Aug 2026· Journal of Education and Learning Technology· Vol 7, pp. 727· 0 citations· 31 references
TL;DR
The findings of this paper call for AI literacy and capacity-building workshops, clear guidelines for the ethical use of AI, and mentorship, collaboration, and community engagement to advance AI adoption among students.
Abstract
This paper adopts the AI Literacy Framework and broader Digital Literacy Frameworks as the theoretical framework to explore students’ behavioural intentions toward AI. AI literacy encompasses learners’ ability to understand, evaluate, and use AI systems critically and ethically, grounding engagement in core values such as human judgment, justice, and informed decision‑making, as emphasised in the Digital Promise AI Literacy Framework. Grounded in the interpretivist paradigm, a survey was conducted to identify additional resources or support to help students engage with AI effectively and responsibly. A total of 165 undergraduate students from one of South Africa’s comprehensive universities completed the survey via Microsoft Forms. The survey had nine (9) questions: seven (7) were closed-ended, while the remaining were open-ended. However, this paper is based on only one of the two open-ended questions: What additional resources or support can help students engage effectively and responsibly with AI? A thematic strategy was adopted for data analysis purposes. The findings of this paper call for AI literacy and capacity-building workshops, clear guidelines for the ethical use of AI, and mentorship, collaboration, and community engagement to advance AI adoption among students. This paper has implications for the adoption of AI in higher education and how such tools can be used effectively for student learning, teaching, and assessment.
This study explores how digital literacy shapes research integrity among final-year Library and Information Science students at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, within AI-mediated academic environments. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected from thirty participants through interviews and focus groups and analysed thematically to capture students’ experiences of digital research and ethical decision making. The findings show that although students display strong ethical awareness linked to their professional identity, this does not always translate into practice. Digital competence supports source evaluation and reference management, but also enables uncritical copying, use of rewriting tools, and uncertain engagement with artificial intelligence, especially under academic pressure. Behaviour is further influenced by inconsistent supervision, unclear institutional guidance, and peer norms. The study reframes digital literacy as an ethical competence rather than a purely technical skill, showing that its role in research integrity depends on intention and context. It contributes evidence from an underexplored African setting and highlights the need for clearer, discipline-sensitive policies on AI use, alongside stronger supervision and integrity education.
A. Dunmade· IQRO Journal of Islamic Educ...· 0 citations
This study examines how Generation Z in Indonesia interprets the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital communication practices, with particular attention to the shift from skill-based literacy toward reflective literacy in AI culture. The rapid integration of AI into content production and distribution has significantly transformed communication processes, positioning AI not only as a technical tool but also as a co-creator that shapes the production, circulation, and legitimacy of meaning. This transformation raises critical concerns related to authorship, originality, algorithmic bias, and ethical responsibility in digital environments. Using an interpretive qualitative approach, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with five Generation Z participants who actively use AI for academic activities and social media content creation. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on their experience with AI and their willingness to reflect on their practices. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo, enabling the identification of key patterns in participants’ perspectives and experiences.The findings reveal four main dimensions: (1) AI as a Cognitive Partner, supporting learning and idea generation; (2) Critical Awareness, involving the evaluation and verification of AI-generated information; (3) Dependency versus Cognitive Reflection, highlighting the tension between technological convenience and independent thinking; and (4) Reflective AI Literacy, encompassing technical competence, prompt literacy, and ethical responsibility.The results indicate that digital literacy among Generation Z is no longer limited to operational skills but is evolving into a reflective practice that integrates critical awareness and ethical judgment. This study contributes to the reconceptualization of digital media literacy by emphasizing the need to combine technical, cognitive, and ethical dimensions to foster responsible, critical, and reflective engagement with AI technologies.
Tia Muthiah Umar, Tsaniya Salman· Al-i’lam - Journal of Contem...· 0 citations
This study explores perceptions and practices of AI ethics among higher education students at Banaras Hindu University, using the AI and Ethics Perception Scale (AEPS) dimensions, including transparency, accountability, privacy, fairness, and human oversight, as a conceptual framework.
The Civic Statistics (CS) approach promotes critical data literacy for engaged citizens; however, empirical evidence of its effectiveness remains limited. This study examines how participation in a civic statistics informed Data Science (DS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) course relates to changes in learners’ descriptions of their technical and critical data literacy and whether these changes persist over time. The study examines a 24-hour online DS and AI course, with an extended 40 hour in-person immersion for a subset of participants. Twenty-one undergraduate engineering and computer science students from Southern India participated in the study (nine completed the extended programme). Self-report surveys were administered before the course, immediately after the online course and six months later. Thematic analysis was used to examine open-ended responses for critical data literacy dimensions (cognitions, dispositions, actions). Four themes emerged:
Developing Understanding, Learner Enthusiasm, Real-world Engagement
and
Critical Evaluation
. Respondents’ reflections on learning shifted from descriptive toward context-rich, application-oriented perspectives and more nuanced understandings of DS and AI. These insights persisted, potentially indicating a transformation in understanding across learner responses.
First-year university students’ perceptions of generative AI in academic work are investigated, foregrounding student agency in a Global South context and offering pedagogical and policy implications for responsible AI adoption.
Sharifuzzaman, M. Rahman· Asian Journal of Contemporar...· 0 citations
This case study examines how students were positioned as experts in shaping artificial intelligence (AI) literacy curricula at a United Kingdom university. Academic staff, students and professional services collaborated to co-create an AI literacy framework with a focus on generative AI, addressing institutional and learner needs. Guided by partnership principles of reciprocity, respect and shared responsibility, the project responded to the opportunities and challenges of AI in higher education (HE).
Following a cross-disciplinary survey which captured student perceptions of generative AI use, two student partners were appointed; their roles evolved from research interns to co-designers and co-evaluators during this funded project. They have co-led focus groups with students, conducted data analysis and synthesis and undertaken peer consultation and evaluation to co-develop guidance resources on ethics, integrity, bias and responsible AI use.
Two key outputs resulted from this collaboration: a four-step AI literacy framework and an online tutorial which are now embedded in central pre-enrolment and academic skills programmes. Framing students as co-designers helped both 1) to enrich staff understanding of student perceptions of generative AI use for learning and 2) to enable the students to enhance their research, collaboration, communication and leadership skills. The study contributes to the current discourse on fostering critical, responsible AI literacies in HE through the lens of students as partners.
Nurun Nahar, David Howard, Kater Akeren et al.· Compass: Journal of Learning...· 0 citations
