ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: STUDENT PERCEPTIONS, ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND CHALLENGES FOR ASSESSMENT

Abstract

This study examines university students' perceptions of generative AI to better understand digital citizenship within AI-mediated learning environments. A quantitative descriptive-comparative design was employed with a sample of 546 undergraduate students enrolled in different degree programmes at the University of Granada. Data were collected using the PEHIA-TA (Perception of Higher Education Students about the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Academic Tasks) questionnaire, a previously validated instrument comprising five dimensions: AI Uses, Required Skills, Perceived Benefits, Perceived Problems, and Academic Integrity. Descriptive statistics and Kruskal–Wallis tests were conducted to analyse students' perceptions and identify differences across academic disciplines. The findings reveal that students generally hold positive perceptions of Artificial Intelligence while recognising the importance of ethical responsibility and the competencies required for its appropriate use. Academic Integrity emerged as the highest-rated dimension, highlighting students' awareness of the need for transparency, honesty, and responsible AI use in academic contexts. These findings suggest that university students' perceptions extend beyond attitudes towards a technological innovation and provide valuable evidence for understanding the emergence of responsible digital citizenship in AI-mediated higher education.