Students Are Using ChatGPT Less for Academic Help

The Breakdown

Dr. Ford observed that faculty aren’t always providing enough nuance and understanding for students to really get the most out of AI tools. “They need to increase the maturity index in terms of the ways in which students are utilizing ChatGPT,” she said. She noted that many instructors still treat GenAI like a search engine, using it like Google, rather than modeling deeper, more pedagogically sound applications. Without guidance, students may not be learning how to use AI tools to support conceptual understanding or critical thinking. At its core, this finding may represent a gap in AI literacy at the faculty level that has trickled down to students.

Catherine Shaw added that the survey didn’t simply ask students whether they use AI to find answers; it asked where they go when they struggle to understand concepts.

“Students tell us they prefer peers, their instructors, their TAs and then their static tools,” Shaw said. She noted that they even prefer utilizing courseware or their institution’s LMS before they resort to using an AI-driven bot or an LLM. This suggests that students are still seeking human connection and trusted academic structures when they need deeper support.

Reflecting on the broader context, Dr. Zone noted that some students may be conflating ChatGPT with all AI tools. “Students say ChatGPT, but actually they mean an LLM or an AI tool overall. It’s kind of like the Kleenex/tissue thing,” she offered. This points to a need for institutions to clarify the role of different AI tools and help students become more discerning users.