The Artificial Intelligence Colour Wheel Framework to support ethical curriculum transformation in CODeL early childhood teacher education

Abstract

Whether in schooling or post-schooling contexts, curriculum is a contested and generative space that reflects the pressures and possibilities of a rapidly transforming world. This article examines the intersection of curriculum transformation, technological advancement and ethical responsibility by focusing on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) within an Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) environment. Drawing from qualitative research conducted with ECE pre-service teachers, the research introduces and applies the Artificial Intelligence Colour Wheel Framework (AICWF), a pedagogical tool designed to scaffold students’ understanding of responsible AI use in academic learning. Grounded in Michael Moore’s Transactional Distance Theory, the research critically engages with the tensions between access, autonomy, integrity and accountability in digitally mediated learning. The findings reveal that while AI holds significant potential to expand the possibilities of curriculum design particularly in supporting flexible learning, scaffolding creative academic engagement and enhancing digital literacy it also produces challenges that call for ethical interrogation.