Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Innovation and Practice

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, its impact on education, particularly higher education, has become a major topic of interest for both the media and the general public.

However, the arrival of these tools is just a new phase in the integration of technology into pedagogy. From platforms to artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including distance learning, here’s a look at the main stages that have marked this sector.

Learning Platforms, the First Technological Innovation

Starting in the 90s, universities began integrating learning platforms into their teaching practices. These tools, created primarily to facilitate course management and student-teacher interaction, were originally used for file sharing, particularly course materials, between students and teachers. The acceptance of this new tool happened gradually. Some more reluctant teachers eventually began using it under pressure from students who clearly saw its usefulness in their work. This tool improved access to educational resources and helped streamline exchanges. Moreover, these tools offered many other features such as quiz creation, grade publishing, and even the creation of complete online learning paths.

Covid, a Catalyst for Distance Learning

While distance learning has existed for decades in France, the use of new technologies remains fairly recent. Outside France, some pioneering universities like the Open University in England or the University of Phoenix in the United States used the Internet to deliver their courses as early as the 1990s. In France, the use of these technologies remained largely limited to the basic functions of learning platforms. Some courses were delivered via videoconference before the arrival of Covid in 2020, but these examples remained marginal.

With the Covid crisis, the entire teaching community had to turn to new technologies to ensure learning continuity and implement videoconference courses on very short notice. Each teacher adapted to this situation based on their experience and technological proficiency. Feelings about this period vary greatly. Some professors and students struggled with this situation while others discovered a new teaching that could meet their needs. Following this period, universities and schools capitalized on these new skills to address two major challenges: the massification of higher education and new student expectations.

Distance learning is a good solution to address infrastructure limitations related to increasing student numbers. The challenge here is to create sufficiently dynamic interactions to maintain student attention.

When given the choice, we observe that many students opt for distance learning. Their motivations are generally related to a need for flexibility due to personal or professional obligations such as family support and employment. This choice may also be guided by economic reasons, avoiding transportation costs or even housing costs, or reducing their carbon footprint.

This integration of synchronous distance courses into traditional curricula represents a major evolution in the use of technology in higher education.

The Arrival of AI Tools, a New Challenge

From its launch, the use of ChatGPT became a subject of debate and disagreement among researchers. The academic world’s first reaction was to ban its use in teaching, fearing risks of cheating. However, students quickly adopted it, praising its ability to understand and respond using natural language. Faced with this enthusiasm, higher education institutions integrated generative AI as they had done with previous technologies. In this respect, it is no different from other technologies, and the need to integrate it quickly became apparent.

From a pedagogical perspective, the use of generative AI tools is only useful if it promotes active learning and knowledge co-construction. Students should not limit themselves to copying prompts into the tool and using the results produced, as is. They must learn to dialogue with the tool to improve their understanding of the subject being studied and must be able to develop critical thinking about the results provided. This is where the real challenge lies in integrating these tools into student practices.

Although the visible part is the use of generative AI tools by students, many other uses are possible for higher education institutions. They can be used by professors to contribute to course and exam creation, to automatically answer certain student questions, or to conduct research activities. Institutions can also use these tools to automate certain administrative tasks. The development of chatbots to answer student questions is a good example.

While the use of AI represents a major technological advancement, we must not neglect the associated risks. Among the most obvious are the risks of bias and errors, non-respect of personal data, or technology dependency.

The integration of AI in higher education is only in its infancy, but we can already predict that its use will develop in multiple forms, profoundly modifying current learning practices.