Student experiences of the integration of artificial intelligence in public health studies in higher education in South Africa

Abstract

This study investigated students’ experiences of the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in public health studies in South African higher education. With an increasing global interest in incorporating AI technology into educational contexts, public health education is looking for effective approaches to integrate AI into teaching and learning processes. The aim of this research was to look at the benefits and drawbacks of AI integration, identify ethical concerns about its use, investigate strategies for removing technological barriers to student access, and propose a framework for effectively implementing AI in South African higher education. The study used a case study methodology with a qualitative research design, using students enrolled in public health programmes as the case study. Connectivism and TAM guided the study’s interpretation of the findings. Data were gathered through online questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis then thematically analysed to provide detailed insights into students’ perceptions and experiences. The findings demonstrate that AI is a valuable tool for improving data-driven decision-making, administrative and research duties, and learning outcomes. The study also discovered that AI encourages personal development and broadens critical thinking skills among users. This study further showed that ChatGPT was the most popular AI tool among students, mostly for knowledge generation and improving comprehension of difficult subjects. The study, however, identified challenges, including AI-generated content that is inaccurate and ambiguous, misleading or obsolete information, and poor citation procedures. Ethical concerns arose, mainly around plagiarism, in which students may present AI-generated work as their own without proper acknowledgment. To address these ethical concerns, the study recommended creating explicit institutional policies and standards to control and guide the ethical use of AI in teaching and learning. The study also highlighted the need to address infrastructural and digital disparities as not all students have constant access to computers or dependable internet connectivity. It is thus proposed that AI be integrated into institutional digital libraries or learning platforms that allow access to laptops and other technical resources. Based on these findings, the study proposed a framework for effectively integrating AI into teaching and learning processes in South African higher education.

Ndzavisiso lowu wu lavisisile ntokoto wa machudeni wa nhlanganelo wa vutlhari bya xiphaza (VX) eka tidyondzo ta rihanyo ra vanhu eka dyondzo ya le henhla eAfrika-Dzonga. Hi ku engeteleka ka ntsakelo wa misava hinkwayo eku katseni ka thekinoloji ya VX eka vundzeni bya swa dyondzo, tidyondzo ta rihanyo ra vaaki ti langutisa eka maendlelo yo tirhiseka ku katsa VX eka madyondziselo na madyondzelo. Xikongomelo xa ndzavisiso lowu a ku ri ku langutisa eka mivuyelo na swiphiqo swa nhlanganelo swa VX, ku komba endlelo ra ximunhu mayelana ni matirhiselo ya rona, ku kambisisa switirateji swa masuselo ya swirhalanganyi swa swa thekinoloji eka ku fikelela ka xichudeni, na ku bumabumela rimba ra matirhiselo ya VX hi ku hetiseka eka dyondzo ya le henhla eAfrika-Dzonga. Ndzavisiso wu tirhisile maendlelo ya xiyenge xa dyondzo na vutshila bya ndzavisiso bya nkoka, ku tirhisa machudeni lama ma nga tsarisa tiphurogireme ta rihanyo ra vaaki tanihi xiyenge xa dyondzo. Marimba mambirhi ya swa miehleketo, Vuhlanganisi na TAM, swi letela nhlanganelo wa ndzavisiso wa mivuyelo. Datara yi hlengeletiwile hi ku tirhisa nuvu wa swivutiso leswi hlamuriwaka hi mani na mani leswi kumekaka eka inthanete, tiinthavhiyu ta xivumbeko xo ka xi nga helelangiki, na nkambisiso wa tsalwa ra ximfumo endzhaku ka sweswo ri kambisisiwa hi ku ya hi ndlela leyi swi fambelanaka ni swikongomelo ku nyika matwisiselo hi vuxokoxoko eka mavonelo na vutivi bya machudeni. Mivuyelo yi kombisile leswaku VX i xitirhisiwa xa nkoka xo antswisa mitirho yo kumisisa datara ku endla xiboho, vufambisi na mivuyelo ya dyondzo. Nakambe ndzavisiso wu kumile leswaku VX yi khutaza ku antswisa ka munhu un’we no ndlandlamuxa swikili swa miehleketo yo hluteka exikarhi ka vatirhisi. Ndzavisiso lowu wu ya emahlweni wu kombisa leswaku ChatGPT hi yona a yi dumile swinene tanihi xitirhisiwa exikarhi ka machudeni, ngopfungopfu ka vutumbuluxi bya vutivi no antswisa matwisiselo eka tidyondzo to tika. Nkoka wa ndzavisiso, hambiswiritano, mitlhontlho leyi kombisiweke, ku katsa vundzeni bya VX lebyi tumbuluxiweke lowu nga hetisekangiki na wo kanakanisa, wo hoxeka na vuxokoxoko lebyi nga hundzeriwa hi nkarhi, na maendlelo ya mitshaho leyi nga riki kahle. Swivilelo mayelana ni mahanyelo swi humelerile, ngopfungopfu eka mayelana ni vuyivi bya matsalwa, eka leswi machudeni va nga ha nyikaka ntirho wa VX lowu tumbuluxiweke tanihi ntirho wa vona handle ko khensa hi mfanelo. Ku lulamisa swiphiqo swa maendlelo ya ximunhu, ndzavisiso wu bumabumela ku tumbuluxiwa ka tipholisi to twisiseka ta swa ndhawu na swipimelo ku lawula na ku letela tirhiselo ra endlelo ra ximunhu ka VX eka ku dyondzisa no dyondza. Nakambe ndzavisiso wu hlamuserile swilaveko swo lulamisa swa miako na ka vuxaka bya swa xidijithali tanihileswi machudeni ku nga riki hinkwawo va swi kotaka ku nkarhi hinkwawo va fikelela tikhomphyuta kumbe vutihlanganisi bya swa xidijithali bya inthanete. Hikokwalaho ka sweswo ku bumabumeriwa leswaku VX yi katsiwa eka swa xidijithali eka miako ya tilabyiburari kumbe tindhawu to dyondzela leti pfumelelaka ku fikelela eka tileputhopo na switirhisiwa swin’wana swa xithekinikali. Ku ya hi mayelana ni mivuyelo, ndzavisiso wu bumabumerile rimba ra ku katsiwa ko hetiseka ka VX eka maendlelo yo dyondza no dyondzisa eka dyondzo ya le henhla eAfrika-Dzonga.

Hierdie studie het studente se ervarings van die integrasie van kunsmatige intelligensie (KI) in openbaregesondheidstudies in Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys ondersoek. Met die toenemende wêreldwye belangstelling in die inkorporering van KI-tegnologie in opvoedkundige kontekste, ondersoek openbare gesondheidsonderwys doeltreffende benaderings om KI in onderrig- en leerprosesse te integreer. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die voordele en nadele van KI-integrasie te ondersoek, etiese kwessies rakende die gebruik daarvan te identifiseer, strategieë vir die verwydering van tegnologiese hindernisse tot studentetoegang te ondersoek, en ’n raamwerk vir die doeltreffende implementering van KI in Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys voor te stel. Die studie het ’n gevallestudie-metodologie met ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp gebruik, met studente wat vir openbare gesondheidsprogramme ingeskryf is as die gevallestudie. Konnektivisme en die Tegnologie-aanvaardingsmodel (TAM) het die interpretasie van die bevindinge gerig. Data is deur middel van aanlyn vraelyste, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentontleding ingesamel en daarna tematies ontleed om gedetailleerde insigte in studente se persepsies en ervarings te bied. Die bevindinge toon dat KI ’n waardevolle hulpmiddel is vir die verbetering van datagedrewe besluitneming, administratiewe en navorsingstake, asook leeruitkomste. Die studie het ook bevind dat KI persoonlike ontwikkeling bevorder en kritiese denkvaardighede onder gebruikers verbreed. Verder het hierdie studie getoon dat ChatGPT die gewildste KI-hulpmiddel onder studente was, hoofsaaklik vir kennisgenerering en die verbetering van begrip van moeilike onderwerpe. Die studie het egter ook uitdagings geïdentifiseer, insluitend KI-gegenereerde inhoud wat onakkuraat en dubbelsinnig is, misleidende of verouderde inligting, en swak verwysingspraktyke. Etiese kwessies het na vore gekom, veral rondom plagiaat, waar studente KI-gegenereerde werk as hul eie mag aanbied sonder behoorlike erkenning. Om hierdie etiese kwessies aan te spreek, het die studie aanbeveel dat duidelike institusionele beleide en riglyne ontwikkel word om die etiese gebruik van KI in onderrig en leer te reguleer en te rig. Die studie het ook die behoefte beklemtoon om infrastruktuur- en digitale ongelykhede aan te spreek, aangesien nie alle studente volgehoue toegang tot rekenaars of betroubare internetkonnektiwiteit het nie. Daar word dus voorgestel dat KI geïntegreer word in institusionele digitale biblioteke of leerplatforms wat toegang tot skootrekenaars en ander tegniese hulpbronne moontlik maak. Op grond van hierdie bevindinge het die studie ’n raamwerk voorgestel vir die doeltreffende integrasie van KI in onderrig- en leerprosesse in Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys.