Quadrivium: What Are the Issues Around Education When Learning Is Mediated by AI?

Quadrivium Facilitator: Bethany Winslow/Bethany
Co-presenter: Peggy D Lee/Linda Sautereau
Transcriptionist: TBD

Venue: VWBPE Quadrivium

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everyday academic life, education is entering a new phase—one in which learning is increasingly mediated by AI tools. From generative writing assistants to adaptive tutoring systems, educators and students now have unprecedented access to technologies that can save time, personalize instruction, and expand creative possibilities. But these tools also raise profound ethical, pedagogical, and practical questions.

This session invites educators to examine how AI reshapes teaching, learning, authorship, assessment, and academic integrity. What does it mean to “learn” when AI can generate drafts, summarize readings, or solve complex problems? How do we distinguish between productive assistance and academic outsourcing? And how do we ensure equity when access to AI tools varies widely?

Ultimately, this conversation moves beyond “Is AI allowed?” to the deeper question: “How can we ethically integrate AI in ways that strengthen learning, preserve intellectual development, and uphold the values of education?”