Applications of Ethics in AI in Education

Submissions Open 1st April 2025

Introduction 

The scholarship of ethics, AI and education has been robust in some areas including those fields within information and computer sciences. This conversation is also occurring across journals in diverse social science and education disciplines. Building on this work, this special issue will examine applied definitions of AI and its integration into educational environments as learning technologies, emphasizing practical, conceptual and policy examinations of AI in education as informed by ethical assessments. 

The special issue will provide an opportunity for publication of transdisciplinary scholarship of ethics of AI design and implementation in a range of educational spaces. We welcome articles focusing on classroom applications, research methodologies, and AIED development including case studies and conceptual papers. We hope to represent a range of disciplines from (but not limited to) philosophy and ethics across relevant fields, integration of AI as educational technology, dimensions of AI in student learning and assessment, educational psychology, information science and computer science.

The ideas and practices presented in this special issue will inform educators at all levels, providing strategies they can adopt which will minimize injustices through AI adoption, while at the same time maximizing learning gains and opportunities for students. 

Indicative list of themes 

We present questions that highlight four thematic areas: 

1) Definitional approaches of AI in education:  

What does it meant to apply what is AI in classroom settings? What does it mean to apply ethical principles to guide the design of AI-enabled pedagogy?  

2) Practical applications of ethics in pedagogy and curriculum design:  

What are the practical ethical considerations for educators in university settings and teachers in K-12 settings who wish to integrate AI to support teaching and learning?  

What intrinsic and extrinsic outcomes should educators expect to achieve when integrating AI as a teaching and learning strategy? 

What case studies and examples might educators need to develop AI-based curriculum which maximizes equity and minimizes ethical risks?  

How can teachers and educators at any level mitigate risks to cognitive and socio-emotional learning as they integrate AI as educational technologies?  

3) Conceptual approaches to apply AIED frameworks to design learning environments: 

By what ethical frameworks can educators at any level adopt AI tools to support teaching and learning? 

How should educators of any level design and implement AI-as-curriculum in ways that promote ethical and equitable approaches to teaching and learning? 

4) Policy analysis and design that maximizes ethical returns and minimizes ethical risks of AI adoption: 

In what ways should policies within K-12 and higher education institutions best position members of the teaching organization to address ethical issues with AI adoption, and what are examples of those policies? 

In what ways do themes of equity, racism, sexism, data privacy and bias factor into the design of ethical frameworks that guide organizational policy? 

Key dates 

Submission window opens: 1st April 2025 

Submission window closes: 30th June 2025 

Contact 

Dr Jack D. Musselman, St. Edward’s University, USA 

Email: [email protected]