KELLY MATTHEWS: Welcome to the Student Voice and AI project. We are 18 researchers from four Australian universities systematically investigating student’s knowledge, use and attitudes to AI. The goal is to provide robust empirical evidence that can support our universities and the sector to make effective strategic decisions, supporting the inclusive, equitable and positive outcomes of our students.
MARGARET BEARMAN: To fill the yearning vacuum of robust evidence, we’re asking two basic questions. First, all students are not the same. We must understand the diverse ways they’re actually using AI and what using AI means to them. Second, how can we tell that story in compelling ways that inform university policy and practice and moreover, keep pace with the fast changing world and with students attitudes?
MICHAEL HENDERSON: We’ve now spoken in-depth with 80 students in focus groups, and 4000 more will soon complete a comprehensive survey. Together, this will provide the largest dataset ever gathered on student perspectives on AI in higher education in Australia. We now have over 150,000 words of transcript data, so it only seemed natural to ask: could AI help us in this analysis?
SIMON BUCKINGHAM SHUM: So, we have two teams working on this now. “Team Human” are performing qualitative analysis. “Team Machine” are using language models to see if they can automate the coding. Can machines do in minutes what takes humans weeks? Are the humans still able to see things that the machine will never see? The results are fascinating.
TIM FAWNS: It’s clear that we’re experiencing change in higher education at an unprecedented pace and scale. This project will ensure we listen to student voices to help us navigate these uncharted waters.