This month, students in GFA’s Student Taskforce for AI Research (STAIR) participated in an in-school field trip featuring visiting research professor Mary Madden, whose work sits at the intersection of technology, ethics, and society.
The afternoon was facilitated by History & Global Studies Department Chair Erin O’Grady and Upper School Computer Science, Engineering, & Design Teacher Sam Lowenstein, as part of the Upper School Initiative "Learning After AI." Madden—Senior Researcher; Strategy Consultant; Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University’s Communications, Culture & Technology Program; and Affiliate of the Data & Society Research Institute—led a hands-on workshop focused on qualitative research methods. The goal was to help students think carefully about how to approach ethical, credible research and how to move from big questions to an actionable research plan.
Madden introduced students to the fundamentals of qualitative research, including how to craft effective interview questions and how to practice “self-reflexivity” to approach conversations with clarity and purpose. Madden and O’Grady modeled a mock interview, giving students an example of how these practices come together in real time. Students shared their own draft questions, received peer feedback, and continued their work in cohort discussions throughout the day.
The day concluded with remarks from Jonathan Glick of JSTOR/Ithaka, who helped students situate their work within broader conversations about the future of scholarly communication and research practice.
As STAIR continues its work, students are documenting a historic shift in real time. As the first generation to learn alongside AI, their research will help shape how GFA—and other schools—navigate what comes next.