Ethical Thinking and Case Analysis in Artificial Intelligence Education

This IUSE Level 1 Engaged Student Learning project aims to serve the national interest by enhancing artificial intelligence (AI) education through the integration of ethical considerations in AI curricula, fostering design and development of responsible and secure AI systems. The project will develop an innovative pedagogical strategy that includes classroom discussions on AI ethics case studies and an open-access repository of case studies, to equip students with practical tools for ethical decision-making. Its unique feature is the case-based plug-and-play instructional module, which ensures adaptability and sustainability by accommodating different learning styles and enabling easy integration into AI-related courses. By advancing AI education with a scalable approach to ethics, the project supports the development of a responsible AI workforce and promotes the application of ethical principles in real-world AI challenges. The project plans to advance understanding of AI ethics education by integrating case studies and gamified learning modules to enhance undergraduate STEM students' engagement and proficiency, addressing the critical need for ethical reasoning in AI development. Project goals include designing an ethics-focused teaching strategy to foster engaged discussions, developing accessible plug-and- play instructional modules, and creating a case-in-game interactive visualization lab platform, all hosted in an online repository for broad accessibility. The methodology employs innovative pedagogical strategies to teach AI algorithms, grounded in theories emphasizing ethical reasoning. Research questions will investigate whether ethics-focused teaching enhances AI ethics instruction, how real-world case studies improve algorithm understanding, if gamified modules increase engagement and proficiency, and which pedagogical features most effectively foster ethical reasoning. Assessment will be conducted to measure comprehension and learning ease. Results will be disseminated broadly, through publications, conference presentations, open access mechanisms and social media. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.