The Future of Education
How and Why Do Undergraduate Business Students Use AI? Implications for Educators
Alison Beamish, Monash University (Australia)
Kelly Benati, Monash University (Australia)
Frank Interrigi, Monash University (Australia)
Merideth Guy, Monash University (Australia)
Jacqueline O’Toole, Monash University (Australia)
Abstract
The use of AI and its rapid integration into society is already transforming education (Walter, 2024). It has the potential to assist student learning (Crompton & Burke, 2023), but also presents significant challenges for educators. To respond effectively, it is essential that educators understand how and why students use AI. While several studies have investigated this (e.g. Chan and Zhou, 2023, Chan and Hu, 2023), student attitudes to AI are constantly evolving. This study provides enhanced data focusing specifically on undergraduate business students to enable a discipline-specific perspective few studies have investigated as yet. 255 final year business students were asked about their perceptions of the advantages offered by AI and their use of AI. Results reveal that only 6% of students never use AI. The majority use it sometimes, with over 25% indicating they used it always or most of the time. While 67% of students believe it enhances academic performance and more than 76% believe it is essential for career success, 33% believe generative AI undermines the value of their tertiary education. The student insights in this study can significantly improve our understanding of how students use AI and therefore, how educators can design curriculum and enhance the student experience in response.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), business students, higher education
References
Chan, C. K. Y., & Hu, W. (2023). Students’ voices on generative AI: Perceptions, benefits, and challenges in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 20(43)
Chan, C and Zhou, W. (2023) An expectancy value theory (EVT) based
instrument for measuring student perceptions of generative AI Smart Learning Environments 10(64)
Crompton, H., & Burke, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence in higher education: The state of the field. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1)
Walter, Y, (2024) Embracing the future of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom: the relevance of AI literacy, prompt engineering, and critical thinking in modern education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 21(15)
