Ethical Imperatives and Pedagogical Potentials: AI Integration and Primary Source Analysis in Early Childhood and Elementary Education

• In Event: Ethics of AI in Ed: Five Humans and ChatGPT Discuss

Abstract

Author: A professor in Early Childhood and Elementary Teacher Education at a research one, AAU University in the South East of the United States.

Objectives: The presenter examines ethical considerations and pedagogic applications of artificial intelligence in early childhood and elementary education. The objectives are to: 1) explore ethical challenges emerging from AI in early childhood and elementary instruction, 2) align the AI4K12 social impact framework with classroom pedagogy, and 3) propose practical and ethical AI strategies in early education contexts.

Conceptual Framework: This study adopts the AI4K12 social impact framework, emphasizing ethical guidelines in AI application in education. This framework underscores how AI technology can be responsibly used for instruction, focusing on reliability, safety, transparency, privacy, and inclusivity.

Methods: This study used a qualitative research approach, employing expert focus group interviews. Our central research questions were: 1) How do ethical challenges manifest in the application of AI for primary source analysis in early childhood and elementary education settings? 2) How can the AI4K12 social impact framework facilitate responsible AI implementation? 3) What potential future directions are anticipated for the ethical application of AI within early education?

Data Sources: Data were derived from focus group interviews with 35 experts in early childhood education, elementary education, and cultural memory institutions (i.e., museums and libraries), providing multifaceted insights into the ethical concerns and strategies of incorporating AI into teaching with primary sources.

Results: This study offers unique insights into harnessing AI for primary source analysis in early childhood and elementary contexts, addressing both its benefits and ethical challenges. For early learners, AI can foster interaction with historical images, driving curiosity and understanding. In elementary education, AI can expand to more complex primary sources like textual documents and maps, enhancing comprehension and critical thinking skills. However, ethical issues, such as data privacy, biased outputs, and unequal access, necessitate the implementation of robust ethical protocols that provide guardrails. The application of the AI4K12 framework supports an ethically conscious approach, emphasizing the importance of transparency, user empowerment, and social impact.

Significance: This session explores AI's ethical dimensions in early childhood and elementary education, a critical yet underexplored field. AI technology, while advanced, is not yet able to fully understand and interpret the context and meaning of historical primary sources on its own. Humans with content knowledge must bring their understanding and expertise of the historical context, culture, and events of the era, which is necessary for an accurate interpretation of the primary sources. Social studies educators play an important role in fostering critical analysis and interpretation of the information provided by AI enhancements, which is essential to ensure that the historical primary sources are presented accurately and in context.This session underscores the need for a proactive ethical stance in the face of rapid AI integration in education, aiming to promote an equitable, inclusive, and respect-oriented approach to the future of education.

Authors

• Ilene R. Berson, University of South Florida

• Michael J. Berson, University of South Florida