Not only primary and secondary education but also higher education has been quite influenced by artificial intelligence (AI), and even in the academic field there are many projects and initiatives developed that could make the lives of students and professors easier.
AI Tools in university teaching and learning: the opportunities?
Nowadays, there are AI tools that provide personalized assistance to students for enrolling in faculties, or tools that help in the personalization of their academic path. Several studies have shown that personalized content improves the learning experience and leads students to achieving better results. For example, many universities around the world use Stellic, an artificial intelligence application that allows for personalized planning of degree courses and continuous monitoring of students. Thanks to Stellic, students can create “tailor-made” degree paths based on the analysis of the results of former students, so they can respect meeting graduation times and ensure successful career goals.
Moreover, AI tools can be a valuable support for students from vulnerable groups, including those with learning difficulties. The use of these tools, also in the academic context, can prevent discrimination and exclusion, ensuring that all students have equal access to technological resources. Tools such as transcription and text-to-speech systems can eliminate educational barriers by providing an environment where students with special educational needs can receive learning materials in formats that meet those needs. This inclusion allows students to express their potential without any fear of stigmatization, fostering a more equitable and empowering environment.
In addition, in the academic field but, in general at all levels of education, AI tutors are showing considerable potential in significantly increasing student engagement in various subjects, improving their outcomes. By offering personalized learning experiences, these intelligent systems adapt to the individual needs of each student, keeping them motivated. They also promote accessibility and inclusiveness, overcoming geographical and socio-economic barriers.
Many studies show that AI tutors contribute markedly to this by offering personalized feedback and instruction, which can improve learning outcomes by 20-30%.
In this regard, a study by the University of Harvard, conducted on 200 students, examined the effectiveness of a personalized AI tutor for a physics course, finding that it doubled student engagement compared to traditional teaching. The AI tutor offered personalized feedback and allowed students to learn at their own pace, greatly improving their results.
Moreover, there are several studies that show that students who use AI systems as personalized tutors, conversing about topics and asking for explanations, benefit from their use because it facilitates learning. However, the same studies also testify that for students who rely excessively and blindly on AI, letting it solve tasks and exercises “independently” and, therefore, with less investment in sufficient mental effort, learning can be inhibited or weakened.
Finally, a further use of AI in the university environment is to collect and analyze information from the world of work and create curricula and a university course offer in line with the current needs of the labor market.
AI in education: what students think?
The Digital Education Council’s 2024 Global AI Student Survey of 3,839 responses across 16 countries, from Bachelor, Masters, and Doctorate students in multiple fields of study, reported that 86% of respondents say they use AI in their studies, primarily to research information (69%), check grammar (42%), and summarize documents (33%). Moreover, 76% of students believe that creating resumes or cover letters is one of the most promising use cases, however, tutoring systems are also perceived as particularly useful by more than half of the respondents (59%).
Despite the intensive use of AI tools, students are unsure of their literacy on the subject. In fact, 58% of the students interviewed say they do not have sufficient knowledge and skills in the field of AI, and about 70% report that the university should provide training for students and teachers on the effective use of AI tools, and for 72% universities should offer more courses on the subject. Finally, among the top concerns are data privacy and security (61%), trustworthiness of AI generated content (51%), bias and fairness in AI evaluations and decisions (32%).
Main challenges and UNESCO’s recommendations
In conclusion, these tools undoubtedly offer opportunities to support teaching, learning and assessment practices. However, their integration into the university environment, and in the education sector in general, raises concerns that refer, for example, to the unreliability of generative AI algorithms. These can produce misinformation or false results, the misuse of such technology by students, as well as the risk of plagiarism and copyright infringements, the weakening of scientific research and the limitation of critical thinking and human knowledge. These issues need to be addressed so that technology can be used to benefit society.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), places a great deal of attention on artificial intelligence and the issues raised by the spread of its applications. For this reason in September 2023, it published the first Guide for Generative Artificial Intelligence in education and research, with the aim of helping Member States to carry out immediate actions, plan long-term policies and ensue human-centred development of these new technologies.