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Youth as Advisors in Participatory Design: Situating Teens' Expertise in Everyday Algorithm Auditing with Teachers and Researchers

Daniel J. Noh, Deborah A. Fields, Luis Morales-Navarro, Alexis Cabrera-Sutch, Yasmin B. Kafai, Danaé Metaxa

TL;DR

The paper addresses the underutilization of youth as advisors in participatory design within child-computer interaction, proposing teens as expert advisors in algorithm auditing. It uses a descriptive case study of a two-hour Teen Advisory Session where teen advisors collaborated with teacher-designers and researcher-designers to refine algorithm auditing lessons for high school CS classrooms. Findings show that teens contribute technical auditing knowledge and personal perspectives, and that deliberate backstage design—long-standing relationships, preparatory meetings, and facilitation strategies—enables meaningful youth agency. The work offers a practical model for inclusive PD, informing scalable classroom activities and challenging adult-centric norms in technology education. The approach holds potential for broader adoption across domains of emerging technologies and computing education, advancing equity and authentic youth participation in PD.

Abstract

Research on children and youth's participation in different roles in the design of technologies is one of the core contributions in child-computer interaction studies. Building on this work, we situate youth as advisors to a group of high school computer science teacher- and researcher-designers creating learning activities in the context of emerging technologies. Specifically, we explore algorithm auditing as a potential entry point for youth and adults to critically evaluate generative AI algorithmic systems, with the goal of designing classroom lessons. Through a two-hour session where three teenagers (16-18 years) served as advisors, we (1) examine the types of expertise the teens shared and (2) identify back stage design elements that fostered their agency and voice in this advisory role. Our discussion considers opportunities and challenges in situating youth as advisors, providing recommendations for actions that researchers, facilitators, and teachers can take to make this unusual arrangement feasible and productive.

Youth as Advisors in Participatory Design: Situating Teens' Expertise in Everyday Algorithm Auditing with Teachers and Researchers

TL;DR

The paper addresses the underutilization of youth as advisors in participatory design within child-computer interaction, proposing teens as expert advisors in algorithm auditing. It uses a descriptive case study of a two-hour Teen Advisory Session where teen advisors collaborated with teacher-designers and researcher-designers to refine algorithm auditing lessons for high school CS classrooms. Findings show that teens contribute technical auditing knowledge and personal perspectives, and that deliberate backstage design—long-standing relationships, preparatory meetings, and facilitation strategies—enables meaningful youth agency. The work offers a practical model for inclusive PD, informing scalable classroom activities and challenging adult-centric norms in technology education. The approach holds potential for broader adoption across domains of emerging technologies and computing education, advancing equity and authentic youth participation in PD.

Abstract

Research on children and youth's participation in different roles in the design of technologies is one of the core contributions in child-computer interaction studies. Building on this work, we situate youth as advisors to a group of high school computer science teacher- and researcher-designers creating learning activities in the context of emerging technologies. Specifically, we explore algorithm auditing as a potential entry point for youth and adults to critically evaluate generative AI algorithmic systems, with the goal of designing classroom lessons. Through a two-hour session where three teenagers (16-18 years) served as advisors, we (1) examine the types of expertise the teens shared and (2) identify back stage design elements that fostered their agency and voice in this advisory role. Our discussion considers opportunities and challenges in situating youth as advisors, providing recommendations for actions that researchers, facilitators, and teachers can take to make this unusual arrangement feasible and productive.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 34 sections, 2 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Designing Sustainable CCI Interventions
  4. Expanding Roles in Participatory Design
  5. Challenges of Situating Youth as Advisors
  6. Methods
  7. Participants
  8. Teen Advisors
  9. Teacher-Designers
  10. Researcher-Designers
  11. Participatory Design Workshops with Teens and Teachers
  12. Emergent Auditing Practices (EAP) Workshop with Teens
  13. Algorithm Auditing Lesson Design (AALD) Workshop with Teachers
  14. Preparing for the Teen Advisory Session: Teens
  15. Preparing for the Teen Advisory Session: Teacher-Designers
  16. ...and 19 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Examples of faces altered by TikTok filters from the EAP workshop.
  • Figure 2: Two teachers presenting their auditing projects at the Teen Advisory Session.