Perceived Usefulness and Ease of Use of AI in Education: A Case Study in a Private University in China

• In Event: Global perspectives on Artificial Intelligence

Proposal

ABSTRACT

Several studies highlight the significance of perceived usefulness and ease of use in influencing the intention to use AI in education (Yao & Wang, 2024; Zhang et al., 2023). AI can transform learning and teaching, providing a more inclusive and flexible learning environment (Singh & Hiran, 2022). Despite the benefits, challenges such as data privacy concerns, lack of human interaction, and ethical considerations must be addressed to implement AI in education effectively (Kasneci et al., 2023; Osamor et al., 2023). Moreover, over thirty countries have unveiled their national strategies for AI policy; however, discussions surrounding the application of AI in educational contexts remain largely overlooked, and the ethical considerations associated with AI in education are given minimal focus (Schiff, 2022). In China, China has been implementing policies focused on AI in education to foster the integration of artificial intelligence in higher education and learning, aiming to develop students' understanding of AI and boost China's competitiveness in science and technology (Chiang et al., 2023). As AI colonizes the educational process, scholars search for its usefulness and ease of use (Al-Momani & Ramayah, 2024). Thus, this study explores the perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use from the perspective of undergraduate students in a private university in China.

The present study used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to comprehensively examine the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) in education (Davis, 1989). According to the concept, a user has two intentions to use a technology: perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU). Furthermore, the TAM model has been used in artificial intelligence in education to explore the context of users' perceptions, such as (Al Darayseh, 2023; Cao et al., 2023; Ma & Lei, 2024) research studies.

Approximately 33% of the global student population is enrolled in private colleges (Levy, 2018), and these institutions significantly impact the development of most developing countries. Among the 3,013 universities in China, 764 are privately owned, and the quality of these private institutions is notably worse than that of most public universities (Duan et al., 2023). Exploring undergraduate students' perceptions in a private university provides voices on how these students perceive AI in education. Furthermore, the rise in popularity of AI warrants an investigation to observe the transformation of higher education in light of the pre-existing issues before the AI era.

To thoroughly carry out the study’s purpose, this research employed a qualitative exploratory case study (Yin, 2018). An exploratory case study was used to identify the various factors associated with undergraduate students' perceived usefulness and ease of use. A total of 14 undergraduate students majored in computer science at a private university in Shandong, China. The researchers utilized convenient sampling techniques and focused on one computer science student group. The selection of the science major is also supported by the literature in which, according to Ojha et al. (2023), computer science (CS) undergraduate students have limited perspectives on the nature of AI work.

In addition, the researchers ensure that ethical considerations are followed in this study. The researchers explained the study before the interview. All participants were informed that the interview was voluntary and had no potential risks since the study did not collect identifiable data such as their names and addresses. The students were invited to interview for 30-40 minutes using Chinese language. After the data collection, the researchers transcribed and translated the interview into English. The researchers used the translated transcript version to analyze using a thematic analysis technique. In addition, the researchers used the ATLAS.TI 24 to organize and analyze the data. The researchers ensure the anonymity of the study by using an English name in the quoted text.

The findings revealed that the perceived usefulness includes enhancing the learning outcomes through homework completion, coding optimization, and productivity. One participant mentioned that “sometimes I encounter problems when completing homework. If I flip through the textbook, it will take a long time. However, using AI tools can give me the correct answer in the shortest time. It really saves time (Lea).” In addition, another theme emerged: AI helps undergraduate students with personalized learning through streamlined administration tasks and learning language supports. For the perceived ease of use, themes revealed that AI affects undergraduate students' human behavior, such as reliance on technology and causing them to become lazy. One of the participants shared, “I am usually lazy and don't like to collect information on the Internet everywhere, but artificial intelligence has given me a lot of advice in my course study, so it is very helpful to me (Sep).” Other factors contributing to AI's perceived ease of use are data privacy concerns, resistance to change, lack of AI literacy, and academic integrity issues.

This study explored the perceptions of AI's usefulness and ease of use in higher education from the perspective of undergraduate students in a private university in China. The findings revealed that AI provided efficiency and personalized assistance among students learning that helps them on their students. On the other hand, students are aware of the risks and disadvantages of AI in higher education. This study recommends that higher education institutions provide a clear framework for students to use AI in education, particularly in their courses. In addition, a whole school approach must be implemented to provide more training on the proper use of AI. The study offers methodological limitations due to its limited perception only of computer science majors. Future studies might consider these qualitative findings to generate a large quantitative questionnaire for many students across private higher education institutions in China and in comparison to public institutions.

Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence in education, private university, Perceived Usefulness, Perceive Ease of Use, China

Authors

• YIFU LI, Qingdao City University

• Nilo Jayoma Castulo, Mindanao State University TCTO