Student Research Guide WQ25/ Integration of AI Powered Tools and Effects on Higher Education

The integration of AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT and its effects on higher education.

 This is a student created research guide for English 102 & Library 201 Learning community

The purpose of this guide is to explore the integration of AI and larger language models in higher education and how this new technology will transform the future of teaching.

In a few sentences, describe your focused thesis:

The integration of AI and larger language models in higher education is transforming education by providing personalized learning experiences tailored to students’ individual needs, enhancing teacher effectiveness through the automation of routine tasks, the use of teaching aids, and promoting educational equity through increased access to resources, while requiring efforts to mitigate biases and ensure equal access to technology for all learners.

     The research questions address in this guide are:

1. How can teachers utilize AI technology to their benefit?
2. How can AI technology help enhance student engagement in school?
3. What boundaries are being put in place to make sure AI is being used ethically by students?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and becoming an integral part of higher education, specifically higher education. This paper explores the advantages of AI-powered tools, such as ChatGPT, in classroom settings, discussing its potential to enhance personalized learning, streamline administrative tasks, and support student engagement. While AI presents numerous benefits, concerns regarding student dependency, academic dishonesty, and ethical considerations persist. This paper advocates for a balanced approach, where AI is used as a valuable resource while preserving academic integrity and ensuring students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they adapt to evolving technology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly evolved and integrated into various industries, including education. Unlike past technological innovation that replaced earlier technologies, AI enhances and optimizes existing systems. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, AI is "the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. Ther term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize or learn from past experience." Additionally, Merriam-Webster defines Generative AI as "artificial intelligence (...) that is capable of generating new content (such as images or text) in response to a submitted prompt (such as a query) by learning from a large reference database of examples." AI applications like ChatGPT are transforming higher education by offering personalized learning experiences, assisting educators with routine tasks, and increasing accessibility to educational resources. While some critics argue that AI may reduce critical thinking and traditional studying skills, research suggests that AI has been studied in education for over thirty years and is shaping the future of learning.

Issues and Debates: 

• AI's impact on student learning, motivation, and academic integrity.
• The potential for AI to either support or replace certain teaching functions
• Concerns about bias, plagiarism, and overreliance on AI-generated content

Stakeholders: 

• Students: Benefit from AI-powered personalized learning tools but must use them responsibly.
• Educators: Can utilize AI for grading, lesson planning, and tutoring but must navigate ethical concerns. 
• Institutions: Must develop policies to regulate AI use while promoting innovation.

Key Developments and Timelines:

• Mid-twentieth Century: Alan Turing introduces the Turing test
• 1955: John McCarthy coins the term "artificial intelligence."
• 2022: ChatGPT launched, passing the Turing test and introducing AI into mainstream education.

Geographical and Educational Impact: 

• AI is being integrated globally in higher education institutions.
• Universities are incorporating AI-powered tools into research, tutoring, and academic support systems.

Summary: 

AI-powered tools like ChatGPT offer numerous benefits, including improving student engagement, aiding educators, and ensuring personalized education. However, proper implementation and regulation are necessary to prevent academic dishonesty and overdependence. Educators should focus on balancing AI with traditional teaching methods to maximize its potential while maintaining academic integrity. 

In this media, speaker Natasha Berg, M.Ed. Has spent her career learning about and developing her skills in education and educational technology. Berg believes that new and emerging technology should be integrated into classrooms as it fully prepares students to enter the 21st century workforce and helps make learning accessible to students of all abilities.

Source citation:

Berg, Natasha. Should we let students use ChatGPT?: Ted. Accessed 10/03/2025, https://youtu.be/ogcSQ-cFRVM?si=neXtcDfhIRTGs9

In this video, Sal Khan, the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, thinks artificial intelligence could spark the greatest positive transformation education has ever seen. He shares the opportunities he sees for students and educators to collaborate with AI tools -- including the potential of a personal AI tutor for every student and an AI teaching assistant for every teacher -- and demos some exciting new features for their educational chatbot, Khanmigo.

Source Citation: 

Sal Khan, 2023, How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education: Ted. Accessed 24/2/2025, https://www.ted.com/talks/sal_khan_how_ai_could_save_not_destroy_education?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare