Presentation Schedule
Building Ethical Tools with Undergraduate Research Students: A Pedagogical Model for Experiential Learning in Development Ethics and Artificial Intelligence (107023)
Session Chair: Benjamin Huffman
Saturday, 18 April 2026 17:20
Session: Session 4
Room: Room 144A (1F)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly embedded in research, policy, and development practice. This paper presents a pedagogical model for engaging undergraduate research students in the design and development of ethical tools for global development practices. Drawing on work conducted in the Global Development & Design stream in the Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Maryland, the paper examines how undergraduate researchers are actively involved in building a Development Ethics Toolkit intended to support development practitioners and policymakers in mainstreaming development ethics into each stage of the design process. The toolkit includes a set of practical frameworks and AI-supported tools that help users focus on worthwhile development, while avoiding the pitfalls of maldevelopment. The pedagogical model centers on experiential learning, project-based research, and collaborative human-centered design. Undergraduate students work in interdisciplinary teams to translate abstract ethical concepts into actionable tools, while critically identifying the opportunities and limitations of generative artificial intelligence. This approach resists framing AI as a neutral technology and focuses development through the lens of AI ethics. The paper outlines the structure of the research setting, the role of undergraduate students as co-creators of ethical tools, and the instructional strategies used to scaffold learning across modules, design thinking, and AI ethics. This pedagogical method incorporates students as contributors allowing them to fail, reassess, innovate, and iterate. This approach demonstrates how undergraduate research can serve as a powerful platform for experiential learning, while producing tangible products and services with real-world relevance for global sustainable development.
Authors:
Benjamin Huffman, University of Maryland, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Benjamin D. Huffman is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Maryland, USA
Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhuffman/
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