Examining Educators' Impact on Learning Environment, Technological Literacy, and Teaching Effectiveness through Integrating AI in the Classroom

Artificial intelligence (AI), a subset of computer science focused on training models to simulate human thinking and behavior, is rapidly evolving.In recent years, the development of advanced large language models like ChatGPT offer educators powerful tools to enhance teaching practices and improve classroom experiences.While these tools offer considerable benefits, AI can perform tasks such as generating essays, writing code, or solving problems, allowing students to bypass active learning and rely on the tool to complete their work for them.Previous research has explored how instructors and students feel about integrating AI into the classroom as another resource.Moving forward, the goal of this study is to build on existing findings and offer new insights into the perceived benefits and limitations of integrating AI into education by focusing on student perceptions of its impact on their learning environment, technological literacy, and the educator's teaching effectiveness.This study targets the Computer Science department at Texas A&M, a major R1 university, collecting data from students in classes where the professor incorporates AI tools in their curriculum.Data was gathered through discussions with the educator to explore how they utilize AI tools within their teaching frameworks.This data was supplemented by student responses to a survey based on a validated instrument.This survey was designed to assess perceived changes in learning environment, technological literacy, and teaching effectiveness.While our findings confirm the expectation that the inclusion of AI tools in the classroom positively influence students' learning experience and technological literacy, our findings also suggest that teaching effectiveness still largely depends on the educator's skill and approach.Educators' thoughtful integration of AI can enhance the learning environment and encourage responsible technology use, but it is the teacher's pedagogical effectiveness that ultimately shapes the success of AI-supported learning.This generation has the opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional education and AI-supported learning, with educators at the forefront of shaping effective teaching strategies.By adapting instructional methods to incorporate AI in meaningful ways, educators can improve students' learning environment, technological literacy, and their own teaching effectiveness to prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing technological landscape.