Ethics, AI and Higher Education Summary and Resources
This unit concludes with some final considerations and resources on the intersection of higher education and GenAI. The situation is complex and evolving but one thing seems clear as part of the academic community, engaging with how GenAI will impact your teaching and the ethics involved is critical. While institutional policies provide a framework, there is also an onus for individual educators, professional staff and students to critically evaluate and ethically engage with AI technologies. Below are some considerations drawn from this unit:
Transparency and Accountability:
- Open Communication: Foster a culture where the use of AI tools is openly discussed within the educational context, promoting a transparent approach to their integration.
- Ethical Disclosure: Ensure that any GenAI content or assistance in coursework disclosed, maintaining academic integrity.
The Role of Faculty as Subject Experts:
- Guidance and Oversight: Use your expertise to guide GenAI use, ensuring that it complements educational objectives and enriches the learning experience.
- Critical Evaluation: Leverage your subject matter expertise to critically assess AI outputs, ensuring they meet academic standards and are pedagogically sound.
Understanding Limitations:
- AI’s Capabilities: Recognise the boundaries of AI’s capabilities, particularly in understanding context, nuance, and complex human experiences.
- Complementary Tool: View AI as a tool to augment, not replace, the human elements of teaching and learning, preserving the irreplaceable value of human interaction and intuition.
Balancing Policy with Personal Ethics:
- Institutional Frameworks: While adhering to institutional policies on AI use, also consider the broader ethical implications of your engagement with AI, reflecting on how it aligns with personal and professional values.
- Ethical Decision-Making: Encourage ethical decision-making that goes beyond compliance, fostering a deeper understanding of the moral implications of AI in education.
Incorporating Ethics into the Curriculum:
- Ethical Frameworks: Drawing from Leon Furze’s ‘Teaching AI Ethics’, (infographic below) integrate ethical considerations into your curriculum across these nine critical areas, preparing students to navigate the ethical landscapes they will encounter in their academic and professional lives.
Resources:
Finally, we would like to share some stand-out resources which you may find helpful in enhancing your understanding of ethical use of AI in Higher Education.
- Teaching AI Ethics by Leon Furze: This resource offers a comprehensive exploration of ethical considerations in AI education, providing educators with a framework to integrate ethics into their curriculum. Visit resource.
- Ethical Guidelines on the Use of AI and Data in Teaching and Learning for Educators: Published by the European Union, this document outlines ethical guidelines to inform educators’ responsible use of AI and data in teaching. Read the guidelines.
- NAIN GenAI Guidelines for Educators (2023): Developed by the National Academic Integrity Network, these guidelines serve as a resource for educators navigating the complexities of GenAI in academic settings. They address the potential challenges GenAI may pose to academic integrity, offering practical advice and strategies to ensure ethical use of AI technologies in education. Access the guidelines here.
- OECD 2023: Opportunities, Guidelines, and Guardrails for Effective and Equitable Use of AI in Education: This OECD report explores the multifaceted role of AI in education, highlighting the opportunities it presents for enhancing learning outcomes and addressing equity issues. It also provides essential guidelines and ethical guardrails to ensure the effective and responsible integration of AI technologies in educational practices. Read the full report here.
