Students are embracing AI, but are they confident about it?
Eddie Major, Coordinator, AI in Learning and Teaching, explores student AI preparedness and outlines the resources available to support them in building confidence and skills.
Surveys reveal high AI engagement, but lower AI confidence among university students
In less than two years, generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has quickly become a general-purpose technology used by university students around the world. Two recent surveys, conducted by the Digital Education Council (n=3,839) and Harvard University (n=326), reported student gen AI use at 86% and 87% respectively; with more than half using it weekly and a quarter using it daily1. Earlier surveys have reported student gen AI use rising from 27% to 49% over just six months in 2023.2
But while students are certainly embracing gen AI, they aren’t necessarily confident about it; around half say they don’t think they have sufficient AI knowledge and skills or that they’re adequately prepared for an AI-enabled workplace3.
Worryingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the Digital Education Council survey of students across 16 countries found that only 5% are fully aware of the AI guidelines their university has in place. Digital Education Council
Much like in universities globally, University of Adelaide educators are working out how best to guide their students in the responsible use of gen AI, while also ensuring that academic quality is maintained and learning outcomes are genuinely attained. How best to do this will vary across teaching areas, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but general resources are available to help both staff and students build their knowledge and skills in the responsible use of gen AI in learning and assessment.
In addition to the University supports below, TEQSA has this month published a new resource, authored by Associate Professor Jason Lodge (University of Queensland) who will be the keynote speaker at the October Festival of Learning and Teaching, which offers some ideas for principles and immediate steps educators can take to guide good gen AI practice among students.
Partly guiding these principles, Lodge says, is a shift from focusing on “detecting [AI] cheating to focusing on whether learning has occurred.” 4 In terms of identifying areas for more urgent attention, this may mean program directors and course coordinators focus on final-year assessments as a priority. Engaging with and getting to know students allows educators to identify problematic differences between classwork and material submitted for assessment. Educators, particularly course coordinators, need to be upfront and transparent about their expectation of gen AI use; and require students to show their working.
In terms of immediate steps that individual educators can take, Lodge emphasises the need to engage with the technology and increase their awareness and understanding of gen AI and its many capabilities.
AI is now shaping the education of all students in some way, and every member of the university community should be part of the ongoing conversation about how we engage with what is likely emerging as the general-purpose technology of our time.
University of Adelaide resources for educators:
- AI in Assessment Guidelines have been developed to help course coordinators think about how their students might use gen AI and decide what is appropriate for assessment tasks. They provide standardised language to use and adapt to set clear expectations for students in alignment with academic integrity. We’d love to hear your feedback on how the guidelines are working via this survey.
- The Artificial Intelligence Community of Practice (AI CoP) brings together academics, professionals, and students to explore AI’s impact in academic and professional contexts. It facilitates useful data sharing, best practices, and discussions about AI use across the University.
- Learning Enhancement and Innovation host a range of quality workshops designed to showcase best practice and enhance the use of technology in student learning. Gen AI workshops this semester include:
- Back to the future - generative AI for productivity, innovation and authenticity in higher education (face-to-face)
University Library resources for students
- The Artificial Intelligence LibGuide provides information about the responsible use of gen AI in academic study and research, including how to cite and acknowledge gen AI use in assessments
- The Gen AI Masterclass is a 6-part series offering a foundational introduction to AI, how to prompt, evaluate and acknowledge AI, as well as important ethical challenges to consider.
Further reading
- The evolving risk to academic integrity posed by generative artificial intelligence: Options for immediate action TEQSA – August 2024
References
1 - Rong, H. and Chun, C. (2024) Digital Education Council Global AI Student Survey 2024, Digital Education Council. Available at: https://www.digitaleducationcouncil.com/post/digital-education-council-global-ai-student-survey-2024 (Accessed: 15 August 2024).
2 - Shaw, C. et al. (2023) Gen AI in higher education: Fall 2023 update, Tyton Partners. Available at: https://www.turnitin.com/whitepapers/tyton-partners-time-for-class-study (Accessed: 15 August 2024).
3 - Rong, H. and Chun, C. (2024)
4 - Lodge, J. (2024) The evolving risk to academic integrity posed by generative artificial intelligence: Options for immediate action, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. Available at: https://www.teqsa.gov.au/about-us/news-and-events/latest-news/addressing-risk-genai-award-integrity (Accessed: 15 August 2024).
Hirabayashi, S. et al. (2024) Harvard Undergraduate Survey on generative AI, arXiv.org. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00833 (Accessed: 15 August 2024).