DEFI_logo

defi@hughes.cam.ac.uk                 

A dialogic theoretical foundation for integrating generative AI into pedagogical design

BJET, the British Journal of Educational Technology, has published a research paper by DEFI members Dr Imogen Casebourne and Professor Rupert Wegerif.

Their paper proposes a double dialogic pedagogy as a theoretical foundation for integrating AI into educational design.

It situates current developments in AI within a historical and philosophical context, drawing on dialogic theory and the concept of the pharmakon to argue that AI is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful, but depends on pedagogical framing. 

Their research specifically links AI-supported learning to education for collective intelligence, offering concrete illustrations of how AI can support both dialogic learning and induction into long-term cultural dialogues.

Male teacher helps two female students at computer

Select the icon above to access this paper.

Read a summary of the paper from the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.

Citation

Casebourne, I., & Wegerif, R. (2025). A dialogic theoretical foundation for integrating generative AI into pedagogical design. British Journal of Educational Technology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.70026

Abstract
Generative AI presents a profound challenge to the existing structures and purposes of education. It forces us to reconsider not only how we teach and learn but also, more fundamentally, what education is for. This conceptual paper argues that, in order to integrate AI into education in a way that can meet the major challenges facing humanity, ranging from ecological crisis to the future of democratic societies, we must reframe education. Drawing on the nature and potential of generative AI in conjunction with educational theory, we propose a double dialogic pedagogy that recognises education as both teaching thinking through dialogue and inducting students into participation in the long-term powerful dialogues of culture. We relate this double dialogic pedagogy with AI to education for collective intelligence. This pedagogy positions AI not as a replacement for human thinking, but as a partner in expanding the space of dialogue. By articulating this theoretical foundation, we offer a basis for the future design of educational practices and technologies that can support human flourishing in an age of accelerating technological change.