The integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has rapidly transformed the way students and educators engage with learning and teaching. A recent systematic literature review, Mapping Tomorrow’s Teaching and Learning Spaces: A Systematic Review on GenAI in Higher Education, provides a comprehensive analysis of how GenAI is currently being utilised and the challenges institutions face in ensuring its responsible and effective adoption.
The role of GenAI in Higher Education
Since the introduction of ChatGPT in 2022, GenAI tools have become widely accessible, offering new opportunities for academic support. From brainstorming essay ideas to generating teaching materials, these tools can enhance both student learning experiences and teaching methodologies. According to the review, GenAI enables personalised learning, creative problem-solving, and higher-order thinking while also assisting educators with time-consuming tasks like grading and feedback.
However, alongside these benefits, concerns arise over ethical considerations, such as biased AI outputs, misinformation, academic integrity issues, and the impact of AI on assessment reliability. The review underscores that banning GenAI outright is counterproductive and instead advocates for structured guidelines to help educators and students use the technology responsibly.
Key findings from the literature review
The study analysed 93 peer-reviewed articles across four main thematic areas:
- Learning Objectives: GenAI can support competency-based learning by enhancing mentorship, creativity, and emotional intelligence. However, there is a need to align AI integration with human-centered pedagogical goals.
- Teaching and Learning Activities: AI-powered tools can personalise learning experiences, create practice exams, and simulate real-life scenarios. The challenge remains in ensuring that these tools supplement rather than replace traditional teaching methods.
- Curriculum Development: The review highlights the importance of embedding AI literacy within curricula to equip students with critical thinking skills and ethical awareness regarding AI-generated content.
- Institutional Support: Effective integration of GenAI requires strong institutional policies, faculty training, and student involvement in policy-making. Despite widespread acknowledgment of these needs, few universities have successfully implemented comprehensive strategies.
Challenges and Recommendations
The review identifies several key challenges that institutions must address:
- Lack of Clear Policies: While many institutions recognise the need for AI guidelines, few have successfully implemented them in practice.
- Training Gaps: Faculty and students require training to use GenAI effectively and responsibly. The study notes that while training is frequently recommended, concrete models for effective GenAI education remain underexplored.
- Student Involvement: Engaging students in AI policy discussions ensures their perspectives are reflected in ethical guidelines and best practices.
- Technostress and Over-Reliance on AI: Without proper guidance, educators may experience AI-related stress, and students may become overly dependent on AI-generated content rather than developing their own critical thinking skills.
The path forward
Higher education institutions must take proactive steps to integrate GenAI effectively. This includes:
- Developing comprehensive, adaptable AI policies that promote ethical usage.
- Providing ongoing faculty and student training to maximise AI’s benefits while minimising risks.
- Encouraging collaborative efforts among educators, students, and policymakers to create inclusive and dynamic AI-driven learning environments.
- Conducting further research on AI’s long-term impact on student learning outcomes and faculty experiences.
The systematic review highlights the critical role of GenAI in shaping the future of higher education. While its potential to enhance learning and teaching is evident, the challenges associated with ethical use, policy development, and training must be addressed. Institutions that embrace a balanced approach—leveraging AI for innovation while maintaining a strong human-centred educational framework—will be best positioned to create dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready learning environments.
Editor’s note: this blog post has been adapted from Mapping Tomorrow’s Teaching and Learning Spaces: A Systematic Review on GenAI in Higher Education published on 8 January 2025.
Authors: Tanja Tillmanns, Alfredo Salomão Filho, Susmita Rudra, Peter Weber, Julia Dawitz, Emma Wiersma, Dovile Dudenaite and Sally Reynolds.
*This collective systematic literature review is part of an Erasmus+ project, “TaLAI: Teaching and Learning with AI in Higher Education”.
