In October 2025, D2L partnered with Prodege’s Pollfish platform to survey 500 U.S. professionals working in higher education. The goal was to better understand how educators are using artificial intelligence (AI), how they feel about it and what concerns are shaping their decisions.
The results show a complex and evolving relationship between educators and AI. While many are embracing new tools and seeing benefits, others are still navigating the uncertainty. What emerges is a picture of thoughtful experimentation, where educators are weighing the promise of AI against the values that define their work.
Here are our five key takeaways:
Confidence Is Growing, but Clarity Is Lacking
63% of educators say they’ve increased their use of AI this academic year and 37% feel more confident using it than they did last year. These numbers suggest that AI is becoming more familiar and useful in daily teaching.
At the same time, nearly 30% of educators still don’t use AI at all. A major reason may be the lack of institutional guidance. Fewer than half say their schools have provided clear policies on AI use, even though nearly 74% say they want one. This disconnect leaves many educators in a holding pattern. They’re open to using AI but are unsure how to proceed responsibly without a shared framework.
Dr. Elizabeth Pearsall, assistant provost at the American College of Financial Services, offered advice for institutions developing AI policies at Fusion, D2L’s annual education conference.
“I would encourage them to have a committee [comprised of multiple] departments. You need faculty and academics, but also advising, admissions, marketing, HR. Putting everybody together with a mix of experience with AI helps ensure that the policies you’re writing make sense and are things that everybody in the organization can understand.”
Another Fusion attendee, Justin Rose, associate vice president for information management and digital learning at Southeastern University, emphasized the importance of flexibility when it comes to AI policies, especially given the rapidly evolving nature of technology.
LMS Integration May Make a Difference
The survey found that educators using AI-enabled learning management system (LMS) tools may be more likely to report time savings compared to those not using such features (85% vs 51%). This insight suggests that there might be a positive association between integrated AI support and instructional efficiency.
Rose shared how Southeastern is using Lumi, D2L’s AI tool, within the Brightspace LMS.
“Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, our instructional designers and faculty subject matter experts have been working together to leverage artificial intelligence in instructional design for the rapid creation of content. But it wasn’t until we were able to adopt Lumi and use generative AI directly within the learning management system, that we were able to realize those efficiencies at scale, in a way that is centralized and orchestrated within a single platform.”
Time Savings are Real, but not Universal
Among educators who use AI, just over half say it saves them time, with most reporting a time savings of one to two hours per week. But 40% say it hasn’t made a difference, and 8% say it actually adds time to their workload.
These mixed results highlight the importance of context. Educators who feel more confident using AI are more likely to see benefits. Younger educators—particularly those in Gen Z and Millennial age groups—are also more likely to report time savings. This may reflect greater comfort with digital tools, but it also points to the need for better training and support across the board.
Fusion attendee Jordan O’Connell, instructor and instructional designer at Northeast Iowa Community College, spoke about the time investment required to use AI effectively.
“You have to invest that time into understanding what’s possible within your program or discipline or your field in terms of artificial intelligence. There have been interesting studies saying the workload can be decreased, but there is an investment of time and learning that teachers simply need to do.”
Dr. Pearsall noted that the benefits of AI can go beyond time savings.
“Being able to use Lumi to draft both an overview and a summary of a content unit, a module…it has really cut down on faculty stress related to course design.”
The takeaway here? AI has a lot of potential for improving the lives of educators, but its impact depends on how well it is introduced, supported and aligned with their needs.
Assessment Is Evolving in Response to AI
One of the clearest signs that AI is influencing higher education is in how educators are rethinking assessment. 60% say they have already changed how they assess students to maintain academic integrity.
These changes include more in-class or oral assessments, increased use of drafts and checkpoints and a shift toward formats that emphasize the learning process. Gen Z educators are especially proactive, but the trend spans generations.
This is not just about preventing misuse. It reflects a broader rethinking of what meaningful assessment looks like in a world where AI is readily available. Educators are finding new ways to evaluate critical thinking, creativity and original work.
Educators are Focused on What Matters Most
When asked about their top concerns with AI, educators pointed first to student over-reliance on AI tools. This was followed by concerns about academic integrity and the loss of human connection in teaching.
These concerns reflect a desire to protect the core values of education. Educators want students to think for themselves, engage deeply with content and build meaningful relationships with instructors and peers.
Rose reflected on the deeper implications of AI in education, saying that we need to think about centering human connection and leaning into the value of interpersonal relationships.
Even as they explore new tools, educators want to stay grounded in what matters most. They’re not adopting AI at the expense of human connection.
Looking Ahead
The survey results show that AI is gaining ground in higher education. More educators are using it in their practices in thoughtful ways. But adoption alone isn’t the full story. What matters most is how institutions support educators in making AI work for their unique teaching goals.
Written by:
