Digital Object Identifier
10.18870/hlrc.v15i2.1616
ORCID
Karen Singer-Freeman ORCID 0000-0001-5365-9667
Abstract
Objectives: The present study investigated the extent to which AI use and opinions about its use will vary by academic stage and academic task in ways that align with Budwig’s (2013) developmental stages.
Methods: We surveyed 1,259 students from different academic stages (first-year students, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students) at a highly selective private university in the United States.
Results: We found that all students desire institutional AI policies and are concerned about the negative consequences of AI use by themselves and others. There was some evidence of the use of AI in ways that might violate academic integrity.
Students’ usage patterns reveal more frequent use of AI to support studying and preparation, with less frequent use to support writing, data processing, and graphic creation. Notably, we found interesting differences between students of different academic stages. First-year students were generally more conservative and anxious about AI use, whereas seniors and graduate students more frequently viewed AI as a beneficial tool for managing complex tasks and enhancing productivity.
Conclusions: We discuss implications of our findings for future research and for the effective education of students from different academic stages.
Recommended Citation
Singer-Freeman, K. E.,
Verbeke, K.,
&
Barre, B.
(2025).
Generative AI Use Among University Students Depends on Academic Level and Task.
Higher Learning Research Communications, 15 (2).
DOI:10.18870/hlrc.v15i2.1616
