Higher Education Institutions Grapple with Generative AI Integration in Curricula and Pedagogy
The widespread accessibility of Generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT since late 2022 has significantly impacted higher education institutions (HEIs). While some institutions are still debating the pedagogical and ethical implications, others have begun integrating GenAI into undergraduate curricula as a transversal competency. A qualitative case study involving professors from a data science school revealed varied perceptions and implementation strategies. Most professors had prior exposure to AI through teaching or research, influencing their initial positive outlook on GenAI's utility. However, institutional support for integrating these tools has been inconsistent, with many faculty members relying on self-learning and informal discussions. This has led to a significant transformation in pedagogical practices, with professors adapting to use GenAI as a cognitive assistant for tasks like report writing, brainstorming, and code generation. Consequently, assessment strategies are being reconfigured to ...
