Key points:
- GenAI in higher education is expanding–but at what cost?
- Students lead in embracing GenAI for learning, career success
- AI use guide helps students navigate AI in learning
- For more on GenAI in higher ed, visit eCN’s AI in Education hub
Higher education’s relationship with generative AI (Gen AI) has “evolved dramatically,” according to a new report from Cengage that evaluates AI use. The report looks at how GenAI is currently used, explores concerns and barriers to using GenAI, and examines ways to improve future GenAI use in the classroom.
At the Trailhead: The State and Future of AI in Higher Education points out that AI usage is rising–in fact, in just one year, AI use has nearly doubled among instructors, from 24 percent in 2023 to 45 percent in 2024.
Positive sentiment about AI is keeping pace with rising use. Just under half (49 percent) of instructors have a positive view of generative AI, up from just 28 percent in 2023. Some 63 percent believe AI can improve student engagement, and 71 percent believe AI can support lifelong learning.
There is consensus in higher education that AI is here to stay. Nearly all (90 percent) of instructor respondents agree that generative AI technology will play an increasingly important role in education in the coming years. In 2023, just 73 percent agreed with that statement.
In looking at how AI can support teaching and learning, the report offers five use cases.
1. AI for student success and personalized learning: AI can examine work and assessment patterns to offer a clear picture of student strengths, weaknesses, and needs. That information is rapidly delivered to faculty, enabling faculty to meet each student where they are and with what they need. “In this way, AI has the potential to bring about a fairer, more equitable and more effective higher education space,” the report notes.
2. AI for lesson planning: In previous surveys, faculty have indicated that they enjoy teaching the most, but spend around 28 percent of their time on course preparation. AI can alleviate some of these processes, giving valuable time back to instructors. In addition to being a time-saving tool, many instructors are taking it one step further and using AI to create content and ensure lessons are accurate and aligned.
3. AI for administrative tasks: In 2023, more than half of faculty said they wanted to use AI for administrative tasks, but only 10 percent were doing so. Faculty could use AI for summarizing texts and essays, scheduling office hours or emails, developing inclusivity strategies, brainstorming discussion questions, or building reading lists.
4. AI for classroom engagement: Faculty can use AI to enhance the design of instructional materials, get feedback on recorded lectures, or even include relatable pop culture references in lectures. Using AI in instructional materials can boost classroom engagement by offering fresh perspectives and different viewpoints for students to discuss.
5. AI for assessment: Using AI for higher-ed assessments has been controversial and often debated. Still, many faculty are using AI to create stronger and cheat-proof tests, while others wonder if AI can help them create more personalized pathways within assessments.
While educators are exploring AI’s potential in higher education, they also know they need help. Standards set by institutions and professional organizations, ideas on governance, teaching resources, and regular updates would all go a long way in helping instructors integrate AI ethically and equitably.
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