Electrical and Computer Engineering Freshmen and Generative AI: Awareness, Attitudes, and Ethics

We are responding to calls for students to be trained in using generative AI (GAI). But training must take account of what students know; their prevailing attitudes; and their ethics with respect to using GAI. And knowing what our students know about GAI gives instructors an opportunity to co-construct meaningful teaching and learning moments. A class of 103 students, enrolled in the course Communication in the Engineering Sciences, in our BSc program in Electrical and Computer Engineering, was probed on their use of generative AI. The study draws on two datasets—student responses to a case study on unethical use of GAI and a questionnaire gathering qualitative data. Questionnaire responses reveal that generally students understand the basics of how GAI works. But this understanding is flawed, for example some students erroneously believe that GAI draws in real time from the Internet. Most respondents have used GAI in their studies, particularly to clarify concepts and summarize. We did not find widespread use of GAI for higher cognitive tasks. But this we suspect is linked to program sequencing: as students advance in their program more sophisticated uses of GAI are likely. This supports the need for longitudinal studies which track use in relation to program advancement. Like peers elsewhere, this class expressed concern about GAI's ability to propagate misinformation and bias; GAI-facilitated plagiarism; data privacy; and overreliance leading to impairment of learning. As it relates to whether GAI qualifies as an author, students demonstrated a fairly nuanced understanding of this complex issue. One student felt that this was a gray area, citing that even outside of GAI generated content, scholars build on each other's work to such an extent that the originality of any work can be questioned. In case study responses, all 103 students agreed that using GAI without permission is dishonest. Respondents noted that students, instructors, and university administration each have a responsibility to ensure that GAI is not misused. And like peers elsewhere, they welcome institutional policy and guidance on using GAI.