Exploring Galaxy Morphology Through AI and Playful Learning

This is a poster presented at the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE, https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/7th-shaw-iau-workshop/).

Title: 
Exploring Galaxy Morphology Through AI and Playful Learning

Presenter:
Maura Sandri (National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF))

We present an unplugged educational activity to teach how AI works through galaxy classification. Using a card game, students simulate unsupervised and supervised learning by creating their own classification algorithms. Each card shows one or more galaxies, and students in two groups define parameters based on visual features. After classifying their cards, they exchange and classify a mixed set with the same rules, testing algorithm consistency and generalization. The classification aims to approximate the Hubble sequence, enhancing understanding of galaxy morphology. The activity introduces AI concepts in a playful way. Cards will be freely available on the Play INAF platform.

About the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop:
The 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop took place 18 - 21 November 2025. The Shaw-IAU workshops focus on astronomy education for primary and secondary school students and teacher training both in universities and in service. This year's Education focus session on Teaching with authentic data and the Science focus is on Galaxies.

More details can be found on: https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/

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