Date
1-16-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Traci Eshelman
Keywords
artificial intelligence, instructional design, adult education, ethical considerations, pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), ethical frameworks for AI
Disciplines
Education | Instructional Media Design
Recommended Citation
Malone, Billy, "Ethical Considerations in Instructional Design Enhanced by Artificial Intelligence: A Phenomenological Inquiry" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6427.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6427
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the ethical considerations that instructional designers faced when integrating artificial intelligence into instructional design for adult learners at various educational institutions. The theory guiding this study was the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework, which offered a thorough method for analyzing how technology, pedagogy, and ethics were integrated into education. The central question for this study asked how instructional designers described their lived experiences and ethical considerations when integrating artificial intelligence into instructional design for adult learners. This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology to improve the understanding of the lived experiences of instructional designers. Participants were selected from various education and training institutions on the East Coast of the United States, incorporating artificial intelligence technologies into their instructional design processes for adult learners. The data collection methods included in-depth interviews, focus groups, and qualitative surveys. The analysis involved iterative coding procedures to identify emergent themes and patterns (Berthet et al., 2023). Through this study, insights into the ethical challenges faced by instructional designers and the strategies they employed in navigating these challenges in the artificial intelligence era were brought to the forefront, offering valuable implications for the future of adult education.
