As artificial intelligence becomes more common in education and society, some of the concepts we rely on need to be reconsidered. In the paper Conceptual Analysis and Conceptual Engineering: Methodological Issues in the Philosophy of Computing Education, Roger McDermott, Mats Daniels, John N. Brown, and Åsa Cajander discuss how philosophical methods can help researchers analyse and rethink key concepts in computing education (McDermott, Daniels, Brown, & Cajander, 2025).
The authors focus on two approaches. Conceptual analysis helps clarify what a concept actually means. For example, analysing the concept of a programming language shows that it includes elements such as syntax, meaning, data structures, and mechanisms for abstraction. Making these elements explicit helps researchers and educators better understand the foundations of computing.
However, sometimes clarification is not enough. When technology changes, concepts may also need to change. This is where conceptual engineering becomes useful. Instead of only analysing concepts, it explores whether they should be revised or redesigned.
The paper uses the concept of explanation as an example. Modern AI systems often work as complex models that are difficult to interpret. This makes it challenging to explain how a decision was reached. In areas such as education and public administration, where transparency and accountability are important, this creates new challenges.
Roger McDermott, Mats Daniels, John N. Brown, and Åsa Cajander therefore explore possible ways of rethinking explanation in AI contexts. These may include approximate explanations of influential factors, contrastive explanations that show how a decision could have been different, and institutional mechanisms such as audits that support accountability.
Together, conceptual analysis and conceptual engineering provide useful tools for understanding and adapting key ideas in computing education as technologies such as AI continue to develop.
Reference
McDermott, R., Daniels, M., Brown, J. N., & Cajander, Å. (2025, November). Conceptual Analysis and Conceptual Engineering: Methodological Issues in the Philosophy of Computing Education. In 2025 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1–9). IEEE.