Students must learn to be more than mindless ‘machine-minders’ \ stacker news ~AI

Non Paywalled: https://archive.is/2MqYP

A survey of UK undergraduates by the Higher Education Policy Institute think-tank shows 92 per cent of them are using generative AI in some form this year compared with 66 per cent last year, while 88 per cent have used it in assessments, up from 53 per cent last year.

In 2025, we find that the student use of AI has surged in the last year, with almost all students (92%) now using AI in some form, up from 66% in 2024, and some 88% having used GenAI for assessments, up from 53% in 2024. The main uses of GenAI are explaining concepts, summarising articles and suggesting research ideas, but a significant number of students – 18% – have included AI-generated text directly in their work.

When asked why they use AI, students most often find it saves them time and improves the quality of their work. The main factors putting them off using AI are the risk of being accused of academic misconduct and the fear of getting false or biased results. Women are more worried about these factors than men, and men report more enthusiasm for AI throughout the survey, as do wealthier students and those on STEM courses. The digital divide we identified in 2024 appears to have widened.

Extract from Student Generative AI Survey 2025

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SimpleStacker 11h

Yep, AI is here to stay and it is going to be an integral part of any knowledge-worker's toolkit, like a calculator and later a computer is a tool for engineers.

The challenge for universities is how to design assessments.

Actually, that's not true either. We know exactly how to assess learning that is AI-proof: oral exams.

The challenge is getting class sizes down to the point where real assessment is feasible under the time constraints that are imposed on us. Or perhaps giving us more time to conduct assessments.