THE IMPACT OF AI TOOLS ON STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS: ENHANCING CREATIVITY OR HINDERING CRITICAL THINKING?

In educational contexts, the increasing availability of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has had a considerable impact on student learning and the completion of assignments. This has presented educational institutions with both opportunities and challenges. Students have access to higher- level assistance in areas such as research, content development, and graphic design thanks to technology driven by artificial intelligence (AI), which enables them to produce high-quality assignments with better efficiency. AI has significantly transformed teaching and learning methods in higher education (Singh & Hiran, 2022) [1]. Despite this, worries have been raised about the influence that artificial intelligence will have on students’ creative abilities, originality, and critical thinking skills as technology continues to disrupt traditional learning methodologies. With a particular emphasis on the function that AI tools play in the development of assignments and posters, this study explores the use of AI tools among students in the third semester of their studies at Malaysian polytechnics. The purpose of this research is to give empirical insights into the emerging interaction between artificial intelligence (AI) and student learning by analysing the amount to which students rely on AI, the perceived benefits and downsides, and the overall influence on academic achievement. The purpose of this study is to accomplish these goals by employing a quantitative research technique. This methodology involves the utilisation of structured surveys to collect data from students attending a variety of polytechnics in Malaysia. The goal of the survey is to determine the frequency and purpose of the use of artificial intelligence tools, as well as the perceptions of students on the impact that AI has on creative thinking and critical thinking, and the overall usefulness of using AI-generated content in academic assignments. Considering the growing reliance on generative artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Canva, as well as other automation tools, it is of the utmost importance to investigate the ways in which these technologies influence the cognitive development of students and their capacity to engage in autonomous thought. In addition, statistical analyses, such as correlation and regression models, will be carried out to investigate the connections that exist between the utilisation of artificial intelligence, the quality of assignments, and the development of cognitive skills. This method will make it possible for academics to determine if students who make regular use of artificial intelligence generate work of a higher quality or, on the other hand, whether dependence on AI reduces students’ ability to solve problems and their creativity. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide light on the ways in which these technologies contribute to greater creativity and originality in poster design. For example, the findings will highlight the most widely utilised artificial intelligence tools among students in their third semester at polytechnics. Students can receive aid with visual aesthetics, formatting, and content organisation using several tools driven by artificial intelligence. This makes it possible for students to create posters that are more visually appealing, well-organised, and professionally created. This indicates that artificial intelligence has the potential to broaden the creative possibilities available to students, enabling them to experiment with new design methods and generate academic materials that are visually attractive. It is also possible that suggestions created by AI might assist students in refining their ideas, which would result in increased self- assurance and efficiency when completing assignments. This study, however, anticipates some negative ramifications for critical thinking and autonomous reasoning, even though it has several positive implications. Students may become habituated to automated responses rather than participating in deeper cognitive processes if they experience an excessive reliance on information provided by artificial intelligence (AI). This is a serious concern since it may lead to a reduction in students’ creativity and problem-solving skills. A passive learning approach, in which students passively accept ideas made by AI without critically assessing or revising them to reflect their own understanding and insights, may be encouraged by text and design components that are generated by artificial intelligence. Furthermore, students who frequently utilise AI tools may see a deterioration in their ability to conduct independent research. This is because AI-generated summaries and automated feedback give students immediate solutions, rather than motivating them to engage in full literature review and analytical thinking. In addition, the research acknowledges a few limitations, such as the fact that it was conducted with students from polytechnics in their third semester and that poster assignments were required. These limitations may make it more difficult to generalise the findings to other educational settings. It is possible that the findings do not adequately capture the ways in which artificial intelligence influences other sorts of academic work, such as the writing of essays, the analysis of data, or the delivery of presentations, which demand abilities in critical thinking and reasoning more directly. In addition, the usefulness of AI tools may vary depending on the subject matter that students are studying. For example, certain fields of study may benefit more from visual information that is generated by AI, while other fields may require students to engage in in-depth reasoning and theoretical engagement. Despite these obstacles, it is anticipated that this study will produce insightful information that will be useful to academic institutions, legislators, and school administrators. To ensure that students are encouraged to utilise artificial intelligence as a helpful tool rather than as a substitute for autonomous thought, the findings will be of use to educators in the process of developing recommendations on the integration of AI. Educators can implement ways to strike a balance between activities that involve critical thinking, problem- solving, and creativity and assignments that are supported by artificial intelligence (AI) if they understand how AI affects the learning behaviour of students. Furthermore, the research underscores the necessity of artificial intelligence literacy programs, which provide students with the information and abilities they need to critically evaluate and responsibly use content generated by AI. In the end, the purpose of this research is to contribute to the larger conversation about artificial intelligence in education by providing insights that are driven by data on the changing role that AI plays in the learning and assignment development of students. Students may face difficulties in terms of independent cognitive development and originality while using AI tools, even though these tools offer major benefits to students in terms of efficiency, creativity, and content organisation. Educators should ensure that students develop both technological competency and critical thinking abilities by developing a balanced approach to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). This will prepare students for an academic and professional landscape that is increasingly moulded by innovations powered by AI.