Students show growing enthusiasm for generative AI in education
Computing students, from high schools to universities, are generally positive about using generative AI in their studies. The more they use it, the more enthusiastic they become, according to research conducted by a group of computer scientists from Utrecht University.
While earlier studies looked mainly at university computer science students’ views on generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, this new report also includes opinions from high school pupils and students at universities of applied sciences. The participants all had some background or interest in computer science, for instance through programming courses.
The researchers surveyed 410 students from 23 educational institutions. “Our findings show that 60 percent of respondents use generative AI at least once a week while studying,” says researcher Isaac Alpizar-Chacon. “High school pupils tend to use it mainly for text-related tasks, like translating a document or getting background information. The other groups focus more on programming, like writing code, or finding and fixing errors in their code.”
All three groups expressed enthusiasm about using generative AI. Among students at universities of applied sciences, more than 57 percent were positive, and among university students just over 50 percent. High school pupils were the most enthusiastic: nearly 70 percent said they viewed generative AI positively in their learning process. They said AI helped them write code faster or provided examples that made it easier to understand the material.
New generation
The researchers are not yet sure why high school pupils are so much more positive. Researcher Hieke Keuning suggests: “It could be because they’re younger and not yet thinking much about the wider implications of using AI for learning. But it might also be that they simply see AI differently because they’ve grown up in a time when using such technology feels completely natural.”
Keuning adds that university lecturers should be aware of this new generation’s attitude. “It’s important to explain how generative AI works, and what its limits and risks are. For example, the danger of students becoming too dependent on these tools.”
I would hope to discover an increased awareness of the importance of learning by doing things yourself
There are also critical voices, particularly among university students. Around half believe that generative AI can actually undermine learning. They feel that it takes away essential elements of learning to program. “It can lead you linearly to the answer,” one respondent noted, “and this makes students reliant on the problem-solving abilities of large language models, instead of developing these skills themselves.”
The researchers intend to continue studying the topic. In follow-up research, they hope to gain a better understanding of how students’ use of generative AI evolves and what impact it has on learning and teaching. Keuning: “I would hope to discover an increased awareness of the importance of learning by doing things yourself: putting in the effort and experiencing struggle, to gain new skills and knowledge. Using an AI to do all the hard work for you undermines this.”