Topic outline

  • Student Perspective: Learnings and Guidelines

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    Overview

    What do UniSA students really think about AI?

    We surveyed 1,000 students in 2024 across a range of disciplines, after they had over a year of easy access to Generative AI tools.

    The survey results point to some practical ways GenAI could be used in different fields. In STEM courses, students found it useful for summarising content, debugging code, and completing comparative tasks. In Clinical & Health Sciences, students saw potential for using GenAI in data analysis and explaining complex concepts, but also emphasised the need for a cautious approach—particularly to avoid over-reliance that could impact the development of hands-on diagnostic skills.

    In Education Futures and Business, students reported using GenAI to support drafting and develop case studies. Allied Health students suggested GenAI could be used in role-playing and scenario-based simulations to support clinical reasoning.

    Participant Profile

    • Most participants were domestic students 797 (78.7%), and 213 (21.3%) were international students  

    • In terms of language background, 69.5% reported English as their first language, while 30.5% identified English as a second language.

    • The largest group of participants came from STEM (292 students), followed by Allied Health & Human Performance (261), and Clinical & Health Sciences (156).


    Results and Discussion

    GenAI Experience Levels of UniSA students in 2024

    In 2024, the largest group of students (40%) fell into the Novice category, having used GenAI tools only a few times. This was closely followed by the Intermediate group (36.4%), who reported using AI tools several times and feeling fairly comfortable with their features and capabilities. These figures suggest that, up to the time of the survey, many students were still not fully engaged with GenAI tools.


    Figure 1 - GenAI Experience Levels of UniSA students in 2024


    Use of GenAI Tools in 2024: Insights from Different Units

    Students were asked: "Are you permitted to use GenAI tools in their courses". 

    Only 5.7% of students (54 participants) reported being allowed to use GenAI tools in all their courses, suggesting limited full adoption across programs. The most common response (33.3%) was that GenAI tools were permitted in some courses, indicating moderate uptake. Notably, 28.5% of students were unsure whether GenAI tools were permitted—highlighting a lack of clear communication. Meanwhile, 32.5% reported that use of GenAI tools was not permitted in their courses, reflecting a more restrictive stance among a significant number of teaching staff.


    Figure 2 - Use of GenAI Tools in 2024 courses


    Should Students Be Permitted to Use GenAI in Their Studies?

    Students were asked: “Do you think you should be permitted to use GenAI tools to help with your studies?” 

    They were offered seven response options. The majority (54.2%) supported the use of GenAI tools with appropriate "cautious' guidelines" to ensure fair use. This was the most common view in Allied Health & Human Performance (58.6%) and Business (59.5%).

    There were disciplinary differences regarding the preference for “cautious guidelines” with students from Allied Health, Human Performance, and Business most prominently favouring this approach. A group of students felt that GenAI tools should not be permitted, citing academic integrity concerns. Clinical Health students expressed the strongest opposition, citing ethical concerns specific to medical and healthcare education.

    A further 18.0% of students supported unrestricted use, meaning that a total of 72.2% of students were in favour of allowing GenAI tools in some form. This highlights strong student support for GenAI integration, provided it is managed responsibly.


    Figure 3 - Should GenAI tools be permitted to use to help with your studies?”


    Why UniSA Students Used GenAI Tools in Their Studies in 2024

    Students were asked: “How have you used GenAI tools to help with your studies this year?” 

    The results show that most students used GenAI tools to understand concepts and brainstorm or generate ideas. There was moderate use of GenAI for improving writing and generating sections of assignments, indicating that students are generally using these tools as supplementary aids to help clarify complex topics.


    Figure 4 - How GenAI tools were used to help with studies in 2024”



    Reference

    University of South Australia (2023)., ChatGPT and AI: Impact on classrooms and learning, Symposium hosted by The Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning at the University of South Australia.


    Summary



    Comments from UniSA students on GenAI

    You may wish to refer to the student feedback below to help inspire your thinking about how GenAI could be incorporated into your course design.



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