Ethical thinking and case analysis in artificial intelligence education

Grant Award Summary

Fairfield University received a $231,958 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028. This Integrated Experiences to Support Student Learning (IUSE) Level 1 initiative develops and delivers pedagogical resources and instructional modules designed to integrate ethical considerations into artificial intelligence (AI) education at the undergraduate level. The primary deliverables include an ethics-focused teaching strategy, plug-and-play instructional modules adaptable to various AI-related courses, real-world case studies addressing ethical decision-making in AI development, and a gamified interactive visualization lab platform. All resources are hosted in an open-access online repository to ensure broad accessibility and scalability across institutions.

The project advances AI ethics education through innovative pedagogical approaches grounded in ethical reasoning theories and investigates critical questions regarding the effectiveness of ethics-focused instruction, the impact of case studies on algorithm comprehension, and the role of gamified modules in enhancing student engagement and proficiency. By equipping undergraduate STEM students with practical tools for ethical reasoning in AI systems development, the project supports the national interest in developing a responsible and secure AI workforce capable of addressing real-world ethical challenges in artificial intelligence applications.

Abstract

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.- subawards are not planned for this award.