This editorial (10 page PDF) introduces a special issue on AI-aided systemic reviews of research in online learning (also styled here as Open, Distance, and Digital Education (ODDE)). The authors respond to recent criticism of systemic reviews and survey some recent lapses, including "considerable variation in methodological approaches, reporting standards, and the transparency of review procedures." None of this is helped particularly by AI: "increased efficiency does not necessarily translate into improved methodological quality." So they propose standards for AI-assisted reviews that include stipulations that "methodological criteria must precede automation," transparency about the role of AI, systemic validation of AI decisions, and review process that are "sufficiently reproducible and auditable." There's nothing wrong with any of these, but they seem to me to set a pretty low bar. We're still in the era of (almost) any data counts, and (almost) any theory is a good one.
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