I am passionate about education and its policies. This project is an
example of all the skills I have developed as an undergraduate in the applied social science
major. This project demonstrates my research skills in mainly qualitative analysis with a small
amount of quantitative analysis. I was able to showcase skills in critical writing, communication,
and critical thinking through this research. The skills I gained in this project will help me in my
future career as a research or policy analyst. Communication and public speaking are important
skills I will need in any career as well as the research skills I’ve gained.
This project taught me patience and perseverance. I learned to condense ideas into a project that
was feasible even though I wanted to incorporate many different parts. I was able to expand on
my research skills and apply those into a mix methods project. I also learned more about creating
and analyzing surveys. This project also gave me more confidence in my abilities as an applied
social science graduate.
 2018

Impact of Life Skills

Curriculum on Students’
Well-being
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT
KATLIN EYRE, ADVISOR: DR. TINA LEE
APSS 400 CAPSTONE FALL 2018
 1

Table of Contents

Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………2

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………….2

Literature Review ……………………………………………………………………4

Data Description and Methods ………………………………………………………8

Data Analysis……………………………………………………………...…...……10

Policy Recommendation…………………………………………………………….16

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………….17

References …………………………………………………………………..……...19
 2

Executive Summary

This research attempts to understand how life skills and 21st century skills impact high

school students. Life skills are skills that students learn that teach them how to do real world

activities such as paying taxes. 21st century skills are skills that students will need to be

successful in the 21st century job market such as effectively communicating. These skills are

becoming more important to employers however it seems as if high schools are still lacking this

curriculum. To solve this, I sent a survey to 141 University of Wisconsin-Stout students asking

questions about their high schools’ curriculum in these skills. The methodology used was a

qualitative analysis of the survey responses. I coded the data to find three major themes: life

skills classes, 21st century skills, and classes offed versus classes wished. The analysis showed

that students from a variety of Wisconsin high schools were dissatisfied with the classes

available to them and the curriculum lacked within the classes they had offered. Students felt

like life skills and 21st century skills are important and wished their schools had offered a better

curriculum in these fields. I also found a strong need for better mental health classes in high

school as that has contributed to many weaknesses of the participants. As policy

recommendations, I would suggest schools widen their guidance counselors’ roles to help

integrate these skills into the classroom. I would also suggest making sure these skills are not

over looked as electives and seen as important skills students want and need to be a part of their

education.

Introduction

There is an increasing need for students to develop skills that set them up for a successful

future. Students have been saying this for ages and recently, research calls for it too. According
 3

to a TED-ED blog, a student is asking policy-makers to prepare them for things they will need to

know later in life. The blog discusses that today’s parents might not be fully doing their job in

educating children on these lessons. "These students cannot always rely on their parents for

college information and must instead turn to their high schools" (Holland, 2015). It is also the

job of the education system to prepare students for the world. Life skills and 21st century skills

are critical for a successful future and therefore should be better integrated into school

curriculum. Life skills can be defined by skills that teach students how to do real world activities

such as taxes. "Life skills are the skills required for daily life in the community. These skills can

be grouped into five areas, including: self-care and domestic living, recreation and leisure, social

interaction, employment, and community participation" (Chiang, Ni, Lee, 2017). 21st century

skills are skills that are becoming more relevant in the 21st century job market. According to

Gore, these skills include learning skills, innovative skills, creativity, critical thinking, project-

based learning, student-driven research projects, problem solving, communication, teamwork, IT

and other technology skills, flexibility, adaptability, self-direction, social and cross-cultural

communication, global awareness, business, economics, civic literacy, and health literacy. The

importance of these skills is going to put students above other contenders in the job market. If

schools want to fully prepare students to succeed in the world then these skills need to be a

crucial part of the educational system. Which means, high schools need to stop putting these

skills on the back burner and become the forefront of education.

The importance of the research is to answer questions about life skills and 21st century

skills. Past research has shown the significance these skills make to students. My research looks

at a variety of Wisconsin high schools and evaluates what students learned in this field. A survey

was sent out to UW-Stout students, who had graduated from a Wisconsin high school asking
 4

questions on the type of skills they gained, and the type of life skills classes that they were

offered. After a qualitative analysis of the responses, I was able to answer the research questions

of, if these skills are important to students and how well Wisconsin high school’s life skills

curriculum works. I found an overwhelming amount of importance to students that these classes

and skills are available in their high schools. From the responses, many students were not

satisfied on the classes offering those skills and gave many examples of similar skills they

wished they were offered. An emphasis on mental health classes and personal finance classes

was made, as well as better curriculum in those classes. Many skills students wished they learned

which is relevant to the skills employers are looking for included communication, time

management, leadership, conflict resolution, critical thinking, social skills, collaboration, and

stress management. As a policy recommendation to solve this issue, guidance counselors should

take more responsibility in schools to teach these skills, especially mental health and stress

management since many counselors are already trained on those. It also makes sense to better

integrate 21st century skills into every class. More classes can add a student lead research

component. Which would better teach communication, collaboration, time management, conflict

resolution, and leadership as well as essential research skills. Just changing a little of the

curriculum in each class and shifting more focus on teaching 21st century skills can greatly

change the outcome of student’s performance and better prepare them for the future.

Literature Review

College and Career Readiness

21st century skills are a growing importance to employers every year. "Based on several

hundred interviews with business, nonprofit, and education leaders. Learning 21st-century skills
 5

requires 21st-century teaching proposes that students need seven survival skills including:

Critical thinking and problem solving; Collaboration and leadership; Agility and adaptability;

Initiative and entrepreneurialism; Effective oral and written communication; Accessing and

analyzing information; and Curiosity and imagination" (Saavedra, Opfer, 2012). A job candidate

with this skill set is prepared for any job in a changing job market, especially the one we’re

facing now and into the next 20 years. "What's actually new is the extent to which changes in

our economy and the world mean that collective and individual success depends on having such

skills" (Rotherham, Willingham, 2009). "Learners lacking proficiency in these areas probably

many not be able to cope with the 21st century demands, and job opportunities being offered by

national and multinational corporations" (Gore, 2013). In order for students to obtain jobs and

do them well, 21st century skills are a necessity. "Education is even more critical today, in the

face of economic, environmental, and social challenges" (Pellegrino, Hilton, 2012). If the

education system continues to keep the same curriculum it sets students up to fail because they

aren’t allowing students to gain the skills necessary for the jobs. "States, school districts, and

schools need to revamp how they think about human capital in education" (Rotherham,

Willingham, 2009). Education needs to expand with the expanding world or it does the

community a disservice. "Today's children can meet future challenges if their schooling and

informal learning activities prepare them for adult roles as citizens, employees, managers,

parents, volunteers and entrepreneurs" (Pellegrino, Hilton, 2012). According to “Zukerman-

CEO of Boston Properties, owner and publisher of the New York Daily and U.S News & World

Report- says the top skill he looks for is determination. He looks for soft skills such as

determination over academic achievement” (Kyllonen, 2013). Academic achievement is an

essential role in education and choosing a candidate for a job; however, if soft skills are
 6

overlooked in education that makes for a disadvantaged student. "Globalization, economic

necessity, and low civic engagement compound the urgency for students to develop the skills and

knowledge they need for success" (Saavedra, Opfer, 2012). "Proponents point to a new

generation of college students and workers who are independent thinkers, problem solvers, and

decision makers" (Silva, 2009). If the education system does a poor job of integrating these

skills into curriculum it will make for a poor future and students unprepared for jobs.

Academic Curriculum

Academic curriculum and national standards make it hard for teachers to teach life skills

and 21st century skills. "Research indicates that the social and emotional wellbeing of students

impacts academic outcomes; however, due to a limited amount of class time, the counseling

core curriculum that addresses these needs often takes a back seat to academic

learning" (Kozlowski, 2013). Limited class time because of academic learning makes it hard for

soft skills to take a priority in the classroom. Therefore, these skills are often left out despite the

overwhelming importance that students develop these skills. "What is often overlooked in the

push for academic achievement is the impact of student's personal/social development on

academic outcomes" (Kozlowski, 2013). "The best educators know that students can't develop

and use skills without a core body of knowledge. But they also know that they must emphasize

higher order thinking and problem solving if their students are to ultimately learn how to learn

for themselves" (Silva, 2009). Another important aspect that students need that is often left out is

college and career preparation. "More advantaged students gain much of their college knowledge

from their parents, but less advantaged students often rely on the school" (Holland, 2015).

"Many U.S students are taught these skills- those who are fortunate enough to attend highly

effective schools or at least encounter great teachers- but it's a matter of chance rather than the
 7

deliberate design of our school system" (Rotherham, Willingham, 2009). "Despite wanting to go

to college, many low-income students lack information about application policies and do not

prepare themselves for college admissions via participation in extracurricular activities or

researching schools" (Holland, 2015). The main problem is that these skills and information are

being left out because of the limited time during the day and the knowledge that is being taught.

"Widely cited by national education groups, teacher unions, higher education organizations, and

workforce development group as an imperative for today's students, these skills are also gaining

steam with policy makers. The governors and chief state school officers of at least 10 states have

committed to revising standards for teaching and learning and to create new assessments that

reflect the need for 21st-century skills" (Silva, 2009). "Educators no longer have to make

either/or choices between programs aimed at increasing academic achievement versus those

aimed at developing interpersonal competence" (Stevahn, 2004). Reforming standards to

integrate these skills in classes will help educators have the time to focus on 21st century skills.

"An emphasis on what students can do with knowledge, rather than what units of knowledge

they have, is the essence of 21st- century skills" (Silva, 2009). The sooner policy makers realize

the importance of 21st century skills than a better and more well-rounded education can provide

students with all the tools for a successful future.

Life Skills and 21st Century Skills

As the past literature has pointed out, 21st century skills and life skills are of the essence

in the future. "21st century skills are not new just newly important" (Silva, 2009). "Businesses

and political leaders are increasingly asking schools to develop skills such as problem solving,

critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and self- management- often referred as "21st

century skills" (Pelligrino, Hilton,2012). These skills are skills that have always been around.
 8

However, there are becoming increasingly relevant to employers who are looking for job

candidates that can apply knowledge through these 21st century skills. "In particular in the field

of education, it's often argued that today's students need to leave school with an accomplished

and well-sorted set of 21st century skills in their backpack in order to succeed in life" (Greiff,

Kyllonen, 2016). "In a fast-changing world, education has to prepare learners to act intelligently,

skillfully, and with good judgement when they meet the unexpected " (Claxton, Costa, Kallick,

2016). In a technologically advancing society, the job market and the future is rapidly changing

which means it is no time for education to take a back seat. Education also needs to develop and

change at the rate society changes.

Data Description and Methods

This research focuses on qualitative data from a survey sent to UW-Stout students asking

participants to reflect on life skills courses in their high schools and if or what 21st century skills

they gained from their school’s curriculum. The questions this research aims to answer are, are

life skills classes and 21st century skills important to students? Did students feel satisfied with

life skills classes and learning 21st century skills? Are these classes and skills impactful on

student’s wellbeing after graduation? Should life skills classes and 21st century skills be more

relevant in high schools? The survey consisted of a variety of questions that aim at answering

those research questions. The methodology used for this research is qualitative research methods.

I will code the data from the survey to find themes which will be used to analyze and answer my

research questions and hypothesis.

The data collected was from a survey I sent out from Qualtrics. The Survey was sent to

1,000 UW- Stout students. 136 of the 1,000 responded and 81 respondents indicated they

graduated from a Wisconsin high school. The demographics of the respondents are 67 female,
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46 male and 1 as agender. Participants graduated high school from a variety of cities in

Wisconsin, giving data on schools in urban, suburban and rural communities. Some cities

included are Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton, Eau Claire, Menomonie, Hudson, Fall Creek, Sun

Prairie, Rice Lake, Stevens Point, Tomah, Barron, and La Crosse. Therefore, data was collected

from vast amount of school districts with different funding and resources making the data more

reliable. From those participants, I also asked for their major. Also getting a variety of majors

offered at UW-Stout some including education, engineering, sciences, and business. This is

relevant to see how life skills and 21st century skills are useful to their major or set them up for

their major. One of the survey questions asked if they had life skills classes in high school, with

65% saying yes and 35% saying no. This gave me an idea of how many schools already offered

these classes and then I wanted to find out the level of life skills classes the schools offered and

if students felt like the classes were helpful. Another question asked was if the participants found

those classes beneficial since graduating high school with 50% responding “a little”, 62%

responding “a moderate amount”, and 8% responding “a lot”. This shows a majority of

participants found their high schools life skills classes not beneficial. Some themes I have found

in the survey responses are that most schools had basic personal finance and home economics

classes. Respondents said that they would’ve wanted more in-depth personal finance classes,

teaching specifically on taxes, buying/renting a house, and loans. As well as classes that taught

about mental health, stress management, sex, and gender identity. 81% of respondents said they

did not have classes teaching them about mental health. 71% of respondents said they had

average to terrible life skills classes offered in their high school yet a trend I’m seeing is that

students value these courses however their high school did a poor job of implementing that

curriculum. Another survey question asked participants of they felt their high school fully
 10

prepared them for high school with 39% saying no. Themes among the data are high schools

need better mental health classes, students value life skills classes but feel their high school

needs more specific curriculum, there are differences in the classes offered among urban and

suburban schools compared to rural schools, and weaknesses of participants are communication

and time management.

Data Analysis

The themes that emerged from the results were life skills, 21st century skills, and classes

wished versus classes offered. The theme “life skills” is defined as skills that teach real world

activities such as taxes. 21st century skills refer to skills learned to use in the 21st century job

market such as communication. Classes offered versus classes wish offered refers to classes’

students took in high school and classes students wished they could’ve taken. The results from

the data say that students want life skills courses in high school. They felt unprepared for the real

world because their schools didn’t offer life skills classes. The schools that did offered life skills

classes didn’t seem beneficial to students because of the lessons and curriculum in the class.

Therefore, students feel like they would benefit from life skills classes if the curriculum in those

classes was more in depth and planned out like any other academic course. These themes are

important because it shows the necessity for these classes and skills to be in a better curriculum

in Wisconsin high schools.

First, for the life skills theme, 76% of participants responded “maybe/no” to their high

school fully preparing them for college or the real world.

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Figure 1

Shown in figure 1 is the results from the survey question, “Did you feel like your high school

fully prepared you for college or life in the real world?” This shows the overwhelming amount of

“no/maybe” responses compared to “yes”. Like stated in the literature, students are asking

policy-makers and educators to give them resources in the classroom to prepare them for life

after high school. According to the data, students throughout Wisconsin are missing these skills.

65% of participants said they had some sort of life skills class; such as, personal finance, home

economics, technology, economics, business, accounting, health, or none. Of these, 44/70

respondents had a personal finance class. According to the responses, their personal finance class

had a poor curriculum. According to one student, “it wasn’t that helpful of a class. It was called

personal finance management and the teachers didn’t really teach us anything. I still have to ask

my mom for help when it comes to stuff like that.” According to this student, the teachers did a

poor job of teaching personal finance which made the class unbeneficial. Only 8% of participants

said that life skills classes (personal finance, home economics, etc.) have benefited them since

graduating high school, meanwhile 51% said “a little.” 31% rated their school’s life skills

classes as “poor/terrible”, 29% were rated as “good/excellent”, and 40% rated them as “average.”
 12

With these results, it can be inferred that life skills classes are necessary for students to feel

prepared in the real world. The results show that certain school districts place life skills classes

as electives or not as important as academic skills. This means that those classes might be taught

by teachers who do not have a family and consumer science degree, making it hard to make up

relevant and important curriculum. According to the survey responses, life skills are beneficial

especially to those students who do not have outside resources like their parents to ask. Another

big problem is parents not doing their part in educating their children on finance, cooking,

technology, and such. This leaves students to seek these skills from their high schools. If high

schools are not offering life skills courses or are lacking in the curriculum than those types of

students are left disadvantaged after graduation.

21st century skills include skills such as communication, collaboration, leadership, and

problem solving. From the literature, the importance of these skills is known. A question in the

survey asked students to share what they think their weaknesses and strengths are. This question

was important when evaluating the types of 21st century skills students gained or didn’t gain.

From the responses the weaknesses of the participants included; communication, time

management, mental health and anxiety, social skills, procrastination, lack of focus,

unmotivated, and bad at taking criticism. Strengths included; communication, leadership,

problem solving, good listening, and organization. This shows that students gained valuable 21st

century skills according to their strengths. However, students also missed quite critical 21st

century skills like social skills. 56% responded that they did learn how to effectively

communicate, problem solve, and work with other people, 44% said they did not. These numbers

are too close for comfort. It should be a main goal in Wisconsin high schools that all students

learn how to effectively communicate, problem solve, and work with other people as these are
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basic 21st century skills that an employer in any field will look for in an applicant. Mentioned in

the survey responses were skills students wished they could have gotten through their school,

which were, mental health, finances, changing a tire, interviewing and resume writing, decision-

making, nutrition, and how to be healthy. Other 21st century skills they wished they would’ve

learned were, time management, leadership, conflict resolution, communication, public speaking,

social skills, critical thinking, group work, writing skills, and stress management. Which are all

crucial skills students will need to succeed in a career. An employer that sees a candidate knows

how to handle conflict resolution and leadership will be above a candidate who does not. These

are the types of 21st century skills that students need to be competitive job candidates. High

schools in Wisconsin are doing a poor job at teaching these 21st century skills which could easily

be integrated into an academic class by using project-based learning, research, and presentations.

Students often get 21st century skills in college because the course set up typically focuses on

lecture, applying learning through projects and research, and then presenting it. However,

students who do not go to college will not gain those skills.

Classes offered versus classes wished is an important theme because it shows that

students are not getting skills, they feel will benefit their futures. The responses for the question

asking what classes students wished they had in school were, more specific money

management/personal finance (taxing, banking, renting/buying a house, loans), home economics,

college preparation/workforce information, business, economics, IT/computer science, more

psychology, history and language classes, and mental health/physical health/sex ed. Here, it is

shown that students want these classes since the participants listed these classes in the survey.

Therefore, life skills classes are important to students, they are not seen as useless but rather

beneficial. The problem with life skills classes are that they are typically seen to educators as
 14

unnecessary, so they are put off as electives and are not taught to the full capability that fully

teaches students those skills. The problem with 21st century skills is that they can easily be taught

in any class, yet students are still lacking some of the most important skills like proper

communication and writing skills.

Figure 2

Figure 2 shows the lack of mental health education in schools. According to the figure, 81% of

participants said they did not have classes on mental health. Also, 58% of participants said they

did not have stress management resources. This is problematic because most respondents’

weaknesses involved a lack of mental health management. Heathy measures for handling mental

health is an extremely important skill for adults. Also, many high schoolers experience problems

with anxiety and mental health so it is important that schools have resources and teach students

about mental health.

I also ran a quantitative regression to test whether funding for school districts had a

significant effect on life skills, mental health, and 21st century skills offered at each district.
 15

Correlation P-value

Coefficient

Life Skills 0.063 0.587

Mental Health 0.059 0.612

21st Century Skills 0.091 0.429

Figure 3

According to figure 3, funding did not have a significant correlation with whether students were

getting these classes and skills. Therefore, since funding doesn’t seem to be in issue, high

schools should be able to better fix the curriculum in the life skills and mental health classes as

well as integrate more 21st century skills into all the classes curriculum.

From the data, it is concluded that life skills and 21st century skills are important to

students. This is because classes desired shows the importance from students that money

management, home economics, college preparation, and mental health are adequately offered.

Skills that students wish they had learned such as time management, leadership, conflict

resolution, communication, public speaking, social skills, critical thinking, group work, writing

skills, and stress management are all important 21st century skills that employers are seeking, and

students are saying they want to learn. According to the data, students from Wisconsin high

schools did not feel satisfied with the life skills classes and 21st century skills their schools

provided if any at all. According to the survey response, only 8% said that those classes had

benefited them since graduating, and 51% responded “a little”. However, it was shown that

these classes were important to students, but the curriculum was lacking. For example, “As far as

life skills I think the classes they offered were adequate but the curriculum in those classes was

lacking. Most of our personal finance class was watching Shark Tank”. This response shows that
 16

the class could have been beneficial to the student but instead of teaching concepts on money

management they teacher had them watch Shark Tank. Obviously, this is problematic, that

teachers are not being held accountable for poor curriculum. Also, 76% of participants responded

“maybe/no” to their high school fully preparing them for college or the real world. 81% of

participants said they did not have classes on mental health which was a largely desired class on

the classed wished theme. To answer the hypothesis, should life skills classes and 21st century

skills be more relevant in high schools? Based off student’s responses, yes. “basic skills—

learning how to change a tire, how to deal with college loans, FAFSA, steps to take to establish

credit, financial classes, cooking/baking classes, help offered for finding what you want to do

with your life, and what colleges to attend. The whole college process is overwhelming, and no

one taught me this until I was a semester into college.” “Classes that taught valuable life skills

would have been great. My high school definitely lacked that. I’m glad the Mitochondria is the

powerhouse of the cell, but I have absolutely no idea how to do taxes.” It is also especially

important to make sure there is an outstanding curriculum with life skills and 21st century skills

in high schools because students who don’t have outside resources look to their educators to gain

these skills and knowledge. It is important that these classes and skills are not just looked over

as electives and policy makers and educators take the time to advance these skills as they are

important parts of adult life and obtaining a job.

Policy Recommendation

As a policy recommendation, it is important to allow school counselors to take on a wider

role in teaching life skills and 21st century skills. As mental health is important to students,

school counselors can do a better job at teaching and providing resources for mental health and

stress management, especially since most counselors should already have this training. "Yet with
 17

high-stakes testing focusing on academic content and outcomes, teachers are forced to narrow

curriculum, limiting their ability to meet the socioeconomic needs of their students. While

teachers have little time to cover personal/ social development, let alone career standards, in their

academic curriculum, school counselors are trained to address these developmental needs of all

students." (Kozlowski, 2013). It would be more cost efficient to use the resources already present

in the school. Teachers should also provide more project-based learning which a good way is to

integrate many 21st century skills into the classroom. A research project would allow students to

problem solve, critically think, collaborate, strengthen writing skills as well as research skills.

Those along with many other 21st century skills and the primary academic topic will provide the

knowledge and skills students should learn and develop in the classroom. As a bigger scale

policy recommendation, it is also critical that policy-makers listen to the wants of employers and

the need of students in order to keep a flowing job market and good economy. Not allowing

education to develop and change with the times does nothing but a disservice to the nation. It is

important to evaluate the educational standards and continue to do research on what is best to

prepare students for the world after graduation.

Conclusion

Overall, the importance of life skills and 21st century skills is present to students and

according to the literature, also employers. Students have been voicing a need for these skills in

classes for years and with the presently changing job market, that voice is more relevant than

ever. It is important that the education system is fully preparing students for college, jobs, and

life outside of high school. It is important that parents and educators work together to ensure that

the next generation is adequately set up to succeed. The role of guidance counselors and

educators needs to be more focused on student’s needs because not all students have the outside
 18

resources to gain these skills and learn the information. It is time policy makers take a closer

look at the education system and the standards set. They need to be reevaluated and change parts

of school curriculum to better teach life skills and 21st century skills in order to keep up with the

fast-changing world.
 19

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3028-1

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Kozlowski, K. A. (2013). Integrating School Counseling Core Curriculum Into Academic Curriculum.

Journal of School Counseling, 11(5), 1–35.

Kyllonen, P. C. (2013). Soft Skills for the Workplace. Change, 45(6), 16–23.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2013.841516

Lee, O., Park, M., Jang, K., & Park, Y. (2017). Life lessons after classes: investigating the influence

of an afterschool sport program on adolescents’ life skills development. International Journal of

Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 12(1), 1307060.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2017.1307060

Ongardwanich, N., Kanjanawasee, S., & Tuipae, C. (2015). Development of 21st Century Skill Scales

as Perceived by Students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 191, 737–741.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.716

Pazey, B. L., Schalock, R. L., Schaller, J., & Burkett, J. (2016). Incorporating Quality of Life

Concepts Into Educational Reform: Creating Real Opportunities for Students With Disabilities in

the 21st Century. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 27(2), 96–105.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207315604364

Rotherham, A. J., & Willingham, D. (2009). 21st Century Skills: The Challenges Ahead. Educational

Leadership, 67(1), 16–21.

Saavedra, A. R., & Opfer, V. D. (2012). Learning 21st-Century Skills Requires 21st-Century

Teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(2), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171209400203

Scarborough, J. L., & Culbreth, J. R. (2008). Examining Discrepancies Between Actual and Preferred

Practice of School Counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(4), 446–459.

https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2008.tb00533.x
 21

Shaterloo, A., & Mohammadyari, G. (2011). Students counselling and academic achievement.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 30, 625–628.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.121

Silva, E. (2009). Measuring Skills for 21st-Century Learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(9), 630–634.

https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170909000905

Siu Cheung Kong, Tak-Wai Chan, Griffin, P., Ulrich Hoppe, Ronghuai Huang, Kinshuk, …

Shengquan Yu. (2014). E-learning in School Education in the Coming 10 Years for Developing

21st Century Skills: Critical Research Issues and Policy Implications. Journal of Educational

Technology & Society, 17(1), 70–78.

Stevahn, L. (2004). Integrating Conflict Resolution Training Into the Curriculum. Theory Into

Practice, 43(1), 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4301_7

 Impact of Life Skills Curriculum on
Students’ Well-Being
Katlin Eyre, Tina Lee, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Stout
Overview: Policy Recommendation:
• This research aims to understand how life skills and 21st century 65% of participants 1. I recommend guidance counselors taking on a wider role in teaching 21st
said they had some
skills impact high school students' futures. sort of life skills century skills and life skills. Especially when it comes to mental health,
• Life skills are skills students need to do real world activities. class counselors should be providing the resources for students. This is because
• 21st century skills are skills students will need for the 21st century Only 8% have said
many counselors already have mental health training.
job market. those classes have
• These skills are becoming more relevant to employers and benefited them since 2. I recommend teachers should also integrate project-based learning into
graduating
students seem to be lacking these skills. Life Skills classes to teach 21st century skills. Research, collaboration, communication,
• Life skills: taxes, cooking, buying a house, loans, building credit, 31% rated their school’s life skills public speaking, leadership, critical writing, and problem solving are just a few
classes has “poor/terrible”, 21
civics, economics. were rated as “good/excellent” of the 21st century skills students can learn from project-based learning.
• 21st Century skills: communication, problem solving, conflict and 40% as “average”

resolution, self-management, adaptability. 3. I recommend policy-makers to continue to research and evaluate education
76% of responded
• Are 21st century skills and life skills important to students? “maybe/no” to their high as the times change. Preparing students for jobs that no longer exist or have
• Did students in Wisconsin high schools feel satisfied with the school fully preparing them different skills will reflect poorly on the economy when these students enter
for the real world
curriculum involving these skills? the workforce. As times change and technology develops, educational
• Are these skills impactful and important after graduation? standards need to be reevaluated to prepare students for the world they will
• Should 21st century skills and life skills be more relevant in high 56% responded that they enter.
learned how to effectively
school? communicate, problem
solve, and collaborate. 44%
did not
Participants/Methods:
The method I used for this research was qualitative. I sent a survey Weaknesses:
communication, time
to 1,000 UW-Stout students asking questions on the skills they management, mental
gained from their high school’s curriculum and how they have health, social skills,
procrastination, bad at
benefited from those. 81 responses were recorded from a variety of taking criticism
Wisconsin high schools. Participants were 67 female, 46 male, and 1
agender. I did run a quantitative regression to see how school 21st Century Strengths:
Themes Skills communication,
district funding affected the types of skills students were offered, leadership, problem
the mental heath curriculum, and the classes they had offered. solving, good Figure 1
listening,
organization
Figure 1 shows the amount of participants who did not have mental
Data Analysis: health resources in their school.
The themes that emerged from the data were life skills, 21st century Skills students wished they

skills, and classes wish versus classes offered. From the results it is
learned: time
management, leadership, Conclusion:
conflict resolution,
evident that students want life skills classes. They feel unprepared communication, public
• According to the literature, 21st century skills and life skills are important to
for the real world because their high school either didn’t offer life speaking, social skills, employers.
critical thinking, group
skill classes, or the classes that were offered had inadequate work, writing skills, stress • The research finds that these skills are also important to students
curriculum. Many 21st century skills were listed as weaknesses of the management • It is important that the education system is fully preparing students for
participants. Those included communication and public speaking. jobs, college, and life out of high school, especially in the 21st century.
21st century skills are crucial to being a successful adult and being a Wished: specific personal • Parents and educators must make sure the next generation is appropriately
competitive job applicant. Classes wished versus classes offered finance, home economics, set up to succeed.
college prep, business,
proved that 21st century skills and life skills are important to economics, IT, more • Guidance counselors and teachers need to be invested in students needs
students. This means that when students rated that life skills classes psychology, history, foreign
language classes, mental
because not all students have the resources outside of school to gain these
didn’t prepare them for the real world, that wasn’t meant as those heath/physical health/sex skills.
ed
skills being invaluable but rather the curriculum in the classes didn’t • Policy-makers need to reevaluate educational standards to keep up with
prepare them. Students would benefit from life skills and 21st the fast-changing world.
Classes Wished 81% of
century skills but need those classes to have a better reputation and Versus Classes participants said
be adequately offered. I also ran a regression equation to see how Offered they did not have
school district funding affected the classes and skills students are classes on mental References:
offered. The p-value of each variable showed little significance health Claxton, G., Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2016). Hard Thinking About SOFT SKILLS. Educational Leadership, 73(6), 60–64.
Does school prepare students for the real world? This teen speaker says no |. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2018, from https://blog.ed.ted.com/2015/08/25/does-school-prepare-students-for-the-real-world-this-teen-speaker-says-no/
Gore, V. (2013). 21st Century Skills and Prospective Job Challenges. IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 7(4), 7–14.

which means that funding doesn’t correlate with life skills classes,
Greiff, S., & Kyllonen, P. (2016). Contemporary Assessment Challenges: The Measurement of 21st Century Skills. Applied Measurement in Education, 29(4), 243–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2016.1209209
Gwee, M. C.-E. (2009). Problem-Based Learning: A Strategic Learning System Design For The Education Of Healthcare Professionals in the 21ST Century. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences, 25(5), 231–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1607-

58% of participants 551X(09)70067-1

Holland, M. M. (2015). Trusting Each Other: Student-Counselor Relationships in Diverse High Schools. Sociology of Education, 88(3), 244–262. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038040715591347

21st century skills, or mental health resources offered at high said they did not
Kozlowski, K. A. (2013). Integrating School Counseling Core Curriculum Into Academic Curriculum. Journal of School Counseling, 11(5), 1–35.
Kyllonen, P. C. (2013). Soft Skills for the Workplace. Change, 45(6), 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2013.841516
Lee, O., Park, M., Jang, K., & Park, Y. (2017). Life lessons after classes: investigating the influence of an afterschool sport program on adolescents’ life skills development. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 12(1),

schools. have stress

1307060. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2017.1307060
Ongardwanich, N., Kanjanawasee, S., & Tuipae, C. (2015). Development of 21st Century Skill Scales as Perceived by Students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 191, 737–741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.716
Pazey, B. L., Schalock, R. L., Schaller, J., & Burkett, J. (2016). Incorporating Quality of Life Concepts Into Educational Reform: Creating Real Opportunities for Students With Disabilities in the 21st Century. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 27(2),

management 96–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207315604364

Rotherham, A. J., & Willingham, D. (2009). 21st Century Skills: The Challenges Ahead. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 16–21.

resources
Saavedra, A. R., & Opfer, V. D. (2012). Learning 21st-Century Skills Requires 21st-Century Teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(2), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171209400203
Scarborough, J. L., & Culbreth, J. R. (2008). Examining Discrepancies Between Actual and Preferred Practice of School Counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(4), 446–459. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2008.tb00533.x
Silva, E. (2009). Measuring Skills for 21st-Century Learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(9), 630–634. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170909000905
Siu Cheung Kong, Tak-Wai Chan, Griffin, P., Ulrich Hoppe, Ronghuai Huang, Kinshuk, … Shengquan Yu. (2014). E-learning in School Education in the Coming 10 Years for Developing 21st Century Skills: Critical Research Issues and Policy Implications.
Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 17(1), 70–78.
Project: How Does Media Influence Public Opinion on Terrorism?

Class: POLS 340- International Relations

Class Term: Fall 2017

Project Summary:

I decided to put this project in my portfolio because I was accepted to the National Conference on
Undergraduate Research in April of 2017 with this project. This research also shows my knowledge in
foreign policy and international relations. I created and conducted my first survey with this project and
grew in those skills. This project helped me work as a team and collaborate with my peers. Team work is
an important part of my future job and other aspects of life. I was able to grow my team work and
adaptability skills while doing this research project.

I learned how to create and conduct a survey with quantitative and qualitative data. I was able to grow
in my research abilities with the data from this project and learned how to do an analysis with other
group members. This project helped me allocate work fairly among my peers and taught me patience. I
learned a lot about international relations with this project and it made me want to do more research on
this topic.
 How Does Media Influence Public
Opinion on Terrorism? Katlin Eyre, Jordyn Horvath, Noel Jacobson, Evan Schulte, and Dr. Kimberly Zagorski, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Background
• In our research, we found a variety of sources to support our hypothesis.
• It was found that many people fear terrorism, and began to fear it more due
to the media’s continuation of reporting on terrorism. (Brigitte Nacos)
• A correlation between exposure to news media and a fear of terrorism. An
interesting finding from this study was that, fear for one owns self was higher
amongst exposure to TV news media. (Nellis and Savage)
• However, there was no correlation between having a greater attention to
news and a fear of terrorism.
• From the article “Understanding the power of the picture: The effect of image
content on emotional and political responses to terrorism.” specifically
looking at the images of terrorism and the impact it had on emotions and
responses to counter terrorism policy. It found regardless of image
manipulation, there was influence on an individuals views.
• In Trends in Public Opinion on Terrorism we can see reports of people
displaying more fear of terrorism directly after 9-11 and the Iraq war. Also
found was, after these events, it was common for people to express more
Qualitative Analysis
• Survey takers mostly agreed with the FBI definition of terrorism.
• In the first survey, people who disagreed included suggestions for improvement, such as: people committing acts
of violence to be remembered, fear-inducing, religious objectives, threats, and remove objectives because
terrorism causes terror.
• In the second survey people who disagreed listed these suggestions as improvements: trickery, blatant use of
misinformation to sway the viewpoint of the voting American public, should say lawful and unlawful, add religion
as a motivator, and fear.
• One participant from the second survey believed news media was guilty of terrorism, because the promote
misinformation.
• In the first survey, people believed the Las Vegas shooting should be classified as terrorism, while the “Unite the
Right” rally in Charlottesville should not.
• In the second survey most participants believed that both the Las Vegas Shooting and the “Unite the Right” rally
in Charlottesville should be classified as terrorism.
Do you believe news media has changed their coverage of recent What is your main source of media?
terrorist attacks?

concern for terrorism.

• We also see reports of media influencing the opinion of terrorism in the book 45

Projections of power: framing news, public opinion, and U.S. foreign policy.
51
33 Social Media
31

Hypothesis
28

• Does media have a bias influence on how the public perceives acts of
22 Online News 38
Sources 30

terrorism through different political frames?

• We Hypothesized that media would have a bias influence on how people view 8 Television
15

acts of terrorism.
6 7

YES NEUTRAL NO 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Survey 1 Survey 2 Survey 1 Survey 2

Data Collection
• We conducted surveys of University of Wisconsin-Stout students and faculty. Conclusion
We had 105 responses for our first survey in the fall of 2017 and 73 Many people receive news from news sources and social media. Within our findings we saw that people disagree with
responses for our second in the spring of 2018.The survey was sent out after how media portrays mass shootings. Within our results we saw many people would classify mass shootings, such as,
the major recent shootings. Our survey asked about news habits, where Las Vegas as terrorism. Unfortunately, media is not classifying mass shootings as terrorism. Two other findings within
people find their knowledge on terrorism and their political identity, and our survey showed participants believe new media shows bias toward the middle east and that we need stronger
opinions related to several political issues. foreign policy to combat terrorism. Ideology of the news source only showed significance with support of Donald
Trump, and the Trump Administration's foreign policy with the first survey. Media bias, can influence what type of
40
How do you identify politically? policy and how supporters of policy makers vote. We found types of news media and terrorism concern did not have
35 36 any significance with political ideology, wanting more proactive foreign policy to combat terrorism, how people
identified politically, support of President Donald Trump, and support of the Trump administration's foreign policy. In
34

30

25 26
the spring survey, the frequency of new viewed showed no significance. Our results show that news media does have
some influence on how individuals view terrorism. Some limitations within our research would be our low survey
PARTICIPANTS

22
20

15 16
response rate. Another survey limitation was that our survey was only conducted with the University of Wisconsin-
Stout community.
15
14
12
10

0
Conservative Liberal Non-partisan Unsure
AFILLIATIONS

Citations
Survey 2 Survey 1
Nacos, Brigitte L. (2002, March 22). Terrorism, the mass media, and the events of 9-11. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, p. 13.
Nellis, Ashley Marie, & Savage, Joanne. (2012). Does Watching the News Affect Fear of Terrorism? The Importance of Media Exposure on Terrorism Fear. Crime & Delinquency, 58(5), 748-768.
yer, A., Webster, J., Hornsey, M., & Vanman, E. (2014). Understanding the power of the picture: The effect of image content on emotional and political responses to terrorism. Journal Of Applied Social Psychology, 44(7), 511-521.
Mueller. J., Stewart, M. G. (2017,May 01). Trends in Public Opinion on Terrorism. Retrieved October 22,
Entman, R. M. (2007). Projections of power: framing news, public opinion, and U.S. foreign policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Project: Negative Ads and Their Effects

Class: POLS 305- Media and Politics in the U.S

Class Term: Fall 2016

Project Summary:

I chose this project because it deals with many political issues in one project. Media and politics was one
of my favorite classes I took in my college career. I wanted to include something I had fun making and
researching. This project was one of the first I was able to really apply the research methods I had
learned about and grow those skills.

I learned how to make a poster with the class and I have carried that skill over to many of my other
classes since. Skills I built upon from this project included responsibility, respect, and being open-
minded. This project dealt with opinions on both sides of the political spectrum and I presented it to
people outside of my class. With that, I learned how to answer objective questions in a nonpartisan way.
 NEGATIVE ADS AND THEIR EFFECTS Matt Hershenson, Dillon Quest, Tory Dunker, Katlin Eyre,
Nate Saverda, Supervised by Professor Zagorski

Hillary Clinton’s Ads Donald Trump’s Ads

HYPOTHESIS Who We Are: America Soaring:
-The need to help and respect one -Discusses American Steel
another -American jobs need to be brought
If part of the public is only getting their information from the campaign -Fighting against division and grid- back, fix the middle class, improve
ads aired, how much would they actually know about the candidates lock the economy
running for presidency and the issues they stand for? -Building a strong economy by ben- -Focuses on the “average, hardwork-
efiting those in all classes but mostly ing American”
focusing on those below the rich -Positive Ad
BACKGROUND BREAKDOWN -Building jobs that people can live on Dead Broke:
Funding for political candidates gets even more interesting when it
-Positive Ad -Focuses on the corrupt Clinton
Role Models: Foundation comes to the money being spent on ads. Hillary herself has outspent
Negatives T.V. ads have been increasing in frequency over positive and -Shows why Donald Trump is not -Negative Ad Trump, which isn’t hard to do when Trump has spent none of his own
contrast ads over the past four presidential races. Although the increase the best role model for children Mark-Oz-Geist: money. For outside funding, Clinton has around 40 million dollars of
of negative ads there is no solid evidence of attacking the opponent -Negative Ad -Discusses Hillary Clinton’s Beng- support while Trump only has 12 million dollars in ads for him from
does anything to sway voters. The only type of ad that shows any evi- Unfit: hazi scandal the outside.
dence of pulling a candidate ahead were positive ads and that is when -Questions if Donald Trump is fit to -Negative Ad In this cycle the amount of political ad spending has shown signs of
the candidate is already leading. Negative ads do however last longer in be in charge of nuclear arms Outsourcing: a shift to how candidates spend money on ads. Clinton has dominat-
the mind of voters but do not have as much impact as positive ads on -Negative Ad -Discusses Clinton Foundation and ed the airwaves with ads from her own money and outside money, even
Someplace: offshore accounts though she originally took a stand to take the high road when it comes
the voters. Tv campaign ads are very similar to an arms race in the sense
-Shows how Donald Trump out- -Negative Ad
that if both candidates are putting out the same amount of ads they just to her ads. Donald Trump’s ad strategy could be that of the future, rely-
sources jobs with his clothing being America’s Economy:
will cancel each other out and will be a non factor. When one candidate ing on free media and social media, such as Twitter, to get his informa-
made outside the U.S -Focuses on tax relief for the middle
starts to air more ads they will start to gain the edge. While doing more -Negative Ad class, more jobs and making small tion heard. Relying on political ads for information could be the way
negative ads might lead people to show more dislike towards a candi- Sacrifice: businesses thrive of the past if more candidates move to social media to get their message
date it does promote competence. In time of peace and in time of war -Shows past experiences of Donald -Positive Ad heard.
voters look for different qualities in the candidates. In the political arena Trump disrespecting vets America’s Immigration:
especially with the increase in negative ads, shows more of a war men- -Negative Ad -Securing Borders
tality and more qualities associated with a wartime president. Just One: -Keeping the people safe
-Questions if Donald Trump is -Hillary is incapable of keeping a safe
strong enough to be leader country
DATA -Negative Ad -Negative Ad
Low Opinion: Deplorables:
-The whole ad is negative against -Discusses Hillary Clinton’s careless-
Where the candidates Donald Trump ness for the American people who
stand on issues -Negative Ad don’t support her
Mirrors: -Hillary Clinton calls Donald Trump
-Supporting women and young girls Supporters “Basket of deplorables”
for positive body image and confi- -Negative Ad CONCLUSION
dence Movement:
-Shows examples of Donald Trump -People are his top priority and will
If voters are exclusively getting information of presidential candidates
disrespecting women be successful
-Negative Ad -Positive Ad via T.V. ads they will know very little about what the candidates stand
for. Both candidates are putting out more ads that are attacking their
Issues discussed
in the ads
opponent rather than covering their own stances on issues. This coin-
cides with the previous presidential elections that shows the increase in
negative ads over positive and contrast ads. In addition to that the over-
all spending and output of ads have gone down even since the last pres-
idential election. With social media growing to be as large as it is free
media has become a larger factor in campaigning. Donald Trump is tak-
ing the most advantage of the free media with not putting any of his
money towards T.V. ads. With the continued rise in social media this
could end up being how campaigns advertise in the future.
Project: The Ethical Dilemma of Artificially Intelligent Robots

Class: ICT 210- Cybertechnology Ethics

Class Term: Fall 2018

Project Summary:

I wanted to add this paper into my portfolio because it is an ethics paper and different than other
projects I’ve done before. I learned about how to apply ethics to technology with this paper. I also
learned more information on technology and how it will impact society and the future. The skills I gained
from this paper were ethical thinking and ethical writing. It was very interesting to write a full paper
solely based off ethics.

I learned a lot from this class and this project like ethics and technology. I was able to teach myself
about technology and specifically artificial intelligence. The main take away from this project was
learning how to get knowledgeable about a new subject and complete research on that and then apply
it to multiple concept all in a few months. I will be able to use these skills in my future as new topics and
research will be a part of my daily workload.
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Introduction:

The implications of artificially intelligent systems are already present and alarming, so

why not add more? Looking at sophisticated and intelligent robots are a move companies and

governments are very interested in. Marketing strategies are important especially in technology

which sparked the ethical debate over Sophia the robot. Sophia the robot is an AI robot who can

recognize and express emotion and facial expression. Who thinks on her own and even can

speak at conferences. As of 2017, Saudi Arabia made a marketing move to grant Sophia

citizenship. This is a major ethical concern that doesn’t seem like Saudi Arabia accounted for.

“These rapid developments, promoting machine learning and artificial neutral networks

modelled on biological networks led to the debate on existential threat posed by the future of AI”

(Gill, 2016). The ethical dilemma is granting IA robots personhood and citizenship. This is

because of concerns about human individuals, identity, society, and economics. IA robots should

not be granted citizenship or personhood.

Key Idea 1: What are AI robots?

AI robots, such as Sophia the robot are sophisticated and intelligent robotic systems.

They can recognize facial expressions and emotions. They can “think” and make decisions using

algorithms. They are able to hold a conversation and respond at the rate a human would as well

as express a wide range of emotions (Sastarobotics). AI robots are developing quickly and

getting smarter each day. Ethical concerns arise over what these intelligent robots mean to

society. Policy vacuums exist with social robots and other smart AI systems because the

technology is rapidly advancing and policy-makers are not keeping up.

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Key Idea 2: Citizenship equals identity

Citizenship is something that is taken very personal to most people. We don’t grant

animals, even our pets’ citizens which are natural thinking beings. Citizenship equals identity,

which means that AI robots can’t possess the rights and emotions humans get out of citizenship.

It is ethically wrong to grant citizenship to a technological device but not living refuges? There

are many concerns over what constitutes a person. "Once we admit there being artificial agents

capable of autonomous decisions similar in all relevant aspects to the ones humans make, the

next step would be to acknowledge that the legal meaning of “person” and, for that matter, of

crimes of intent, of constitutional rights, of dignity, etc., will radically change" (Pagallo, 2016).

If we recognize AI robots as having personhood and citizenship than the definitions of that

would all change and what would that mean for refuges or animals?

Key Idea 3: Rights

Rights are a key idea in thinking of how to integrate AI robots into society. This comes

with many ethical concerns such as voting and legal liability. With Intelligent robots who are

programmed by a person, if the robot does something illegal, who is held responsible? Voting is

a huge right of American citizens and a majority of citizens in other nations. If an AI robot is

granted rights than they would be allowed to vote, however, there are too many loopholes to

voting and the programming of AI. How would citizens know that voting is ethical if a

programmed robot is making those decisions.

Modality 1: Market pressures

There is rising concern over job distribution if AI robots are able to work. Using AI

robots would be cheaper for companies to use which would mean job displacement for the
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current population working those jobs. In interviews with Sophia the robot and her creator, they

discussed using robots such as Sophia in healthcare and therapy. It wouldn’t just be factory jobs

that are going to “robots”, but jobs people get degrees for. "Half of these experts (48%) envision

a future in which robots and digital agents have displaced significant numbers of both blue- and

white-collar workers- with many expressing concerns that this will lead to vast increases in

income inequality, masses of people who are effectively unemployable, and breakdowns in the

social order" (Smith, Anderson). Here, respondents shared their concerns over job displacement

and how the economy could handle that. On the other hand, artificial intelligence is predicted to

greatly boost the economy and bring a lot of money into the global economy. Therefore, many

companies and governments are looking into investing in artificial intelligence.

Modality 2: Social norms

Social norms would change if AI robots were granted citizenship thus giving them

personhood. This could mean that AI robots could start relationships and even families.

According to an interview with Sophia the robot, her creator is looking at making reproduction

possible with 3D printing technology. This could mean a whole shift in social norms and how it

will affect the way society operates. Many questions arise on how social robots would disrupt the

social order.

Modality 3: Laws

Laws are the most important discussion when debating about granting citizenship and

personhood to AI robots. Policies will need to be set in place to protect citizens and there are

currently not many laws that deal with this issue. If an AI robot malfunctions or “makes a bad

decision” then is the robot held legally liable or the programmer? There are too many policy
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vacuums surrounding AI robots. AI robots have ethical implications but some of those can be

solved by laws being in place to hold responsibility, accountability and liability. It is up to

policy-makers to decide how society will trust programmed robotics as a part of daily life. It is

the legal systems responsibility to make sure these robots are tested to the fullest and have laws

to help settle the ethical debate before social robots can be integrated into society.

Modality 4: Architecture

Artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing and policy-makers aren’t keeping up. If the

technology develops more everyday than that can get dangerous with no policies or ethics set in

place. More social robots are being developed and previous ones are getting smarter faster than

society can keep up. Programmers should also be held to and ethical standard as the ones

creating the artificial intelligence. As important as it is to make policy within AI systems,

programmers need to be held responsible for continuing to develop potentially dangerous

technology without ethics as a concern.

Top 10 Factors

#1: Laws and AI robots (Pagallo)

Law and the Use of artificial intelligent robots are a top concern. This is because these

robots are getting smarter and doing things that humans would normally be held accountable for.

However, since these robots are operated differently than humans there is a present policy

vacuum in who/what to be held legally accountable if AI robots break the law. “Smart AI

systems many affect pillars of the law, such as matters of criminal accountability, negligence, or

human intent” (Pagallo, 2016). As AI robots are getting smarter the policy vacuum gets broader.

“If AI robots do not meet the requisites of personhood, then they cannot be legal agents either”
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(Pagallo, 2016). The problem here, is that AI systems are getting smarter and gaining new

technologies that can potentially qualify them for personhood. So, finding ethical and legal

solutions to smart AI robots is a top concern.

#2: Security and privacy in social robots (Subramanian)

Security and privacy are a major factor in designs and policy with social robots. “With

respect to social robots, the data is not just environmental and contextual data, but also those that

pertain to the specific humans that these robots are attached to. This could include sensitive

health and financial information” (Subramanian, 2017). Data protection for humans that interact

with social robots are important in keeping privacy. According to Subramanian, The University

of Washington conducted a study of household robots and found that they could easily hack into

them and control their actions. This is also an ethical concern if design flaws allow robots to be

hacked into. Algorithmic operators have a public duty in designing robots that protect security

and privacy. “A direct result of this development would be the co-opting of social robots by

terrorist to suit their nefarious designs. This development may require global treaties and

arrangements with member nations to address and curb such developments” (Subramanian,

2017). With that being said, designs and policies need to be made to protect social robots from

being hacked in order to keep humans safe with privacy and security.

#3: Cooperation between humans and robots (Decker)

Another concern is the relationship between a human and an AI robot. "raising questions

related to artificial intelligence, especially regarding "autonomous decision making and acting""

(Decker, 2017). This is a concern because AI robots don’t have all the capabilities and flexibility

that humans have. If an AI robot is driving a car and a child runs into the road, will they have
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the decision-making capabilities to stop? Interaction and cooperation are important if AI robots

would be granted citizenship. "Cooperation is becoming a key issue, and the system of robotics

are being prepared for this by optimizing human-robot interaction" (Decker, 2017). The ethical

component is, do humans trust technology and algorithms to interact and be apart of their

everyday lives.

#4: AI and their impact on jobs (Smith, Anderson)

There are rising concerns on how smart robotics will affect jobs. It is common that a

company will do the cheapest and more efficient method to do a job and robots could be the

solution to that. This is especially problematic to new employees entering the work force who

aren’t taught new and technical ways to do their job or learn how to work side by side with a

robot. "our educational system is not adequately preparing us for work of the future, and our

political and economic institutions are poorly equipped to handle these hard choices" (Smith,

Anderson). There could potentially be a big economic shift and effect on the job market of AI

robots are allowed jobs.

#5: Algorithm Bias in robotics (Howard, Borenstein)

Algorithm bias in robots can affect many things from decisions to racism. That’s why it is

important to eliminate as much algorithm bias as possible. Robots and their algorithms are made

by humans who, no matter what, have some type of internal bias. Bias is a deep-rooted issue in

society. It is important that measures are taken to prevent bias algorithms otherwise

technologically decision-making machines could get dangerous. According to Howard and

Borenstein, “Allegations of racism and sexism have permeated the conversation as stories

surface about search engines delivering job postings for well-paying technical jobs to men and
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not women or providing arrest mugshots when keywords such as “black teenagers” are entered”

(Howard, Borenstein, 2018). This is problematic especially if these algorithms can be a part of a

functioning robotic citizen. Humans have enough bias, society can’t afford for robots to be bias

too.

#6: Superintelligence (Gill)

Another factor in the ethical debate is the idea of super intelligence in AI technology.

“existential risk argues that artificial intelligence might be the most apocalyptic technology of

all” (Gill, 2016). Ideas of AI technology being able to “think” and surpass human intelligence is

much more than just a fear, it could be very likely with the rapid growth of this technology.

“Since the nature of this technological progress is unpredictable, there is a need to undertake

proactive policy measures and a regulatory framework to mitigate the risks, even if no such

breakthroughs currently appear imminent” (Gill, 2016). Superintelligence and “free thinking” are

a risk humans have to take when developing this technology and especially when considering

granting AI robots citizenship.

#7: Teaching Ethics to Robots (Miller)

Many would say we can’t program ethics into robots when we don’t fully understand it or

have the exact answers. According to Miller, if we could program ethics, should we? This is a

valid concern because it could be alarming that robots can think and make ethical decisions. It

would be hard to program a robot to have a code of ethics and trust that the robot could apply

those to changing situations. Robots don’t naturally learn and adjust like humans do so a code of

ethics may be useless to robots. A hurdle with this, would also be that if robots have a code of
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ethics than would they be considered as much of a citizen as humans? Since AI doesn’t think and

adapt the way humans do this could cause more harm if anything.

#8: Military Use (Goose)

Artificial intelligence has many benefits, like the investment in new technologies and the

money to be made off it. However, when is enough? Another problematic factor of social robots

and artificial intelligence is the use of those in the military or weaponizing them. Many people

are calling for development for this to be stopped. This is because it is so ethically problematic

that development would even be risky and dangerous. “The central concern is with weapons that

once activated, would be able to select and engage targets without further human involvement”

(Goose, 2015). This would mean that the robot would decide the target and a human would no

longer be in control. This is problematic especially combined with algorithm bias.

#9: Companion robots with children (Pearson and Borenstein)

One aspect of artificial intelligent robots is using them as companions for children.

According to Pearson and Borenstein, companions refers to caregivers, playmates, friends or

toys. There are always ethical implications when discussing technology and children, however,

further implications can arise from highly intelligent robots. The increase in AI has been used

across all fields. “Robots designed for therapeutic or educational purposes are increasingly being

used in experimental settings” (Pearson, Borenstein, 2014). Ethical problems that arise with

using AI robots with children is children’s developmental needs. If children are using robots as

friends, then will that set their social skills back? Will they know how to make friends or

communicate to humans that think differently than programmed robots? ““Redefine ourselves in

comparison with robots… as we redefine ourselves in comparison with animals or gods” and that
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doing so has “far reaching economic, ethical, and cultural implications” (Pearson, Boresnstein,

2014). Using artificial intelligent robots as caregivers or friends with children can be alarming

and that isn’t just because of a possible malfunction but also how it can impact the important

skills and development of children across all ages.

#10: AI taking over the medical field (Vogal)

There is a worry of AI systems and robots taking over jobs and this is especially relevant

in the healthcare field. “they described a near-future where smart phones and wearable tech will

continuously collect and analyze health data to predict diagnose diseases with greater accuracy;

where hospitals will be staffed by robotic surgeons, pharmacists and orderlies; where organs and

medicines will be printed to order, and where drones and telemedicine will bring medical

supplies and expertise to patients’ bedsides” (Vogal, 2017). This has ethical implications

because job decreases can be seen and malfunctions in robotics aren’t always preventable.

According to Vogal, AI functions in cars could prevent accidents from happening but this would

greatly impact the medical field since they receive most organ donations from accidents. Now,

there is a common ethical dilemma of which life is more valuable to save.

Data and Information

Fact 1: As of October 25, 2017, Sophia the robot was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia.

After granting citizenship, Sophia has launched a career in marking, has been given a

smartphone with social media and even a credit card (Wired). Critics of AI robotics and

citizenship have spoken out on violations of human rights. Questions arise such as inequality.

Sophia the robot has citizenship in the country of Saudi Arabia and can-do things women
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citizens can’t. This is a problematic and ethical issue if robots have more rights than human

women.

Fact 2: There are currently 7 artificially intelligent robots

The significance of this fact is that no time is being wasted creating and presenting new

and different AI robots. There are currently 7 human-like, artificially intelligent robots around

the world and new ones are being created just as fast. This is a calling for policy makers to start

thinking of the implications AI robots like these can have on the world and start thinking of ways

to close the policy vacuum.

Fact 3: The estimated cost of a humanoid robot is 2.5 million

As of now, there are few humanoid robots on the market however, demand is expected to

increase in the next decade or so. The cost of a humanoid robot is 2.5 million dollars which is

very costly for a government to spend especially if the government wants to grant personhood or

citizenship. Concerns over the price of these robots and the government would be having to find

money in an already tight budget for this futuristic technology. Raising taxes would be a policy

up for debate and whether it would be ethical to make people pay for these robots to be

integrated into society.

Fact 4: Estimates for AI will contribute 15.7 trillion to the global economy

The outlook artificial intelligence has on the global economy is promising. 15.7 trillion

dollars could be very beneficial to the global economy and that is why many countries are

looking into investing in robotics. Robotics and AI not only are technology that helps economies

develop and will bring in money, they will also replace jobs making manufacturing and other

career fields more cost effective.

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Fact 5: PwC says that 38% of jobs can be lost to AI over the next 15 years

On the other hand, the job outlook for humans isn’t as promising. Artificial intelligence

will add a large amount of money back into the economy. However, this will displace many jobs

for humans. In countries like the U.S, that won’t go over well with voters. Not only are the

actual jobs being taken an actual problem but so will be voting. As this will cause a disruption in

how current citizens vote and which party accepts robotics.

Solution and Rationale

Moral system #1: Just- consequentialist. To serve the community and protect them as a whole.

Solution and rational #1: A solution to this dilemma would be to continue to do research

on artificial intelligence. Testing social robots to the fullest is a critical part of research before

countries should even think about granting citizenship to AI robots. In order to protect the

community to the fullest, research needs to be perfected and tested before social robots can make

an appearance to the public.

Premise 1: AI robots can be dangerous.

Premise 2: Many policy vacuums exist with AI technology.

Premise 3: Technology is developing faster than policy

Conclusion: Artificial intelligent robots shouldn’t be granted citizenship until the technology is

tested to the fullest and ethical policies are put in place. With this, more ethical options for

citizens will be avalible. Robots that are tested and approved will be the best way to assure the

people are protected when allowing social robots to be a part of society.

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Moral system #2: Rights-based. To respect the rights of humans in society and have a stake in

the decision.

Solution and rationale #2: The best way to decide whether AI robots should be granted

citizenship would to let it be up to the citizens. With the rights-based moral system this would

allow voters to decide if they think it is ethical to allow humanoid robots into society. This also

allows tax payers to decide if they are willing to pay more in taxes to support the making and

upkeep of AI robots and systems in society. Democracy and law are a foundation in the country

so allowing voters to decide on the ethical dilemma gives them a voice on the matter.

Premise 1: AI robots have ethical implications.

Premise 2: Citizens vote to decide their rights and policies.

Premise 3: Voters making the decision to grant AI robots citizenship gives them a stake in the

decision.

Conclusion: Citizens should vote to decide whether they think AI robots should be grated

citizenship and personhood. This way, a majority of the vote can decide if AI robots are ethical

or not. Giving voters the right to decide on the decision lets them keep a stake in the dilemma

and keep their rights to decide how they should be advancing society and spending money.

Synthesis:

As stated before, artificial intelligence is rapidly developing and policy-makers can’t

keep up. This is an issue because laws are a necessity if social robots are going to become more

relevant in society. Sophia the robot has sparked this ethical debated after Saudi Arabia made a

marketing move to grant her citizenship without thoroughly analyzing the ethical implications of
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this. People have a right to fear the growth of artificial intelligence because of many factors.

Such as the legal and social aspect. If social robots become a part of society, it will impact the

societal dynamic. Ethical concerns arise over how robots will be used with children, how they

will affect the job market and economy, and what daily life would be like with robots. The legal

system has many ethical decisions to make on social robots regarding accountability,

responsibility, and liability. This is important because if robots become citizens than they

technically would be legal agents. Therefore, the legal system must decide whether the

companies creating the robots, the programmer, or the robot is held responsible for malfunctions

and criminal actions. It is especially important that policies, research, and testing are done before

any other governments think about adding artificially intelligent robots into society.

Secondly, privacy and security are major risks in this debate. Many ethical concerns have

already risen about Amazon’s Alexa listening, storing, and sharing data that wasn’t given

voluntarily. A social robot who listens and engages in conversation can gain an enormous

amount of data on the people around it. This could be harmful if hackers gain access to this data

because that could lead to threats of blackmailing, ransom, or physical harm. Obviously, these

are major ethical implications that would need solutions in place before robots can interact with

people. This also brings up threats of terrorism. Robots no matter how humanlike, are still

technology that can be hacked into. If many governments are using social robots as actors in

society, it won’t be long before terrorist organizations try to hack these for their own dangerous

motives. If social robots are granted citizenship this could be exposing human kind to all sorts of

threats and dangers.

Lastly, hurdles for this dilemma include basic trust. How will humans and robots interact

if there isn’t trust between the two? In order for social robots to exist within society, trust is
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especially important. This is because laws and policies can’t be made, interactions between

humans and robots won’t be easy, and all other aspect of life will be nearly impossible if robots

and humans can’t trust each other. Therefore, a mix of rights-based and just-consequentialist

solutions are important. Humans have the ultimate right to decide if they want to live in a

potentially riskier and more dangerous society by allowing robots to be citizens. Humans also

deserve to have proper research and testing done before this conversation should start. Robots

should be researched and tested to the fullest and then that information should be available to the

public. This way the public can be fully informed on the implications of social robots. With that

information, human citizens should be able to vote and collectively decide if social robots are

allowed to be citizens. With this solution, the most ethical process can take place. Informed

people and a vote give the party impacted the most by robot the most say. Therefore, ethical

concerns should be at a minimum.

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