Practising Elsewhere: AI Simulation, Ethical Containment, and the Pedagogy of Listening in South African Community Psychology

Abstract

Community Psychology students require authentic practice in community listening. Yet sending novice practitioners into vulnerable South African communities risks harm and exploits populations already over researched. Traditional placement models cannot scale. This ethical contradiction—acute in post apartheid contexts but recognisable globally—demands pedagogical innovation. This research offers a globally relevant model for social sciences educators facing placement capacity constraints. The KwaNomoya Project is a two phase, AI assisted simulation designed to address this gap. In early 2026, an anticipated cohort of 90 third year students will conduct needs assessments with seven algorithmically generated personas representing a fictional KwaZulu Natal township. They will collectively analyse data via real time Mentimeter visualisation and iteratively design NGO interventions in response to critical AI feedback. This presentation outlines a planned qualitative study employing reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) of the projected data corpus: anonymised student AI dialogue transcripts and whole class Mentimeter outputs. Research questions examine how students navigate conflicting community priorities, how pedagogical responsiveness emerges from student generated data, how iterative AI feedback shapes participatory design, and what strategies support critical distance. By the September 2026 conference, initial implementation data will be available; this presentation will offer early insights alongside reflexive analysis of the design process. Crucially, this project advances an original ethical argument: simulation is not a compromise of community psychology values but their instantiation. Withholding unprepared students from communities and investing in high fidelity simulated alternatives honours non maleficence while satisfying South African work integrated learning mandates (CHE, DHET, HPCSA). Deliberate framing and debriefing strategies will be embedded to prevent over identification. The project is explicitly framed as a permanent work in progress, continuously revised.
Significance: This research will offer a transferable, critically reflexive model for simulation based humanitarian education that is ethically grounded, scalable, and responsive to global calls for equitable placement alternatives.