No 18, October 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly transforming the education and higher education sectors. This editorial explores how education systems are integrating AI into their governance, management and policies. It addresses ethical issues, the challenges of personalizing learning, and the risks associated with algorithmic biases. The articles in this issue offer reflections on the impacts of AI, notably in teacher professional development, data-driven school governance, and the perceptions and uses of technologies such as ChatGPT and chatbots in educational settings.

Professional development (PD) for teachers is one of the most effective ways of improving the quality of education and preparing them for new realities (Mukamurera, 2014). Faced with the arrival of generative artificial intelligence (AI), many anticipate the need to train teachers to ensure responsible use of this emerging technology while also providing a solution for improving teachers' PD pathways. This literature review therefore seeks to understand the extent to which AI can enhance teachers' PD. To this end, 24 articles were analyzed based on the 7 teacher PD characteristics of Darling-Hammond et al. (2017). AI can value teachers' PD characteristics to some extent, but its effects on teachers' practice require further investigation. For future studies, it is recommended that Darling-Hammon et al.’s (2017) characteristics be analyzed for their value through AI trained with the SAMR model in view of uncovering the extent to which such characteristics could be (S) substituted, (A) enhanced, (M) modified or (R) redefined by AI use as well as the effects such changes could have on teacher’s agency.

As a result of recent developments in AI, data-based school governance is undergoing profound changes in its implementation, the consequences of which are difficult to anticipate in detail. This is particularly the case for school systems such as Quebec's which have been late to embark on data-based school governance and whose ins and outs are largely still to come. Other school systems, notably the Anglo-Saxon countries and some Western European countries, are more advanced along this path. These studies offer interesting insights to better understand current changes in school governance, as well as the issues at stake and their consequences for school systems, and to guide managers in their implementation of data-based school governance, which is particularly timely in the case of the Quebec school system since it is in its infancy. The aim of this paper is to provide a synthesis of what we know about data-based school governance in the age of AI.

The use of artificial intelligence platforms, and ChatGPT-3 in particular, has been raising questions in the academic world since December 2022. Some teachers are afraid while others see numerous opportunities for themselves and their students. But what use do students really make of this AI? This study focuses on the use of ChatGPT-3 by first-year students at the University of Namur (Belgium). A survey was carried out in February and March 2023, a few months after the release of ChatGPT-3. Students from six faculties (computer science, law, medicine, science, economics, social sciences and management, as well as philosophy and literature) were surveyed to find out more about their use of ChatGPT, as well as the courses in which they use it. In addition, the survey highlighted the benefits perceived by students in using ChatGPT-3 and in using artificial intelligence in general. These data are interpreted according to the model of learning strategies developed by Boulet et al. (1996). Finally, we show how the data collected opens up new avenues of research into students' critical thinking in ChatGPT.

This article presents the development of an ethical framework designed to guide the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, with a particular emphasis on the Moroccan context. The adopted methodology includes a comprehensive review of the literature on ethics in the fields of AI, education, and specifically within the Moroccan context. This literature was processed and analyzed using Nvivo and Tropes software. Afterwards, a survey was carried out with key stakeholders such as teacher-researchers, AI engineers, and higher education officials, with the aim to validate the developed ethical framework. Survey results were analyzed using the SPSS statistical tool to define priority ethical indicators. The resulting ethical framework aims to guide practitioners and decision-makers toward ethical educational practices, taking into account the cultural and social specificities of Morocco.

This article examines first-year students’ use and perception of a chatbot in higher education in Belgium. With education now being accessible to most people, pedagogical adaptations are becoming necessary in modern universities. As digital tools, chatbots offer an opportunity to diversify access to educational content, offering a possible solution to the challenge of providing quality education for all. The study addresses two research questions. How do students (N=89) perceive the use of chatbots as course tutors? What is its role according to Bernatchez’s typology (2003)? The results, in line with other studies, reveal a positive evaluation in terms of effectiveness, usability, acceptability and user experience, although lower scores were observed for motivation and behaviour. The analysis shows the students’ preference for pedagogical-cognitive support from the chatbot rather than technical support. These results are in line with other studies, highlighting the effective use of chatbots in education, with few irrelevant interactions. In conclusion, the study highlights the effectiveness and acceptability of chatbots as tutors and suggests ways in which they can be integrated into personalised learning paths.

This article examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the field of education and explores its benefits and challenges. The use of AI in the education sector offers many advantages such as the automation of repetitive administrative tasks and the personalisation of learning paths. However, this raises ethical concerns about the protection of personal data and the risk of creating algorithmic biases. In addition, we address other challenges: those related to the opposition between automated and human assessment as well as the complex implications of facial recognition in an educational context. It is essential that a considered and ethical approach to the deployment of AI in education is thought through, emphasising the need for clear and transparent ethical principles and careful pedagogical reflection. We recommend the use of open-source AI tools to promote transparency and compliance with current regulations.

Oktay Cem Adıgüzel is full professor at Anadolu University and a guest professor at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). In this interview, he talks about his research in the area of artificial intelligence and what it can bring to the field of education. Drawing on neuroscience, he highlights the role that artificial intelligence can play in providing feedback to students to support their learning processes. He also shares his vision of the current situation and potential evolutions in educational institutions and practices, as well as the risks associated with the development of artificial intelligence, which, in his view, is accompanied by a paradigm shift.