The University of Edinburgh to study how high school students in Scotland use AI

The expert said that by understanding the current landscape of AI use by high school students in Scotland, teachers can better support their students to use AI responsibly for learning.  

Study in Scotland: The study on high school students in Scotland is to be led by The University of Edinburgh. It is to study how they use artificial intelligence (AI) in their schoolwork for a better understanding of how this growing technology affects their day-to-day learning. The survey will be open for completion by 30 June 2024.

It is a part of the project looking at the attitudes to and current use of AI among secondary school teachers and students. In the survey, the students will asked about generative AI, which is a type of artificial intelligence that is designed to create new content such as letters artwork and essays.

Professor Judy Robertson Study co-lead and Chair in Digital Learning, University of Edinburgh, "Teachers are aware that some of their students are using generative AI tools at home, but we don’t know currently which tools are used by which stages of learners, or for what kinds of learning."

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The idea is that by getting a better understanding of the current uses of AI by high school students in Scotland, the teachers can better support their students in using AI responsibly. The questions of the survey will be which are the most common types of AI tools the students are using such as Grammarly and ChatGPT, and whether they have used them to help with their homework.

The participants will also be asked about their understanding of the accuracy of information produced by AI tools, particularly around so-called hallucinations – when generative AI offers inaccurate facts or statistics.

The experts are also interested in knowing the policies and learning support that schools have in place for students when using AI, and whether teachers and students are familiar with these.

"The current generation of high school students will be one of the first to enter the workforce where AI will take such a prominent role. It is important for us to understand how young people are using it and questions that they might have, to ensure that the education they receive makes them feel prepared to face this future," said Dr Fiona McNeill, Study co-lead and Reader in Computer Science Education, University of Edinburgh.

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