Abstract
This study explored graduate students’ lived experiences and ethical tensions when using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in an accelerated online Master of Education course. Thirty-eight participants engaged with Microsoft Copilot AI for three guided assignments focused on assessment design, each accompanied by reflective journals. The conceptual framework was transcendental phenomenology, which guided the research through bracketing, horizontalization, clustering, textual descriptions, and synthesis to capture the essence of students’ experiences. The methods were qualitative, utilizing written reflective journals from each of the three assignment submissions using AI, for a total of 114. Findings reveal that students perceived AI as a valuable instructional guide. However, participants also described internal conflicts regarding academic integrity, expressing both appreciation for AI’s feedback and concerns about ethical boundaries. The study highlights a spectrum of attitudes, from increased confidence in AI to skepticism and discomfort with its limitations. These insights provide a nuanced understanding of how graduate students navigate the benefits and challenges of AI-enhanced learning, offering implications for ethical practice and instructional design in higher education.
Presenters
Leticia De LeonProfessor, Teaching and Learning Department, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Human-Centered AI Transformations
KEYWORDS
Artificial Intelligence, Ethical Tensions, Lived Experiences
