The Potential of Artificial Intelligence Integration in Higher Education
Submitted by:
Maria Georgiou
Abstract:
Previous research on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Higher Education (Crompton and Burke, 2023; McGrath et al., 2023) has concluded that both students and academic staff recognize the potential of AI in Higher Education, even though certain ethical issues and concerns should be properly addressed (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019; Rasul et al., 2023). This study investigated perceptions of students and faculty regarding the use of AI in Higher Education. The research employed a mixed-methods approach combining closed-ended and open-ended questions in a survey for data collection. The sample consisted of 28 faculty members and 200 students of various courses from a private university in Cyprus. Key findings reveal that both students and faculty generally hold positive attitudes towards AI integration in Higher Education. Students primarily use AI chatbots for academic research, and as writing assistants. Faculty members recognize AI's potential in providing personalized learning opportunities, as well as its capacity to generate educational materials and content. However, the participants also expressed several concerns. Initially, students expressed worries about the potential negative impact on their critical thinking skills and the possibility of their data privacy and security being compromised. In addition, faculty members emphasized the need for training and support on the proper use of AI technologies in Higher Education. Both students and faculty stressed the importance of regulating the use of AI to ensure ethical practices. Overall, these results highlight the importance of developing AI integration strategies regarding proper training, as well as establishing clear ethical guidelines.
References:
Crompton, H. & Burke, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence in higher education: The state of the field. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20, 22.
McGrath, C., Pargman, T.C., Juth, N., & Palmgren, P.J. (2023). University teachers' perceptions of responsibility and artificial intelligence in higher education: An experimental philosophical study. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 4, 100139.
Rasul, T., Nair, S., Kalendra, D., Robin, M., de Oliveira Santini, F., Ladeira, W.J., Sun, M., Day, I., Rather, R.A., & Heathcote, L. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in higher education: Benefits, challenges, and future research directions. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1), 41-56.
Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V.I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education–where are the educators?. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 1-27.