Artificial Intelligence and Engineering Education

As AI tools like ChatGPT rapidly enter the classroom, educators are confronting a new and complex challenge: how these tools reshape learning, especially among graduate students navigating language, cultural, and academic transitions. The attached article is study that takes a close look at that shift within engineering education, with particular attention to international graduate students—one of the groups most affected by both the opportunities and risks of AI-assisted work.

The analysis draws on two Engineering Organizational Development (EOD) classes with different student compositions: one with 60% international students (60IS) and another composed entirely of international students (100IS). The contrast is striking. In the 100IS class, roughly half the students relied heavily on AI tools, often substituting them for traditional study practices and showing limited engagement with course material. In the 60IS class, however, more conventional learning behaviors persisted, suggesting that classroom composition and peer dynamics may play a role in how AI tools are adopted and used.

The study also examines two iterations of Graduate Academic Research (GAR) courses—one before and one after a redesign intended to curb plagiarism and improve learning outcomes. The redesigned course incorporated smaller, skill-based assignments that explicitly allowed and guided the use of AI tools. Students performed better under this structure, indicating that when AI is integrated thoughtfully, it can support learning rather than undermine it. However, a persistent problem remained: patterns of plagiarism in major assignments continued across both versions of the course, revealing the limits of structural fixes alone.

Taken together, the findings point to a deeper issue than simple misuse. AI tools are not just being used—they are reshaping how some students approach learning itself. The persistence of plagiarism, even after course redesign, underscores the need for more robust strategies that go beyond assignment design to address motivation, academic integrity, and the role of AI in knowledge development. As universities continue to integrate AI into education, the challenge is no longer whether these tools should be used, but how to ensure they enhance rather than replace meaningful learning.

Navigating AI in Engineering Education.pdf

Download PDF • 420KB