Navigating AI in Academia: A Pilot Study on Critical Use for Assignments

This pilot study explores the structured integration of a generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool into the development of an academic assignment within higher education. It proposes and tests a three-phase model of critical engagement. Initially, students used AI resources to assist in researching and drafting their work. Subsequently, they entered an analytical phase to identify errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in the AI's output. The process culminated in a critical evaluation of the AI resource itself, assessing its limitations and ethical implications.

Survey results revealed positive and promising outcomes. Students found the methodology both highly engaging and disruptive, reporting a valued development of critical digital literacy. The pilot has stimulated significant debate on the ethical dimensions of AI in academia, highlighting its substantial impact. The study concludes that this structured, critical approach can harness AI's transformative potential while foregrounding essential evaluative competencies and ethical scrutiny.