Ethical Implications for Children’s Use of Search Tools in an Educational Setting

Monica Landoni, Emiliana Murgia, Theo Huibers, and Maria Soledad Pera. 2021. “Ethical Implications for Children’s Use of Search Tools in an Educational Setting”. In International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction- Special Issue: Ethics in CCI, Volume 32, June 2022, 100386. DOI:10.1016/j.ijcci.2021.100386.

Abstract

In the classroom, search tools enable students to access online resources. While these tools have many benefits in theory, in practice there are also ethical issues to consider. In this article, we discuss a number of ethics-related problems teachers are faced with and they need to find solutions for. Based on our own research experience developing and deploying information discovery tools for the classroom (both in a traditional classroom setting and on the Internet due to the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19), we share insights about ethics and the role of the expert-in-the-loop, teachers, both as co-design partners and liaisons between search tools and students. Furthermore, we introduce a set of guidelines, EMILIA, to assist teachers in recognizing and reflecting on ethical issues that arise from their use of search tools in the classroom.

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