For many students, ChatGpt has become a standard tool as a notebook or calculator.
With tidying up grammar, organizing revised versions, and generating flashcards, AI is quickly becoming a reliable companion in college. But the lines are quietly drawn as campuses scramble to catch up with technology. Do you use it to understand? Are you okay. Would you like to use it to write your assignments? Not allowed.
A recent report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy Research found that almost 92% of students are currently using generated AI in some form, using jumps from 66% the previous year.
“To be honest, everyone uses it,” says Magan Chin, a master's student in technology policy in Cambridge. He shares his favorite AI research hacks on Tiktok, from chat-based learning sessions to prompts with clever notes.
“It has evolved. At first people saw ChatGpt as cheating. [thought] That was damaging our critical thinking skills. But now it's a research partner and a conversational tool that helps us improve. ”
“People just call it 'chat',” he picked up the nickname.
If used wisely, it can become a powerful self-study tool. Chin recommends providing class notes and asking them to generate practice exam questions.
“You can have verbal conversations like a professor and interact with them,” she pointed out, adding that you can also create diagrams and summarise difficult topics.
Jayna Devani, International Education Leader at Openai, ChatGpt's US-based developer, recommends this type of interaction. “You can upload course slides and ask for multiple choice questions,” she says. “It helps to break down complex tasks into key steps and clarify concepts.”
Still, there is a risk of overdependence. Chin and her companions practice what they call “push-back methods.”
“When ChatGpt gives you an answer, think about what someone else might say accordingly,” she says. “We'll use it as an alternative perspective, but remember that it's just one voice among many people.” She recommends asking how others approach this differently.
Such positive use is often welcomed by universities. However, the academic community is tackling the issue of AI misuse, and many lecturers have expressed serious concerns about the impact on university experience.
Graham Wynn, Principal of Education at Northumbria University, says it is permitted to use it for support and structure assessment, but students should not rely on AI knowledge and content. “Students can quickly find themselves in trouble with hallucinations, crafted references, and fictional content.”
Northumbria, like many universities, has AI detectors in place and can flag submissions in the event of potential overdependencies. University of the Arts London (UAL) students must maintain a log of AI usage and place it in their individual creative processes.
Like most emerging technologies, things are moving fast. The AI tools students use today are already common at workplaces where they will be admitted tomorrow. However, universities are about processes, not just results, and the message from educators is clear. Support AI in learning and don't replace it.
“AI literacy is a core skill for students,” says a UAL spokesman.
