22 Augmented Reality Ethical Reasoning Labs

Introduction and Rationale: Augmented Reality Ethical Reasoning LabsWith the goal of engaging students in critical analysis of the social and ethical dimensions of technology, this ACT Grant would support the development of two flexible, interactive Augmented Reality (AR) labs in our new, dedicated lab space: a Scenario Analysis Lab, and a Design Fiction Lab.

 

This project supports our teaching in anticipatory ethical reasoning and science & technology governance. Anticipatory ethical reasoning refers to ethical reasoning applied to mid- to long-term technological trajectories. To engage in such ethical reasoning meaningfully, such trajectories have to be imagined and articulated based on research and grounded analysis of the social, political, economic, environmental, technological, and legal factors that may shape a trajectory in a particular way. Once plausible trajectories can be identified and described, the social and ethical implications of the technology in question can be analyzed. Insights from this analysis can then inform technology design and governance—policy, regulation, and best practices aimed at guiding responsible innovation.

 

In 2018, we obtained a grant to pilot a pedagogical approach that blended three tools to engage students in developing anticipatory ethical reasoning: scenario analysis, design fiction, and the 8 Key Questions. We refer to this blended strategy as Creative Anticipatory Ethical Reasoning (CAER). Scenario analysis is a structured process emerging from business consulting to identify and analyze key drivers of social and technical change to inform planning. Design fiction is a blend of science, science fiction, and design prototyping that juxtaposes 2D and 3D elements to visualize and facilitate critical thinking about plausible future scenarios. The 8 Key Questions refers to JMU’s signature heuristic for engaging in ethical reasoning developed by Ethical Reasoning in Action.

 

We developed a CAER module to test in five sections of a course we both teach. In this module, students researched an emerging technology; used scenario analysis to identify, analyze, and describe plausible trajectories for their emerging technology; then created design fictions to further elaborate, visualize, and engage each other in discussion about one of the scenarios; and finally used the 8 Key Questions to interrogate the design fiction as a way to assess the social and ethical implications of their technology. In this pilot version, CAER was done in the classroom using white boards and traditional arts and crafts materials. While these materials were effective in terms of achieving CAER’s learning objectives, there are several challenges: 1) the materials have to be purchased anew for each class of students; 2) they are messy and difficult to move; 3) their low-tech nature and association with artistic skill can be a barrier for some STEM students; 4) and the final products are not physically robust or flexible enough to maintain for engagement with broader audiences or future students. Nevertheless, the pilot project demonstrated that CAER is a promising approach for engaging students in anticipatory ethical reasoning. This research has been presented at conferences domestically and internationally with excellent reception, and we have just submitted an article for publication in Science and Engineering Ethics. Based on the success of this work, we now have a dedicated space to further develop CAER as a pedagogical innovation.

 

In addition to supporting the previously-piloted CAER module (reaching 4-5 sections of 25 students each), with a more expansive and interactive mode of engagement, these interactive labs will support a new CAER module for an additional course that we teach (another 4-5 sections of 25 students each) and for integration into two more courses in the curriculum (over 100 students). They will provide an interactive space to guide our capstone and independent study students in using CAER in their research

(currently, another 22 students), and provide an interactive space to engage our research subjects in a collaborative CAER research engagement that also involves undergraduate students. In other words, the development of these interactive AR labs would allow us to significantly scale up CAER and reach more students across a greater variety of learning engagements.

 

AR will allow us to draw digital overlays on top of material backgrounds (set pieces, board games, white boards, dioramas, etc.), adding a virtual third dimension to the interactive lab and enabling multiple students simultaneously to draw different overlays and to build on each other’s overlays in the digital space. Additionally, once these layers are created, specific instantiations can be associated with QR codes that other students can scan, facilitating nimble engagement with each other’s work.

 

The goals of these proposed interactive labs are to:

·         Teach students the scenario analysis process with flexible, iterative scenario development, simultaneous engagement with multiple groups, and greater individual participation

·         Guide students in the creative elaboration of diverse scenarios and the use of design fiction to collaboratively engage the social and ethical implications of these diverse scenarios

·         Facilitate greater interaction among students engaging each other’s design fictions and ethical reflections through QR codes that link to each other’s work

·         Scale up to include a greater number of students incorporating anticipatory ethical reasoning across a wider set of courses and learning experiences

·         Achieve a sustainable CAER lab that requires minimal financial investment per engagement

 

Plan for design and implementationThe two interactive AR labs will consist of several stations that guide students through different parts of the CAER process. There will be multiple starting points to facilitate different groups engaging the interactive labs at the same time. These interactive labs will be constructed using a combination of wood board games and backdrops designed and laser cut using technology at XLabs, magnetized white boards, game pieces and magnetized figures 3D printed in XLabs, and several additional required elements purchased with the support of the ACT Grant, including iPADs to support drawing and overlaying Augmented Reality creations onto the Lab backdrops. Additional props can be created for free using 3D printing and other resources available through the on-campus makeries. Our current lab students will help us to construct these labs and test them for optimal flow and effectiveness. Items in bold require the financial assistance of the ACT grant.

 

Phase 1. Introduction to CAER: The Basics Station 1: Eight Key Questions with Science Tarot

Station 2: Driver analysis with AR-enhanced board game. Board game cards: Technology Cards, Driver Cards, Systems Cards, Stakeholder Cards.

Station 3: Design Fiction with Wired Magazine

Station 4: Introduction to AR / VR (Merge / Oculus Go)

 

Phase 2. Application of Scenario Analysis (AR over whiteboards)

Station 1: Digital scenario analysis choose-your-own-adventure interactive