“ChatGPT Should be Used as a Tool, But Not Mistaken for a Crutch”: Engineering Students' Ethical Perspectives After Using GenAI in an Introductory Course

Abstract

Engineering students can use generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in ways that support their learning, but they can also use GenAI to complete entire assignments, thereby circumventing their learning. While local and global standards evolve, it is important for instructors to specify when and how to use GenAI tools appropriately, and to support and measure students' acquisitions of knowledge, competence, and ethical dispositions towards GenAI tools. This study investigated student perspectives on ethical uses of GenAI for schoolwork, following the discussion and integration of GenAI into an introduction to engineering course. The integration included a student-led discussion around GenAI following an engineering ethics lecture, and guided GenAI use in a final course programming assignment. The research question was as follows: What are first-year engineering students' opinions on the ethics of GenAI after instruction on GenAI and instruction on engineering ethics? At the end of the semester, students responded to essay-style questions about appropriate and inappropriate uses of GenAI tools within engineering school. Responses were coded inductively with three researchers using qualitative thematic analysis. Results revealed that students knew that completing entire assignments with GenAI was academically dishonest and presents a threat to both their learning and professional competence. Students also acknowledged that, when used as a tool, GenAI could improve their work product. Beyond these consistencies, there were also many different opinions about ethics, demonstrating a need for instructors to set clear expectations. Course integrations of GenAI appear to be powerful teaching opportunities to help students learn about GenAI and engage in meaningful ethical reflections around using GenAI tools for coursework and their future careers.

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