In this presentation, we discuss quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey conducted with university-level students from different majors (N = 60) to assess their perceptions about the use of AI (ChatGPT) in higher education at a time when their public university had invested in free access to ChatGPT Education for all faculty and students. Survey items included both open- and closed-ended questions related to student use of AI in assignments, their views regarding the appropriateness of AI for specific tasks, and their perspectives on future AI research. Results show that while most students agreed that AI should not replace intellectual effort (e.g., completing assignments for them), there was less consensus on other AI uses (e.g., formatting citations, receiving general feedback on a text, or generating alternative phrasing). Findings reflect differing student beliefs about AI, with some expressing strong resistance grounded in concerns about authenticity, dependency, and reliability. Student recommendations for future AI research include examining the impacts of AI at the micro-level (e.g., grades, writing quality, learning strategies) and at the macro-level (e.g., overall learning, disciplinary and professional gains, institutional adaptation, and ethics). Overall, data from the survey suggest that students are critically engaging in conversations about the role of AI in higher education, but they have differing opinions as to what that role should be.

Authors:
Silvia Marijuan, California Polytechnic State University, United States
Scott Ferree, California Polytechnic State University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Silvia Marijuan holds a PhD from Georgetown University and is professor of applied linguistics and Department Chair of World Languages and Cultures at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (USA).

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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