The impact of AI on education and careers: What do students think?

Abstract

Introduction: Providing one-on-one support to large cohorts is challenging, yet emerging AI technologies show promise in bridging the gap between the support students want and what educators can provide. They offer students a way to engage with their course material in a way that feels fluent and instinctive. Whilst educators may have views on the appropriates for AI, the tools themselves, as well as the novel ways in which they can be used, are continually changing.

Methods: The aim of this study was to probe students' familiarity with AI tools, their views on its current uses, their understanding of universities' AI policies, and finally their impressions of its importance, both to their degree and their future careers. We surveyed 453 psychology and sport science students across two institutions in the UK, predominantly those in the first and second year of undergraduate study, and conducted a series of five focus groups to explore the emerging themes of the survey in more detail.

Results: Our results showed a wide range of responses in terms of students' familiarity with the tools and what they believe AI tools could and should not be used for. Most students emphasized the importance of understanding how AI tools function and their potential applications in both their academic studies and future careers. The results indicated a strong desire among students to learn more about AI technologies. Furthermore, there was a significant interest in receiving dedicated support for integrating these tools into their coursework, driven by the belief that such skills will be sought after by future employers. However, most students were not familiar with their university's published AI policies.

Discussion: This research on pedagogical methods supports a broader long-term ambition to better understand and improve our teaching, learning, and student engagement through the adoption of AI and the effective use of technology and suggests a need for a more comprehensive approach to communicating these important guidelines on an on-going basis, especially as the tools and guidelines evolve.

Keywords: AI tools; generative artificial intelligence (gen AI); higher education; students' perspectives; teaching and learning.