The rise of generative artificial intelligence (“GenAI”) has become more prevalent and impactful, enriching students’ motivation and learning opportunities. Despite growing interest in integrating and applying GenAI tools in education, empirical research on how GenAI tools enhance students’ learning experience and satisfaction of needs influencing their GenAI adoption intention remains scarce (Chan and Hu, 2023). Drawing on self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2012), this study addresses a research gap by examining open-ended survey responses to map how students’ competence, autonomy, and relatedness shape their intention to embrace GenAI tools for learning. 355 valid data of business-related university students participated in the survey. 113 participants provided written comments in the open-ended questions at the end of the survey. A team of 3 researchers employed the thematic analysis technique to identify, analyse, and report patterns in the data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Participants frequently expressed a sense of autonomy when using GenAI tools to learn, appreciating the freedom to explore topics and ask questions without limitations. In contrast, others might worry that this autonomy could undermine independent thinking. For competence, many students felt that engaging with GenAI tools enhanced their confidence in performing academic tasks. Some participants reported feeling like they were interacting with actual human beings when using GenAI tools (i.e., relatedness). This study contributes to the emerging field of GenAI-enhanced learning by bridging theoretical frameworks with practical applications. Based on the findings, this study proposes ideas for institutions and educators to consider when fusing GenAI tools into the education system.

Authors:
Newton Shum, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Phoebe Wong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Bruce Tsui, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Newton Shum is currently a Lecturer at PolyU CPCE, Hong Kong. He is also the Discipline Team Leader of PolyU CPCE’s Accounting and Finance Discipline, and the Assistant Programme Leader of PolyU CPCE’s Accounting Programme.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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