The Adoption of AI Tools for Academic Purposes Among Students

Abstract

This research analyses the patterns of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications by students of Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah (POLIMAS) in relation to academic work. The study used a quantitative approach with a complete survey of all 2,636 students from five departments from Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah (POLIMAS): JKA (745), JKE (449), JKM (234), JP (828) and JTMK (380). Out of the total, 1,380 were males and 1,256 were females. Results show that 61% of students reported using AI applications such as ChatGPT, Google Bard/Gemini and Bing AI for academic assignments (mean score = 3.71). Students expressed concerns regarding the accuracy of AI information (mean: 3.87) and the risk of plagiarism (mean: 3.77). Engineering students appeared to be more advanced in their use of AI compared to non-engineering students. The majority of students (73%) reported that they are willing to persist in using AI tools for other academic activities in the future, regardless of faculty detection or academic dishonesty. Most respondents (73%) strongly agreed that educational institutions ought to develop policies on the use of AI in teaching and learning activities within the school. While AI applications tremendously improve the academic efficiency and understanding realized by students, there is a growing gap for institutions aimed at guiding the students through the ethical use of AI technologies. Some of the recommendations consist of creating detailed programs on AI literacy, formulating appropriate policies for institutional frameworks, and restructuring evaluations to incorporate AI while maintaining scholastic honesty.

Keywords: Keywords Artificial Intelligence, Higher Education, Academic Assignments, Polytechnic Students, ChatGPT, Academic Integrity, Educational Technology