We’ve just wrapped up our dynamic 3-day AI Ethics Module Design Workshop (June 10-12, 2025), hosted at Michigan State University! This groundbreaking event marked MSU’s first hands-on workshop specifically focused on AI and Ethics, welcoming educators from across the globe. With a blend of thought-provoking discussions, practical curriculum design sessions, and insights from exceptional speakers, it has been an inspiring experience exploring how generative AI can be ethically integrated into teaching and learning practices.
Sponsored by the NSF (Grant No. 2427666) and collaboratively organized by Evidence Driven Learning Innovation (EDLI), the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), and MSU’s Ethics Institute, the workshop drew participants from diverse fields, including:
- 30 universities/institutions (26 from the U.S., 3 international, and 1 nonprofit)
- 41 unique departments/disciplines
- 60+ attendees (20 in-person and around 40 online)
Educators, instructional designers, directors, professors, and graduate students came together to engage in rich discussions and hands-on activities centered around generative AI (GenAI) and ethics in education.
A Glimpse into Our Engaging Agenda:
Day 1: Foundations of AI Ethics
Our journey began with foundational discussions about ethical frameworks and their application to artificial intelligence, featuring:
- Dr. Kirk Hanson, Senior Fellow, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University:
“What is ethics and what does it have to do with artificial intelligence?“ - Dr. Brenna Clarke Gray, Educational Technologies Coordinator, Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia, Canada:
“Critical Framework for Assessing Risk and Reducing Harm with GenAI Use.“ - Dr. Caitlin Kirby, Associate Director of Research, EDLI, led an afternoon, hands-on curriculum development, focusing on backward design and case study creation.
Day 2: Critical Conversations on Bias and Security
The second day immersed participants in complex narratives around AI ethics, bias, security issues in higher education:
- Dr. Chris Gilliard, Co-director of the Critical Internet Studies Institute:
“Narratives of GenAI and the University: Surveillance and Privacy Issues.“ - GenAI Bias Panel, featuring:
- Dr. Anjana Susarla, Omura-Saxena Professor of Responsible AI, Eli Broad College of Business
- Dr. Danielle DeVoss, Interim Chairperson; William J. Beal Distinguished Professor, Dept. of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures, College of Arts and Letters
- Dr. Mohammad Ghassemi, Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering
- Dr. Hala Sun, Associate Director of Assessment & Evaluation, EDLI
- Moderated by Dr. Bree Holtz, Director of MSU Ethics Institute
- Dr. Hala Sun, Associate Director of Assessment & Evaluation, EDLI, led an afternoon, hands-on session, focused on designing student-centered assignments and projects around AI bias.
Day 3: Putting AI Ethics into Practice
Wrapping up the workshop, we dove into practical applications:
- Dr. Jeremy Van Hof, Director of CTLI, offered valuable insights on:
“Academic Integrity Policies: Application in the Classroom.“ - He also led an afternoon session, guiding educators to revise their syllabi and project plans, culminating in inspiring presentations of their new, ethics-informed deliverables.
Highlights & Participant Reflections
This workshop directly followed the impactful MSU AI Summit, hosted by MSU’s Ethics Institute and the Office of the Provost, which attracted over 300 educators keen to collaborate and explore pressing questions around AI integration. As highlighted in the MSUToday feature, I led summit participants in meaningful discussions about responsible AI use, focusing on how educators can effectively guide students to navigate ethical complexities surrounding AI practices.
Building directly upon this momentum—and in the context of recent cancellations of numerous NSF grants—I felt especially grateful for the opportunity to successfully host this workshop. Inspired by the United Nations AI ethics principles, our workshop was thoughtfully designed to meet educators’ needs for not only theoretical knowledge but also dedicated time and resources to practically integrate GenAI ethics into their curriculum. Mornings featured rich theoretical presentations, while afternoons offered carefully balanced, hands-on activities, maximizing both learning and immediate application.
The interdisciplinary engagement we experienced was particularly rewarding, as participants were not exclusively from STEM disciplines. Professors from linguistics, law, and writing studies contributed vibrant perspectives, highlighting the broad significance and universal applicability of AI ethics.
Behind the scenes, organizing the workshop was a significant undertaking—from booking flights and accommodations for 15+ participants, managing payments, and meticulous communication, to developing detailed three-day curricula, ordering food, planning social networking events, and even organizing numerous Google Drive folders and resources. Yet, despite the intensive effort required, this being my first NSF-funded workshop as a PI was incredibly rewarding.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about transforming this workshop into asynchronous, openly accessible training modules. Plans are also underway to scale the format into shorter sessions tailored exclusively for MSU educators, with even broader future explorations into diverse AI topics beyond ethics.
Participants particularly appreciated the thoughtfully structured sessions led by Dr. Caitlin Kirby, who guided curricular mapping; I facilitated practical lesson creation for immediate classroom use; and Dr. Jeremy Van Hof, who focused on syllabus revision and policy communication. This balanced approach allowed educators ample time to digest, reflect, and complete meaningful deliverables.
Participant feedback underscores the workshop’s success:
“Thank you for a wonderful workshop. It was extremely well organized. I learned a lot and came away feeling motivated to take my teaching to the next level in terms of incorporating AI in the classroom.” – Anna R. McAlister, Assistant Professor of Communications, MSU
“Learned a ton. It was very interesting to be immersed in the online and in-person discussions!” – Irina Knokh, Instructional Learning Senior at the University of Michigan
“Exceptionally executed workshop—insightful, seamless, and deeply impactful.” – Abtar Darshan Singh, Professor and UNESCO Chair, Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Malaysia
“Very well organized and valuable workshop with great speakers!” – Sam Thao, Computer Science Instructor, St. Paul College, MN
“You guys were amazing…learned a lot!” – Zeenar Salim, Assistant Director, University of Georgia, Center for Teaching & Learning
“Really insightful” – Waqas Mahmood, Professor, GIFT University, Pakistan
“The question of how to use Generative AI effectively and ethically in the classroom has been on my mind for some time. I’m grateful for the opportunity to attend and complete the AI Ethics Module Design Workshop…Thank you for making this valuable experience possible.” – Kenan Hatipoglu, Chair of Leonard C. Nelson School of Engineering, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Participants also enjoyed memorable lunches and an engaging networking reception at Toscana, sparking new collaborative international opportunities around generative AI ethics!
We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the dedicated support staff, postdocs, and graduate students whose meticulous planning and invaluable assistance made this workshop possible: Jeya Amantha Kumar, Min Zhuang, Richard Marks, Yilun Jiang, Hye-In Yang, Anastasia Lesage, Delaney Atkinson, and Karen Maki.
Missed the workshop? Visit our AI Ethics Module Design Workshop webpage for complete details, speaker bios, and session resources.
We’re excited to continue these essential conversations on AI ethics—stay tuned for future events and opportunities! For regular updates and news, follow our LinkedIn page: linkedin.com/company/msu-edli.
Note: ChatGPT was utilized to assist with outlining, refining, and editing this blog post.