I’m Kyle Jones, an associate professor in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University-Indianapolis. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison iSchool in 2015, an M.L.I.S. from Dominican University’s School of Information Studies in 2009, and a B.A. from Elmhurst College in 2007.
Research
Informed by the social informatics tradition of inquiry, I research information ethics and policy issues related to educational technology (edtech) and its relation to algorithmic tools, data mining, and analytic practices in the context of American higher education. My primary conceptual and practical concern is student privacy, specifically: Is it valued and by whom? How is it defined? How is it operationalized in institutional practices? This focus has evolved to consider how institutional governance models (e.g., top-down versus communitarian) and practices influence privacy rights and other ethical interests across institutional roles. The emergence of AI, especially generative AI, and its increasing integration in edtech opens up a host of new and necessary research opportunities that I am also pursuing. Through my research, I critically and constructively evaluate the design, adoption, and implementation of edtech to ensure that human values are accounted for and respected so that my research outputs can positively impact the work of technologists, higher education stakeholders, and policymakers.
My published research is accessible in top journals, like the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology; Learning, Media and Technology; Communications of the ACM; the Journal of Documentation; College & Research Libraries; and other journals. You can also find my publications on SSRN. Since 2018, I have earned $1.1 million in funding for projects. My research has been featured in national and international news outlets.
Teaching
For my teaching, my online-only courses focus on sociotechnical concerns related to database design, information architecture, AI, and information policy. I am a Quality Matters certified peer reviewer. I was the primary curriculum architect for my department’s undergraduate Applied Data and Information Science program. In 2019, I was awarded my school’s Teaching Award. In 2021, I was awarded my campus’s Trustees Teaching Award.
Service
I am an active member of the Association of Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), where I’ve been an officer for the Information Ethics special interest group, and the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), where I was an officer for the Information and Learning Sciences special interest group. I am an associate editor for the Information and Learning Sciences journal and a member of the editorial board for the journal portal: Libraries and the Academy and the Journal of Computing in Higher Education.
Updates
- Forthcoming Article in the International Journal of Qualitative Methods
It’s a pleasure to announce that my paper, “Generative AI in qualitative research and related transparency problems: A novel heuristic for disclosing uses of AI,” has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Qualitative Methods. While researching and writing on qualitative research methods is a bit of a tangent from my primary research interests (i.e., edtech ethics and policy issues), I always enjoy the intellectual journey this type of work takes me on. I also believe that qualitative research is undergoing a paradigm shift due to the emergence of generative AI tools, and researchers like myself require new approaches to thinking about, utilizing, and critically analyzing the role of AI in our practices. The paper is available in my OSF research repository as a preprint: https://osf.io/gqa92/files/8cwe9.
- Slides from Presentation at ALISE 2025 in Kansas City, MO
I presented some reflections on creating S604: Artificial Intelligence for Library and Information Science Professionals, an online course for MLIS students. I discussed some of the instructional design choices and the way I used generative AI tools to create and analyze instructional objects. Most of the presentation was spent focusing on how I touched some ethical boundaries along the way, and the emerging framework I developed to handle these ethical problems while still using AI appropriately. The presentation is titled “Teaching AI with AI: Touching the Ethical Boundaries” and is available in my OSF teaching repository: https://osf.io/qnhw3.
- AAUP Report on AI and Academic Professions
I contributed to AAUP’s recent report “Artificial Intelligence and Academic Professions,” which was just published. The report’s findings are derived from a survey of 500 AAUP members across nearly 200 institutions. From the abstract, the findings emphasize “the importance of improving education on AI, promoting shared governance through policies and oversight, and focusing on equity, transparency, and worker protections. Based on those responses, the committee identified the five key concerns.” It was an honor to be included in this project, and I would like to extend my thanks to Britt Paris for her leadership. The report is available at: https://www.aaup.org/reports-publications/aaup-policies-reports/topical-reports/artificial-intelligence-and-academic
- Slides from Presentation at “Research in the Era of Generative AI” at Rutgers University
I recently presented some work on learning analytics ethics and infrastructure as it relates to AI and, specifically, AI chatbots. The presentation is titled “Data Doubles and AI Chatbots in Higher Ed:
What Learning Analytics Research Might Teach Us About Ethical Applications of AI” and is available in my OSF research repository: https://osf.io/2e5ym. - Forthcoming Article in the Journal College & Research Libraries
I have a paper forthcoming in the journal College & Research Libraries with Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe. The article is titled “Preparing academic librarians to prioritize privacy in learning analytics projects: An evaluation of a professional development course” and is available in my OSF research repository as a preprint: https://osf.io/s5hwr.
- New Article Forthcoming for College & Research Libraries News
With my collaborators on the Datafied Classroom project, we’ve had a piece accepted for College & Research Libraries News: “Student privacy in the datafied classroom: Facilitating conversations with campus stakeholders.” This writing provides an overview of the project and reflections from partners who ran our facilitated workshops. See the preprint here: https://osf.io/urypq
- New Project Page for Edtech Governance Research
I’ve been collaboratively working on a few projects focused on edtech governance. To keep track of my efforts in this area, see this new project page: https://thecorkboard.org/edtech-governance/
- On Sabbatical
I have begun my sabbatical and will return to Indiana University starting August 1st, 2024. During this time I will work on an upcoming book to be published by Cambridge University Press titled Governing EdTech in Schools and Universities. I will also be working on AI-related teaching projects.
- Forthcoming Article in the Journal of Computing in Higher Education
I have a paper forthcoming in the Journal of Computing in Higher Education with Amy VanScoy, Alison Harding, and Amy Martin. The article is titled “Changing student privacy responsibilities and governance needs: Views from faculty, instructional designers, and academic librarians” and is available in my OSF research repository as a preprint: https://osf.io/frup4.
- Interview with The Markup
My interview with The Markup‘s Tara García Mathewson has been published. Their piece, “He wanted privacy. His college gave him none,” is available at https://themarkup.org/machine-learning/2023/11/30/he-wanted-privacy-his-college-gave-him-none.
