Evaluation of Higher Education Students' views of the use of Generative AI in a Middle Eastern University

Abstract

This evaluation aims to understand higher education students' perceptions and perspectives on the ethical considerations surrounding students using artificial intelligence (AI) for assignment completion in higher education. This includes tools such as OpenAI ChatGPT and other generative language models, Quillbot and other paraphrasing tools, and Grammarly and other text editing tools. Methodology: Employing an agential realist framework, this study interrogates the entanglements of AI in academic practices. The analysis, informed by Barad's theory, examines the intra-actions and phenomena through which AI and educational ethics become mutually constituted. This will contribute to a broader understanding of the impact of AI technologies on academic integrity, learning outcomes, and ethical dilemmas The evaluation reveals multiple diffractions and cuts, suggesting complex interplays between student agency, technological affordances, and ethical considerations. Further research is recommended to explore these entanglements more deeply, especially in the context of evolving AI capabilities and their implications for educational practices.