Towards Responsible Use: Student Perspectives on ChatGPT in Higher Education

The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, presents a dichotomy of opportunities and challenges within the educational sector. These tools offer the promise of personalized learning support, accessible at any time, thereby enhancing educational engagement and resource availability. However, they also introduce significant concerns, notably the risk of plagiarism, complicating their integration into academic settings. Despite the widespread adoption of ChatGPT by students, there remains a gap in understanding their experiences with these tools and the need for frameworks to guide responsible use. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigates the utilisation of ChatGPT for academic tasks and students' perceptions of its benefits and drawbacks in a university context. The findings reveal that half of the students used ChatGPT either regularly or occasionally for academic tasks. However, only slightly more than one-third of the participants expressed confidence in maintaining the authenticity and originality of their outputs when using ChatGPT. In terms of utility, respondents' perceptions varied, with 25.0% considering it moderately useful, 39.3% very useful, and 10.7% extremely useful for their assignments. Notably, 42.8% observed a significant enhancement in the quality of their work with ChatGPT, compared to assignments completed independently. Despite these advantages, 71.4% of students encountered errors or inaccuracies in ChatGPT's outputs, underscoring the tool's limitations. A significant majority (89.7%) advocate for the establishment of specific guidelines or training to foster effective and responsible usage of ChatGPT in academic contexts. The Chi-square test indicated a significant difference in ChatGPT usage between White and BAME students (p=0.031). These findings underscore the broad utilisation of ChatGPT in student learning and general satisfaction with its application. Nonetheless, students acknowledge the tool's potential for errors and inaccuracies. In light of these challenges, there is a pronounced demand for clear guidelines and proper training to navigate the responsible use of ChatGPT in educational settings. This study illuminates the imperative for educators and institutions to develop strategies that not only leverage the benefits of generative AI tools but also mitigate their risks and promote meaningful learning outcomes.