Unit Eight

The learning activities in this minicourse are best supported by a blend of Constructivism, Experiential Learning, and Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy). These theories collectively foster genuine professional development, ethical thinking, and skills that can be transferred to instructional practice.

1. Constructivist Learning Theory

 Constructivism is the primary learning theory supporting the mini course; it asserts that participants actively create knowledge through interaction, reflection, and application, rather than passively receiving information (Piaget, 1970; Vygotsky, 1978). Learning occurs when individuals connect new concepts to their existing experiences.
Instructor participants incorporate their existing teaching experience and professional backgrounds into learning activities like:

• Analyzing Discipline-Specific Ethical Scenarios

• Classifying AI Practices Ethically

• Reflecting on Equity and Responsibility

 Instead of offering fixed ethical answers, learners interpret principles within their own teaching contexts. This method encourages higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and design, in line with Bloom’s Taxonomy.

2) Experiential Learning Theory

 Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb) learning occurs via a cycle: experience, observation, conceptualization, and experimentation (Kolb, 1984). In the Minicourse, each module follows this cycle: experience analyzing AI scenarios; reflection on ethics; introducing ethical frameworks; designing AI components. Activities such as AI Tool Risk Evaluation and the Course Design Project exemplify experiential learning by applying theory.

3) Andragogy

Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory states adults are self-directed, goal-oriented, and motivated by relevance (Knowles et al., 2015). The minicourse applies this by letting participants choose relevant AI tools, use real workplace scenarios, focus on immediate application, and support autonomy through design-based tasks.