Generative AI in university classrooms: an opportunity or a threat?

Irene Vega

The emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AIg) has created an intense debate about its applications in education. Some studies highlight its expected benefits to encourage learning and others warn about risks such as technological dependence and superficial learning.

A study carried out by the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC), together with the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), has sought to answer key questions about the perceptions of university professors regarding the opportunities and threats of AIg. The results, recently published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology, have revealed that teachers perceived an equal level of opportunities and threats in the use of AIg. However, teachers showed greater optimism when assessing the potential of these tools to strengthen their role in teaching, while expressing some concern about the processes they can promote in students.

To carry out this research, a questionnaire was designed, which was answered by a total of 321 university professors, and variables such as pedagogical beliefs, previous use of technology and other sociodemographic characteristics (gender, teaching experience or area of ​​knowledge) were considered.

The questionnaire was structured in two sections. In the first block, demographic and professional information was collected from participants, as well as the frequency with which they used AIg in their teaching activities and their pedagogical beliefs. In the second section, participants completed a scale to assess beliefs about the opportunities and threats of AIg in four key dimensions: processes it promotes in students, management of student information, and teaching roles in assessment and in the task. “Constructivist pedagogical beliefs and previous use of AIg significantly influenced more positive perceptions, while variables such as gender, teaching experience, or area of ​​knowledge had no effect,” says Beatriz Cabellos, professor in the Department of Psychology at URJC and lead author of the study.

The results underline the need for specific training to integrate AIg into university teaching, but this training must be aimed at promoting a student-centred approach, more in line with constructive concepts. “These technologies can transform education, facilitating the active exploration of knowledge and adapting to the individual needs of students, and to do so, the role of the teacher is essential,” concludes the URJC researcher.