Exploring the use of artificial intelligence in higher learning institutions: a case of David Livingstone College of education

Kaula Kanyemba; Fidelity Phiri; Velenasi Mwale Munsanje; Obrain Mwaanga

Kaula Kanyemba David Livingstone College of Education, Library Department, Livingstone, Zambia
Fidelity Phiri Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Main Library, Doha, Qatar
Velenasi Mwale Munsanje 3Chiang Mai International School, Library Media Department, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Obrain Mwaanga David Livingstone College of Education, Department of Mathematics and Science, Livingstone, Zambia

Keywords: Artificial intelligence, education, research, technology, teaching, learning

Abstract

The study aimed at exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by faculty and students at David Livingstone College of Education (DALICE) in teaching, learning and research. The study was conducted at David Livingstone College of Education in Livingstone, Southern Province of Zambia. The study was guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study enrolled 141 respondents: One college administrator, all 6 Heads of Department, 54 faculty members and 80 students. The study adopted a cross-sectional design using simple random sampling to select students for inclusion in the study while faculty were all purposely selected and included in the study. An Online survey was used to collect data from faculty and students while a structured interview guide was used to collect data from the Heads of Departments and college administrator. The study findings show that the majority of the faculty (93.8%) and students (84.2%) were aware of the existence of AI tools and technologies used for teaching, learning and research. The most used AI tools by faculty were Turnitin (40.6%), ChatGPT (25%), Google Cloud AI (25%) and Grammarly (12.5%), Wordtune (6%), MATLAB (6%) and DALL-E (1%). The most commonly used AI tools by students included ChatGPT (45.5%) Google Cloud (41.8%) plagiarism software (3.6%) and MATLAB (1.8%). The study established challenges that impede the utilization of AI at DALICE and these include a lack of AI policy, Inadequate ICT infrastructure, erratic internet connectivity, low skills, high subscription fees to some AI tools and lack of training on AI.