This review of reviews or met systematic reviews addresses data focusing on the use of AI in higher education.

Journal Club Article: Bond, M., Khosravi, H., De Laat, M., Bergdahl, N., Negrea, V., Oxley, E., … & Siemens, G. (2024). A meta systematic review of artificial intelligence in higher education: a call for increased ethics, collaboration, and rigour. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 4.

Background

“The uptake of these tools has given rise to a debate in education about readiness, ethics, trust, impact and value add of AI, as well as the need for governance, regulation, research and training to cope with the speed and scale at which AI is transforming teaching and learning.”

synergies between AI technologies and educational practices

AI in Higher Education Domains

• Profiling and Prediction – students’ academic journeys from admission, retention, to final grades of academic achievement.
• Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) – AI to enrich teaching and learning experiences by providing bespoke personalised pedagogical strategies such as learning materials and feedback.
• Assessment and Evaluation – The potential of AI to automate evaluative aspects of the educational process.
• Adaptive Systems and Personalisation –  AI is used to provide educational experiences that are tailored to individual learners.

Chatbots could be used in many contexts to provide personalisation of education delivery. Also facilitating collaboration between learners.

Top Benefits of AI Education

• Personalised learning
• Greater insight into student understanding
• Positive influence on learning outcomes
• Reduced planning and administration time for teachers
• Greater equity in education
• Precise assessment & feedback

Challenges of of AI Education

• Ethics
• Rigour and methodological robustness when researching AI education

Conclusion

“While AI offers promising avenues for enhancing educational experiences and outcomes, there are significant ethical, methodological, and pedagogical challenges that need to be addressed to harness its full potential effectively.”

Resources

OECD (2021), AI and the Future of Skills, Volume 1: Capabilities and Assessments, Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5ee71f34-en.

Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education—where are the educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0