Levelling the playing field? examining AI literacy in an undergraduate academic literacy module

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly integrated into people’s everyday lives and utilised for various purposes across different aspects of life. One aspect where it is increasingly being used is in education. While existing research largely focuses on the impact of AI on assessment integrity and on how it may be used to enhance learning and teaching practices (such as automating feedback and grading), far less research has examined students’ perspectives within South African universities. In particular, there is limited research on how students specifically use, understand, and perceive AI’s impact on their academic lives. Yet, AI literacy is a critical skill that students need to develop to keep abreast of technological changes and workplace requirements. This research project, therefore, aims to address this gap by exploring the role of AI in English for Educational Development (EED) Science students’ academic and social lives at UWC. The project uses qualitative data collected through questionnaires and focus-group interviews to determine what students know about AI and how they use it in academic contexts. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and framed using Bloom’s Taxonomy and academic literacy from a social practices approach. Findings suggest that respondents often seem to perceive AI as a “companion” or "tutor" but remain concerned about its unreliability and the potential for unjust accusations of "algiarism". In doing so, this study reveals that a large percentage of respondents use AI in HE for academic efficiency. These findings draw attention to how AI-literate respondents are, as they consciously and unconsciously acknowledge the complex position of AI usage in higher education. This study contributes to our growing understanding of the AI literacy of undergraduate students and ultimately provides suggestions for how AI literacy can be added to and developed through the university’s curriculum to maintain learning and teaching goals.