We’re beyond the point of educating students how to use AI, because they’re the experts. Administrators should instead consider ethics training—yes, training—for students, as disciplinary action for AI misuse ramps up.
First, we must define what appropriate AI use is in a classroom setting. Many leaders would agree that any form of AI that works in partnership with a student to encourage critical thinking is an acceptable answer.
An article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education offers a realistic framework for embracing AI in the classroom that is still relevant nearly three years later. According to Houman Harouni, lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, leaders should:
- Stop pretending that AI doesn’t exist
- Use AI alongside students (in-person) and document their experiences
- Teach students how to ask AI questions
- Use AI tools aimed at sparking students’ imagination
“You have to stop thinking that you can teach exactly the way you used to teach when the basic medium has changed,” he said at the time.
Many leaders I’ve spoken to about AI understand this framework and have applied it to their policies. In Utah, the state Board of Education created a Portrait of an AI-Infused Educator and Learner, which details the unique roles of students and teachers in the age of AI.
School districts are piloting AI-powered teaching assistants and chatbots to streamline administrative tasks for teachers.
Meanwhile, students need to be informed of the consequences associated with AI misuse, ranging from plagiarism to deepfakes.
What’s going on
AI-related scandals are shaking up school districts nationwide, including the Radnor Township School District, where parents are calling for policy changes and improved communication following the filing of charges against a juvenile for the creation and dissemination of fake, inappropriate images of students, according to WPVI Philadelphia.
Parents spoke publicly for the first time about the incident at a recent school board meeting, requesting updates to the district’s policies on bullying, harassment and acceptable use of the technology.
Some discussions involved whether district rules should apply to off-campus behavior, the new outlet reports.
“We, like all of you, are learning the nexus between what happens away from school and how it can come into school and impact our students,” said Susan Stern, a Radnor Township school board member.
Similarly, officials at Wisconsin’s School District of Jefferson are investigating a student who created and shared inappropriate, AI-generated images, Hoodline reports.
Ethics training for students
What might ethics training for students look like? Now might be a good time for superintendents to look to their peers at their local colleges and universities that are already integrating AI ethics in their courses.
Here are a few examples:
Boston University undergrads can earn a certificate in generative AI through a free, online course called “AI at BU.” It covers everything from AI ethics, responsibility and effective use.
Texas A&M is doing the same through its Ethics and AI course, Mesquite-News reports. This course, in particular, teaches students how to use AI in the workforce.
“I want them to leave with a more nuanced understanding of the issue with new technology,” Matthew Magnum, clinical associate professor of business law, told the news outlet. “We talk about seeing paths to how we can improve it, ethically speaking and ways to use it responsibly.”
I’ll wrap up with some research published in Nature, a science research journal, detailing the positive outcomes associated with having foundational AI ethics knowledge. Here’s a brief summary of the research:
- AI ethics knowledge is characterized by four ethical principles: fairness and inclusivity, privacy protection, human-centricity, and responisbility and accountability.
- AI ethics knowledge positively influences both AI ethics attitude and competence.
- AI ethics attitude and competence enhance students’ self-reported learning competence while using AI.
