Higher Education Needs to Face, Shape Artificial Intelligence Tools Now

COVID-19 took the world of higher education by storm. Colleges and universities had to rapidly respond to the demands of students and instructors given the new norm. And now, just when it looks like the world is catching its balance after a global health-care crisis, it seems that the new scare is artificial intelligence. 

With the emergence of technologies like ChatGPT, there’s been increased conversation about how educational systems will look moving forward and the potential impact AI will have on teaching and learning. There are a number of lingering questions to discuss here: What AI tools are currently being used? Will cheating increase? How can institutions respond to AI developments? And how can we ensure that students are still engaged in learning? 

Current AI Tools Used Now in Academia

Contrary to some of the social-media outrage regarding new developments in AI technology, students and instructors are using several AI-generated tools at institutions of higher education. One of the most common AI-writing tools is Grammarly. The purpose of Grammarly is to offer spelling, grammar and structural support for users to improve their writing. The tool continues to evolve to find ways to best support its users. 

Some higher-education institutions have adopted Grammarly as an institution-wide tool for faculty and students. It must be noted that because it is an AI-writing tool, programs like TurnItIn have the potential to flag assignments that were edited through Grammarly for AI-generated content, even if the piece is an original composition. TurnItIn is a plagiarism-detection software with new developments geared toward detecting AI-generated text in student work. The company boasts a 98% success rate with support for instructors and Learning Management System, or LMS, integrations. 

There are special populations that should be considered when thinking of AI tool usage. Students with disabilities and English Language Learners often rely on AI to ensure they receive the best education possible. Image and facial recognition tools assist students with visual impairments while text tools like QuillBot help students who need support with summarizing or understanding written content. No singular tool or software meets the needs of all learners,

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