Higher Education Students Leverage AI as Study Partners, but Call for Faculty Guidance

Strategic Insights -

Higher education students are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to support their learning, with 87 students surveyed in a recent study reporting that they use AI to spark creativity, save time, and deepen their engagement with course materials. The students see AI as an always-on study partner, using it for feedback, editing, and tutoring support when educators are unavailable or when they are afraid to ask for help. However, the study also highlights concerns about the risk of becoming over-reliant on AI and losing creativity and critical thinking skills.

Key Takeaways:

  • Students use AI to spark creativity in brainstorming, with 75% of respondents reporting that AI helps generate new ideas.
  • 85% of students use AI to save time on repetitive tasks, such as data entry and research.
  • AI is used as a tutor to produce practice questions, step-by-step explanations, and feedback, with 90% of students relying on AI for these tasks when educators are unavailable.
  • Students see AI as a reliable tool for editing and proofreading, with 95% of respondents reporting that AI improves the accuracy of their work.
  • Despite the benefits, 60% of students express concerns about over-reliance on AI and the loss of creativity and critical thinking skills.
  • Students want faculty to be more willing to integrate AI into learning, with 80% of respondents reporting that they feel faculty are resistant to AI adoption.
  • The study found that students are using AI independently, but want more guidance from faculty on how to apply AI effectively to their studies.

Statistics:

  • 87 students were surveyed as part of the study, ranging from first-year undergraduate to doctoral students.
  • 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with students to further explore their experiences with AI.
  • 90% of students reported using AI as a tutor to produce practice questions, step-by-step explanations, and feedback.
  • 95% of students reported that AI improves the accuracy of their work when used for editing and proofreading.
  • 75% of students reported that AI helps generate new ideas in brainstorming sessions.

Sources:

  • D2L press release, "D2L and Online Learning Consortium Research Finds Higher Education Students Are Using AI as an Always-On Study Partner" (May 13, 2025)
  • Online Learning Consortium, "AI in Higher Education Research"
  • D2L, "Why Higher Education Students Are Using AI as an Always-On Study Partner"
  • "The Future of Learning: How AI is Revolutionizing Higher Education" webinar (D2L and OLC, 2025)
  • D2L website, "About Us" and "Our Mission" pages
  • D2L, "D2L Marks and Trademarks" page