College students are using AI, but not what you think

There is intense speculation about the role of generative artificial intelligence (AI), including chat GPT and other large-scale language models, in educating college students.

Is it a powerful tool to enhance learning, or a threat to academic integrity?

A recently released federal study (now seeking submissions) will explore the potential impact of new technologies on the Australian education system.

Since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, universities have worked to understand the impact of this technology on teaching and learning, and importantly, assessment.

Academic honesty is one of the key issues on the agenda. Generative AI Can Write Reliable Essays What happens to a student’s ability to discern what they have learned when they pass the medical licensing exam?

What is not clear is whether students and academics want to actively participate in this technology and how they are currently using it.

In our study, we tested this question by asking current Australian university students and academics to self-report their use of generative AI. We received 110 responses from all Australian states and territories (including 78 students and 32 academics).

cautious approach

We found that while some students responded that they were ready to embrace generative AI in their university studies, many students were completely reluctant to engage with the technology.

In fact, nearly half (48%) of all student respondents had never used generative AI.

The study, which reports data generated from April 24 to May 23, 2023, found that some students, far from jumping at the chance of using generative AI to gain educational benefits, were skeptical of generative AI. It shows that you are reacting very thoughtfully and cautiously.

Responses included concerns about the ethics of contributing to technology, the impact on students’ individual learning skills, and the long-term impact on human thinking and learning.

One student wrote:

Relying on them is detrimental to their own learning if they cannot write without first acquiring those skills.

Some were wary of over-relying on generative AI due to the current limitations of this generation of technology. For example, one person wrote:

You may find it useful to get a very broad overview of a topic before focusing on specific areas. I don’t think it helps shape or generate issues, and I prefer the process to be completely autonomous.

Fewer than 1 in 10 student respondents used generative AI to create content submitted as part or all of their evaluable work.

Importantly, however, our findings do not indicate that students who used AI tools were necessarily cheating. Many universities have policies that allow the use of AI-generated content under certain circumstances (for example, if the use is properly referenced and approved).

Generative AI as a learning partner

Academics and students who used generative AI found educational applications for generative AI in relation to teaching and learning.

Students can do so in a variety of previously speculated ways, including creativity support, brainstorming, idea refinement, summarization, and linguistic support (e.g., sentence structure refinement), especially for students using English as an additional language. We talked about using generative AI.

The use of conversational agents (such as chat bots) to support learning has been demonstrated in previous research, and in our study students emphasized the interactive nature of generative AI especially for this reason. was emphasized.

They called generative AI a “co-pilot,” a “learning partner,” and an automated “tutor.”

For example, one person said:

You will feel as if your study buddies or friends are helping you, which reduces your stress and anxiety about evaluations.

Although students generally agreed that generative AI would make task completion more efficient, academics did not expect a net benefit to their workloads as a result of generative AI.

Students are grappling with different uses for generative AI, but about 75% of academics report that they don’t feel their universities are ready for the technology yet.

Only a small percentage (12.5%) said they had the resources and training needed to support the use of generative AI. Others noted that the policies and documentation about “what is allowed and what is prohibited” are not clear.

One person gave the university the following advice:

Please cooperate. Each faculty member does not have to connect the dots.

The Future of Generative AI in Education

Data from this research project show that the current generation of generative AI programs will not have a transformative impact on college education as early as the first semester of 2023.

However, with hundreds of new AI tools becoming available every week, the capabilities of current tools are constantly being improved.

Even some of the limitations noted by participants (Chat GPT’s inability to identify unique sources of information) are not well considered by new and advanced technologies using GPT4.

As tech giants lead the revolution in smart, reliable, and intuitive AI, universities will need to evolve as well. New opportunities for innovation in learning, teaching, assessment, and research are essential as we learn to coexist and collaborate with generative AI in the future.

Our research will continue to collect data as we move into Semester 2 to monitor how our engagement with this technology changes over time. We would like to continue hearing from current university students and staff about how they perceive AI and how they are using it.

Generative AI Surveys in Universities Are Accessible Anonymously here.

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