How the ITOD Framework Guided the Integration of AI Ethics Teaching into a Medical Humanities Course, and Lessons to Learn

Inner Triangle Outer Diamond (ITOD) Framework, presented and published in 2025, informed and guided the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) ethics education into a Medical Humanities course for medical students. Central to the ITOD Framework is the premise that education takes place in an ecosystem, with outcomes shaped by the dynamic interplay and interactions among multiple components. In planning and designing the instruction, the ITOD’s inner triangle helped connect pedagogy (team-based learning), curriculum (AI in Medical Humanities), and assessment (reflective practice). The outer diamond’s elements were also considered to ensure proper alignment of the educational intervention with programme requirements, with special emphasis on resources, policies, instructional design, curricular structure, standard practices, including the educational ecosystem dynamics, and alignment of outcomes with overall programme objectives. Very importantly, the ITOD also aided in calibrating an effective response to external conceptual factors such as technological and cultural advances, and professional advancements. A pre- and post-intervention survey design was adopted to evaluate the impact of the educational intervention (n = 113 pre-session; n = 103 post-session). Results showed significant positive shifts in self-reported AI understanding, increased support for formal AI integration into the curriculum, and enhanced confidence in critically engaging with AI outputs (94.1% reporting ‘yes’ or ‘somewhat’ post-session). Following the educational intervention and the feedback received from the learners, it is accurate to state that the ITOD was a reliable framework for introducing technology-related topics, specifically Artificial Intelligence ethics education, into Medical Humanities within an undergraduate medical programme. The approach is hereby presented in this work and recommended to educators, academic leaders, and other stakeholders.