Most college students use artificial intelligence tools like ChatGpt to learn concepts, not to learn concepts.
On Wednesday, researchers from the USC Center for Generic AI and Society published a report on how students and teachers around the world are adapting to AI. Together, this study provides the most up-to-date photos of how AI is already shaping classrooms and learning practices in higher education.
The research team conducted two new studies and one new study. A national survey of US university students, an experimental study of new AI writing tools, and a global survey of teachers from five countries.
“Generative AI is here and has already made an impact,” said Stephen J. Aguilar, associate professor at the USC Rossier School of Education. “What's important now is whether we use it to deepen our learning or avoid it. Our research helps students and teachers understand how they integrate AI into their work and research.”
A report led by Aguilar and William Swartout, Chief Science Officer of the USC Viterbi Engineering School of Creative Technologies and co-directors of the Center for AI and Social Studies, shows that generator AI is reshaping education and identifying practices for students and teachers to effectively use these technologies. With intentional design, clear guidance and unbiased access, these reports suggest that generation AI can deepen learning rather than replace learning.
Students use generation AI to support two important forms, but teachers around the world have shown careful optimism
College students are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence tools like ChatGpt to get quick answers rather than deepen their understanding. To understand how college students use AI tools like ChatGPT, researchers surveyed 1,000 US university students and found that most people use AI for what they call “executive help.” In contrast, “instrumental help” involves using AI to clarify concepts, build skills and support independent learning.
However, this study found that students who were encouraged by professors to use AI were very likely to be involved in technology in a learning-oriented way. This suggests that teacher guidance plays an important role in shaping how students approach AI. This is not only a tool for convenience, but also a resource for intellectual growth.
“The growth of AI has created both optimism and anxiety,” Aguilar says. “Most importantly, it is ensuring that AI use is guided by people with deep expertise in the content area, and students are not forced to understand things on their own.”
A companion survey of 1,505 teachers in the US, India, Qatar, Colombia and the Philippines revealed widespread concerns about plagiarism, reduced creativity and conflicting institutional support. Despite these concerns, the majority of educators see promises in AI classroom applications. 72% believe that AI helps streamline daily tasks, 73% believes that it can improve student outcomes, and 69% believes that it has enabled more personalized learning.
New AI writing tools will help you develop your writing skills
The researchers also tested a new writing tool called AI (short for AI for brainstorming and editing), which was designed to promote reflection and revision, rather than shortcuts in the writing process. Students reported using ABE as a companion to improve writing and broaden their perspective. This tool guides users with structured activities such as strengthening arguments, clarifying claims, and exploring rebuttals.
“We believe that if used properly, tools like ABE can use generator AI to enhance students' critical thinking skills.
Based on the findings, researchers provided several recommendations to enable educators and policymakers to effectively integrate AI into the learning environment. They suggest not using executives, but encourage the use of “instrumental” AI, which students use to improve their understanding. They also advocate for designing AI tools with built-in scaffolding to support reflexes and critical thinking.
Furthermore, the report calls for expanded professional development to help teachers move from hesitantness to adopting confident, ethical AI. Finally, researchers emphasize the need to address fairness issues and note that students and teachers with less institutional support may rely on AI, and coordinated policies may be required to ensure fair access and use.
The complete report can be viewed online.
