Impact of Generative AI on student engagement in diverse groups

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1718

Keywords:

GenAI, artificial intelligence, group work

Abstract

Generative AI (GenAI) is penetrating all areas of life, including higher education, where teachers and examiners are debating how to respond. While there are legitimate concerns about its potential negative impact on academic integrity, there are also learning and efficiency benefits that this technological advancement brings (Crompton and Burke, 2023; Abdaljaleel et al., 2024; Bond et al., 2024). We must develop a workforce that can confidently, effectively, efficiently, and responsibly use technological advancements, including GenAI.

Our study relates to a GenAI-related activity in a postgraduate Finance course. It explored the role GenAI played when students worked in groups and how it affected their interaction, engagement, learning, efficiency, and confidence. Does GenAI enhance or hinder group work, which is an essential graduate skill? Moreover, how do students perceive the role of GenAI in enabling them to engage with the task, complete it better, and interact with group members? While the ability to use GenAI effectively might be an important graduate skill, it is crucial to train students to become responsible citizens who use this technology ethically.

 

In our presentation, we described how the activity was conducted and shared our findings, including how many students used GenAI when allowed, what they used it for, the types of GenAI used, how effectively prompts were used, what students learnt, and how GenAI affected their interaction and engagement in the task. Some insights about the benefits and challenges of GenAI would be obtained from this study.

The design of our practical study in the classroom and the students’ experiences and perceptions about GenAI will be useful to the teaching community and policy makers in higher education. Moreover, the insight into the use of GenAI in the classroom will also be useful. Such an activity can be replicated and tailored to suit different classes.

Author Biographies

Yannis Tsafos, University of Glasgow

Yannis Tsafos is a Lecturer in Financial Economics and the Associate Head in Economics (Operations and Development) in the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow. His research interests include applied macroeconomics, firm dynamics, inequality, and computational economics.

Sisir Ramanan, University of Glasgow

Sisir Ramanan is a Lecturer in Financial Economics and the Director of GCEFS (Graduate Centre for Economic and Financial Studies) in the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow, before which he was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate. His research interests are on the macroeconomics of firm investment and finance.

Wenya Cheng, University of Glasgow

Wenya Cheng is a Senior Lecturer in Economics and the Associate Head in Economics (Learning, Teaching and Scholarship) in the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow. She previously worked at the University of Manchester. Her research and teaching revolve around Development Economics, Labour Economics, Trade, and Applied Microeconomics. She also investigates how to enhance students’ learning and graduate skills, effective use of technology in education, peer support initiative, and alternative assessment and feedback.

Gorana Misic, University of Glasgow

Gorana Misic is a Learning Innovation Officer at Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow and a Visiting Faculty at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. She specialises in higher education teaching and learning, and has experience in education management, academic development, and mentoring of novice teachers in HE. Gorana’s SoTL research interest focuses on academic development, design for learning, and assessment in HE. Previously, Gorana worked at the Central European University (CEU) and at Bard College Berlin.

Geethanjali Selvaretnam, University of Glasgow

Geethanjali Selvaretnam is a Professor of Economics Education at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. She has held academic roles at the University of St Andrews, Royal Holloway, and University of Essex, and has worked as an accountant and at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Her SoTL interests include multicultural skills, sustainable education, Generative AI for learning, inner feedback generation, and inclusive and learning-based assessments.

References

Abdaljaleel, M., Barakat, M., Alsanafi, M., Salim, N.A., Abazid, H., Malaeb, D., Mohammed, A.H., Hassan, B.A.R. et al. (2024) ‘A multinational study on the factors influencing university students’ attitudes and usage of ChatGPT’, Scientific Reports, 14, article number 1983. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52549-8

Bond, M., Khosravi, H., De Laat, M., Bergdhal, N., Negrea, V., Oxley, E., Pham, P., Chong, S. W. et al. (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, article number 4. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00436-z

Crompton, H. and Burke, D. (2023) ‘Artificial intelligence in higher education: the state of the field’, International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20, article number 22. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00392-8

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Published

30-09-2025

How to Cite

Tsafos, Y., Ramanan, S., Cheng, W., Misic, G., & Selvaretnam, G. (2025). Impact of Generative AI on student engagement in diverse groups . Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (37). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1718

Issue

No. 37 (2025): Special Edition, ALDinHE Conference Proceedings and Reflections

Section

Conference Proceedings

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