Artificial Intelligence-Generated Vignettes as Triggers for Collaborative Reflection: Exploring Methodological Potentials in Higher Education

Given the ongoing digital transformation of professional practice, educators increasingly require tools that can scaffold collective reflection on ethically complex dilemmas. This study examines the methodological potential of generative AI (GenAI)–produced video vignettes as boundary objects for fostering collaborative reflection and professional judgment in pre-service education. In a qualitative case, pre-service social educators engaged in group dis­cus­­sions and written reflections around a GenAI-generated scenario designed for ethical ambiguity and professional recognizability. The analysis shows how the vignette’s multimodal features activated dialogic exchange, supported negotiation of perspectives, and enabled the emergence of shared professional reasoning. Framing the GenAI vignette as a methodological artifact, the study extends vignette-based pedagogy by specifying affordances that intensify collective sense-making. We argue that GenAI vignettes can effectively scaffold dialogical reflection and context-sensitive judgment in technology-mediated settings, positioning GenAI as a co-creator of reflective spaces that enrich practice-based learning and the development of professional judgment.