Discourses of artificial intelligence in higher education: a critical literature review

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant implications for higher education; however, references to AI in the literature are often vague and open to debate. In order to understand how to progress AI-related research and analysis, this critical review systematically searched top higher education journals for references to the term ‘artificial intelligence’. We reviewed definitions and conducted a discourse analysis of included texts. Our findings identify few, confusing definitions and little overt reference to AI as a research object. We delineated two Discourses. The Discourse of imperative change outlines how AI is seen as an inevitable change to which all must respond. Additionally, the Discourse of altering authority describes how texts position AI as decentring the teacher and spreading authority across staff, machines, corporations and students. Our analysis prompts a call for new research foci that attend to the social implications of AI, including tracing accountability in AI-mediated practices and exploring how AI influences learning and teaching relationships.

Shaping the Future of Education: Conceptualising Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration

“…al., 2020;Su & Yang, 2022;Baidoo-Anu & Ansah, 2023;). AI-driven technologies also have the potential to bridge learning gaps and increase educational access, especially in a world where technology is increasingly pervasive (Bearman et al, 2023). However, the successful implementation of AI in education lies in the willingness and readiness of teachers, particularly pre-service teachers who are preparing to enter the field.…”

AI Chatbots in Higher Education. A state-of-the-art review of an emerging research area

“…We included research articles exploring AI chatbots in higher education settings and published between December 2022 and December 2023. Taking a three-pronged approach to the empirical data, we (1) examine the state of the emerging eld of AI chatbots in HE, (2) identify the theories of learning used in the selected studies, (3) scrutinize the discourses of AI (Bearman et al, 2022) The emergence of GAI GAI has been brought about by technological developments in machine learning and the development of LLMs that utilise natural language processing. In broad terms, GAI refers to a type of AI based on unsupervised or self-supervised machine learning models pre-trained on certain datasets that can generate originals such as text, images, and sound.…”

“…(2) we analysed the data looking for theories of learning in alignment withKhalil et al, (2023), to determine how theories of learning are used to conceptualize the impact of chatbots on learning, and (3) we analysed the data to determine if elements of the discourses presented byBearman et al, (2022) were identi ed, this involves examining the terms and concepts ascribed to AI chatbots and their use or potential use in educational settings.…”

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