Synthetic Media in Multilingual MOOCs: Deepfake Tutors, Pedagogical Effects, and Ethical-Policy Challenges

Authors: Alexandros Gazis, Erietta Chamalidou, Nikolaos Ntaoulas, Theodoros Vavouras

Published: 2026-02-05 15:39:15+00:00

Comment: 36 pages, 3 figures, 8 tables, 92 references

AI Summary

This scoping review explores the usage, pedagogical effects, and ethical-policy challenges of deepfake and synthetic media in multilingual Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It analyzes international literature from 2020-2025 to understand their influence on social presence and participation, alongside ethical concerns and regulatory frameworks. The paper proposes a policy framework emphasizing transparency, responsible governance, and AI literacy to integrate synthetic media responsibly in education.

Abstract

In recent years, synthetic media from deepfake videos have emerged as a new interesting technology, whether that refers to cloned voices, multilingual translation models, or more recent applications of avatar tutors into higher education. As such, these technologies are rapidly becoming part of the multilingual distance learning model and, more recently, MOOCs worldwide. This article is a scoping review that focuses on recent international literature published between 2020 and 2025 to explore the usage of deepfake and synthetic media tools and methods in multilingual MOOC content and assess the influence of these technologies on social presence and participation. Similarly, we focus on ethical and political issues that are closely connected with the adaptation of these technologies, and upon analysing educational technology and policy documents, such as UNESCO's Guidelines and the EU AI Act, we pinpoint that the use of synthetic avatars and AI-generated videos can diminish production costs and assist multilingual learning. Evidently, concerns arise regarding authenticity, privacy, and the shifting nature of the teacher-learner relationship that are thoroughly discussed. As a result, the technical merit of this paper is the proposal of a policy framework that, in an effort to address these issues, focuses on transparency, responsible governance, and AI literacy. The goal is not to replace human instruction but to integrate synthetic media in ways that strengthen pedagogical design, safeguard rights, and ensure that multilingual MOOCs become more interesting and inclusive rather than more automated robotic processes and unequal

Key findings

AI-generated instructional videos and avatar-based tutors can yield comparable learning outcomes to human-recorded materials, though often resulting in lower perceived social presence and emotional connection. Multimodal translation systems offer significant potential for improving access for non-English-speaking learners by enabling cost-effective content delivery in multiple languages. The integration of synthetic media necessitates strong ethical considerations, including mandatory transparency, informed consent, robust data protection, and explicit institutional policies to manage risks like impersonation and data surveillance.

Approach

This paper conducts a scoping review of international literature published between 2020 and 2025, using structured methodologies (JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines). It identifies, screens, and analyzes studies concerning the usage, pedagogical implications, and ethical/policy challenges of deepfake and synthetic media in multilingual MOOCs, culminating in a proposed policy framework.

Datasets

UNKNOWN

Model(s)

UNKNOWN

Author countries

Greece

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