Generative AI and the future of higher education

A threat to academic integrity or reformation? Evidence from multicultural perspectives

Bibliographic Data

ID23328771
AuthorsAbdullahi Yusuf (0000-0003-2487-0564, Sokoto State University, corresponding author), Nasrin Pervin (0000-0003-2338-6279, North South University), Marcos Román‐gonzález (0000-0001-8506-1715, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia)
Year2024
Volume21
Issue1
Publication date2024-03-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2365-9440 • E-ISSN: 2365-9440
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/s41239-024-00453-6
OpenAlexW4395483946
LanguageEN
Citations received117
References cited40

In recent years, higher education (HE) globally has witnessed extensive adoption of technology, particularly in teaching and research. The emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) further accelerates this trend. However, the increasing sophistication of GenAI tools has raised concerns about their potential to automate teaching and research processes. Despite widespread research on GenAI in various fields, there is a lack of multicultural perspectives on its impact and concerns in HE. This study addresses this gap by examining the usage, benefits, and concerns of GenAI in higher education from a multicultural standpoint. We employed an online survey that collected responses from 1217 participants across 76 countries, encompassing a broad range of gender categories, academic disciplines, geographical locations, and cultural orientations. Our findings revealed a high level of awareness and familiarity with GenAI tools among respondents. A significant portion had prior experience and expressed the intention to continue using these tools, primarily for information retrieval and text paraphrasing. The study emphasizes the importance of GenAI integration in higher education, highlighting both its potential benefits and concerns. Notably, there is a strong correlation between cultural dimensions and respondents’ views on the benefits and concerns related to GenAI, including its potential as academic dishonesty and the need for ethical guidelines. We, therefore, argued that responsible use of GenAI tools can enhance learning processes, but addressing concerns may require robust policies that are responsive to cultural expectations. We discussed the findings and offered recommendations for researchers, educators, and policymakers, aiming to promote the ethical and effective integration of GenAI tools in higher education.

Academic integrity · Engineering ethics · Generative grammar · Higher education · Linguistics · Multicultural education · Multiculturalism · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education · Engineering · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · Online Learning and Analytics · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

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