Human–AI Collaboration and Students' Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Higher Education

Abstract

As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) becomes more widely used in higher education, there are new opportunities for students to interact with information, ideas, feedback, and problem-solving. But its pedagogical impact could vary with the students' engagement with AI alongside a human's judgment and cognitive investment. The present study investigated the relationship between Human – AI Collaboration and students' Higher Order Thinking Skills: Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating skills among the Higher Education HTS students. Use of quantitative, cross sectional (correlational) design. A structured questionnaire was filled out by the respondents, and the data were then processed by descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha and simple linear regression techniques, with a total of 379 students of public university in Sindh. The results showed statistically significant positive correlation between Human–AI Collaboration and Analysing/Evaluating skills and Creating skills. Human – AI Collaboration was the best predictor of all higher-order thinking skills, particularly analyzing skills. The study found purposeful and active synergies with AI behavior to be correlated with higher order thinking. It is recommended that universities advocate for the structured use of AI to support learning activities, with a focus on questioning, checking, reflecting, making independent judgements as well as considerate use of AI.