Abstract:

In Higher Education Institutions, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are facing the challenge of rapid AI generation technology adoption in the classroom, and faculty are entering this space with little to no preparation, support, or frameworks for its effective and responsible use. The current study is a baseline study from the second cohort of the AI Integration Program, a faculty development program delivered by the Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence at a land-grant research university.

This study is grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and utilizes a convergent mixed-methods survey design to gather data from 43 faculty participants from 15 different and diverse academic disciplines prior to program participation. Although participants, all 40 out of 43, indicated prior experiences working with AI technologies such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, overall levels of confidence and competence in the responsible and effective use of AI in the classroom were found to be low to moderate.

This study found that the majority of participants indicated that they were only slightly to moderately confident in the use of AI in the classroom, and levels of competence were found to be lower than levels of confidence. The themes that emerged from the study include academic integrity and student over-reliance, discipline-specific implementation issues, understanding and clarity regarding institutional AI policies, and a strong interest in promoting student AI literacy rather than prohibiting its use.

This study contributes to the body of research on faculty AI literacy programs in higher education and serves as a baseline study that profiles faculty entering a faculty development program on AI and its integration in the classroom, providing a better understanding of faculty experiences and a starting place for program design and delivery that meets the needs of faculty from a range of disciplines.

Keywords:

Technology, AI Education, Professional Development, Faculty Development.