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This work-in-progress paper explores university students’ perspectives on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, an increasingly prominent topic in the academic community. There is ongoing debate about whether faculty should teach students how to use GAI tools, restrict their usage to maintain academic integrity, or establish regulatory guidelines for sustained integration into higher education. Unfortunately, limited research exists beyond surface-level policies and educator opinions regarding GAI, and its full impact on student learning remains largely unknown. Therefore, understanding students' perceptions and how they use GAI is crucial to ensuring its effective and ethical integration into higher education. As GAI continues to disrupt traditional educational paradigms, this study seeks to explore how students perceive its influence on their learning and problem-solving. As part of a larger mixed-methods study, this work-in-progress paper presents preliminary findings from the qualitative portion using a phenomenological approach that answers the research question: How do university students perceive disruptive technologies like ChatGPT affecting their education and learning? By exploring the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on student learning, academic integrity, individual beliefs, and community norms, this study contributes to the broader discourse on the role of emerging technologies in shaping the future of teaching and learning in education.
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This content will become publicly available on May 27, 2026
One year in the classroom with ChatGPT: empirical insights and transformative impacts
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has rapidly emerged as a transformative tool in higher education, offering opportunities to enhance teaching and learning. This paper describes the design and implementation of ChatGPT-integrated curriculum activities, featuring coding learning in psychology and conceptual discussions in physics, and presents the findings of a year-long experimental study in both types of classrooms. Our findings suggest that students generally found ChatGPT easy to use and beneficial to their learning, reporting improved confidence, motivation, and engagement. However, its ability to address individual needs or replace instructors was viewed less favorably. Comparative analyses showed that coding activities in psychology led to higher levels of activity satisfaction and perceived usefulness of ChatGPT compared to the more abstract discussion activities in physics. While graduate students were more enthusiastic about using ChatGPT for skill acquisition than undergraduates, demographic factors such as gender, race, and first-generation college status showed no significant influence on such perceptions. Meanwhile, instructors’ reflections emphasize the importance of thoughtful integration, technical support, and pedagogical balance to maximize GAI’s potential while mitigating its limitations. Recommendations for integrating GAI into teaching practices and future research directions are discussed, contributing to the evolving discourse on GAI’s role in transforming modern classrooms.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2426699
- PAR ID:
- 10627219
- Publisher / Repository:
- Frontiers Media S.A.
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Frontiers in Education
- Volume:
- 10
- ISSN:
- 2504-284X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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