Abstract:

This study introduces and evaluates a structured "critical engagement" model for the integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) within university curricula. Moving beyond instrumental use, the proposed three-phase framework transitions students from AI-assisted drafting to a rigorous analytical audit. In this process, students systematically identify algorithmic biases, factual inaccuracies, and omissions, culminating in a high-level evaluation of the tool's ethical and technical limitations. Results from this pilot intervention indicate that a structured pedagogical mediation significantly enhances students' evaluative judgment and digital agency. Participants reported the methodology as both disruptive and essential for developing the critical scrutiny required in an AI-mediated academic landscape. The study concludes that fostering such evaluative competencies is vital to harnessing AI’s transformative potential while upholding the pillars of academic integrity and intellectual autonomy.

Keywords:

Generative AI, Critical Pedagogy, Higher Education, Digital Literacy.