Exploring the Role of Generative AI in College Students Engagement with Business Ethics Learning Yung-Hsiang Hu & Hui-Yun Yu
General Education Center, College of Future, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliou, Yunlin, 64002, Taiwan
Department of Business Administration, College of Management, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliou, Yunlin, 64002, Taiwan
Abstract
Scholars have proposed that to enhance pre-class learning readiness, effective pre-reading activities can be designed to augment the flipped learning approach. Debates are acknowledged as a potentially influential strategy to enhance students^ ethical reasoning skills. However, incorporating debates into pre-class activities poses a challenge for both students and educators. Research evidence underscores the potential of student debates in ethical education. Therefore, this study introduces an AI-powered online debate strategy to aid students in completing debate tasks within a flipped learning framework. To gauge the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, a Generative AI-Powered Online Debate System was developed and implemented in a university-level business ethics course. Sixty-two junior-level students were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group engaged in debate activities employing the AI-powered flipped learning approach, while the control group followed a conventional flipped learning strategy without the system^s intervention. Results indicate that the AI-powered online debate strategy effectively enhances students^ pre-class learning readiness. Moreover, students^ participation in online debates, compared to traditional flipped learning, showed no variance in their external cognitive load, while simultaneously enhancing their confidence in comprehending ethical concepts. This study adds to the evolving comprehension of the potential advantages of incorporating AI-powered strategies in flipped learning scenarios for ethical education.
Keywords: Generative AI, Flipped Learning, Online Debate, Business Ethics
