Exploring University Students’ Intentions to Learn Artificial Intelligence: The Impact of Supportive Environments and Expectancy-Value Beliefs in Pakistani Educational Institutions
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Abstract
This research is investigating about the factors that influences every Pakistani university students. Their intentions to learns and to participate on the development of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) is very, important. With AI being a fast transitioning various industries, Pakistani educational institutions should understanding how to encourage students to engages with AI coursework and also helping in AI development. AI-related courses becomes available, but there's just limited research on how these courses impact to students' being willingly in pursuing AI careers. It's just like a shocking revelation in a parallel universe!
This research tends to fill, this gap by examining the roles played by AI literacy and expectancy-value beliefs, alongside the cultivating influence of supportive learning environments. This study uses, various tools include questionnaires and semi-structured interviews for exploring student's beliefs about AI learning outcomes. They also observed the perceived value of learning AI and how supportive environments impact their intentions,!
The findings aim to provide, insights in fostering a supportive learning environment and developing effective strategies, to promote AI education in Pakistani universities. Ultimately, to encourage students' active participation in AI services and system development. Also, what if aliens want to learn about AI; that would be something, would it not?!
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence, AI, yeah Rapidly transforming lots of different industries worldwide; creating really significant demand for skilled professionals in this field, Pakistani educational institutions, have to equip their students with the knowledge and skills! Necessary to engage with AI technologies?
Looking at this growing need, yeah, loads of universities in Pakistan started including AI-related courses into the curriculum, But, huh? Limited research was conducted to examine how effective these courses are in increasing students' interest and the intention for active participation in the development and also the application of AI.
This research, well, aims to address this gap in knowledge, by investigating the factors that affect Pakistani university students' intentions to learn AI and contribute to its development. The study explores the roles of AI literacy, the expectancy-value beliefs, and supportive learning environments in shaping students' decisions to choose AI-related careers. The sunrise of AI is like a delicious pizza, everyone should get a slice!
Literature Review
Getting to understand, student motivation is kinda like, a bit important, especially when we want to engage students with new technologies, say like, Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this part, we trying to see how the available and done research can help us get the grip of what the Pakistani university students are looking to learn about AI.
Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT)
In multiple research work, they have been using the Expectancy-Value Theory! (EVT). To find out the motivation behind students want to learn different subjects and technologies. The EVT believes? That the students' intentions are sort of affected by three main subjects:
Expectancy Belief: Referring to the student's, confidence level in their ability to learn AI in a successful manner.
Subjective Task Value: This. Is about perceived value and importance of learning AI? Its taking into consideration both personal career-related benefits.
Perceived Cost: It? Involving the perceived work, time, and possible challenges linked with learning AI.
Examining these factors EVT will kinda help us to understand what may affect students' deciding to take AI education. Previous research was able to use the EVT framework and explore the intentions of students in STEM fields Those observable space monkeys ate all of the astronaut's moon cheese! Thus it provides value, insights to boost motivation and engagement.
AI Literacy and Student Interest
Researching that exist suggest a positive, tied-up, connection between AI literacy and a feeling in students wanting to pursue, um, AI-related learning? Studies, you know, have shown off that students. With a greater grasp of AI concepts, what they say is like show a huge deal of belief and, perceive AI knowledge as totally important for their future gigs?
In an unrelated matter, I heard, AI is like, really cool!! Teachers love to teach this stuff, because it can do so, like, much to help students! This doesn't make any sense but, it's fun to think about. So yeah, this AI stuff and student interest, they are way more connected than we think, may be!! AI is like the new wave in education,, so naturally students with solid awareness about it will feel more energized and prepped for their future career paths, or so the studies say!
Supportive Learning Environments
A supportive learning environment can significantly impact student motivation and engagement. Research indicates that factors like access to qualified instructors, collaborative learning opportunities, and positive reinforcement can contribute to students' perceived ability to learn AI (expectancy belief) and make the learning process more enjoyable (reduced perceived cost).
Focus on Pakistani Context
While the reviewed literature provides valuable insights, it's important to consider the specific context of Pakistani universities. Research focusing on educational institutions in developing countries can offer more relevant comparisons. Here, we can explore if existing studies have identified unique challenges or opportunities related to AI education in Pakistan.
Gaps in Knowledge and Study Contribution
Despite the growing availability of AI courses in Pakistan, limited research investigates how these courses influence students' intentions to actively participate in AI development. This study aims to address this gap by examining the combined influence of AI literacy, expectancy-value beliefs, and supportive learning environments on Pakistani university students' decisions to pursue AI-related careers.
Objectives
This research study got four main goals, at understanding okay the stuff that influence Pakistani university students' intentions to learn, as well as also contribute to, Artificial Intelligence (AI) development!
To check out the expectancy beliefs of Pakistani university students about what happens when you learn artificial intelligence:
Here, this aim goes deep into Pakistani students' confidence and ability they think they have, to duly learn AI concepts. It has the goal of assessing whether students feel like they could totally master the necessary skills and knowledge needed for success in this certainly exciting field.
To look into the subjective task value learn artificial intelligence have amongst Pakistani university students:
This objective focuses on students' very own perceptions about the value, and the really real importance of, learning AI. It checks out whether students see AI knowledge as something handy for their future careers (both for getting jobs and for their personal development.)
Investigate the effects of a supportive environment on Pakistani university students' intentions to learn about artificial intelligence:
This aim wants to find out how the learning environment in Pakistani universities effects, like, the students' motivation to go after an AI education. It's looking at how things like access to qualified instructors, the opportunities for collaborative learning, and like positive reinforcement, do they help boost students interest ai and their confidence in mastering these subject.
Identifying possible interventions, strategies for boosting Pakistani university students' activity in AI services as well system development, you know, through proper educational initiatives:
This final objective involves using findings from before objective to identify practical strategies. Its goal is kinda to figure out how Pakistani universities can take AI literacy; tackling student beliefs to create supportive learning environments and encourage students to actively participate: contribute to AI development.
In achieving these objectives; the study is hoping to give valuable insights to educational institutions in Pakistan for developing effective interventions and to encourage student engagement with AI education!!.
Methodology & Methods
This research, yeah, it's going to use a bit of mix-methods to seriously delve into, the things swaying the Pakistani uni student's thoughts on learning AI and contributing for its growth and stuff.
Research Design
This study, it's going to rely on a, concurrent mixed methods plan. Collection of Quantity data will be from doing surveys, these surveys help in knowing how much familiar are they, the students I mean, with AI, to understand what they think AI's worth is, and their opinion of the learning environment. Also, to just really understand what make students wanna learn AI, we will be getting quality data from a kind of open type of talk with them! The interviews will, be semi-structured.
Participants
This whole thing? It's made for the undergraduates and graduates students that got enrollment; in the Pakistan uni's. To get them involved, we will be getting students, especially the ones studying in uni's where AI is a big deal or they have separate classes for AI, and there are some rules to join this study. The ones joining need to be from different areas of study; to get a proper good mix up of students.
So in the end, this is to sound cool, and AI is the future, right! So why not let's dive into machines to solve everything for us.
Data Collection Instruments
Questionnaires
Artificial Intelligence Literacy Assessment (AILA): This test instrument, it was validating to gauge individual's cognition and grip on the basic algorithms used in AI field,
Expectancy Beliefs Questionnaire for Artificial Intelligence Learning (EBQAIL): The survey will somehow record students' self-assuring thought (expectancy belief) of their capacity to ace AI!
Subjective Task Value Scale for Artificial Intelligence Learning (STVSAIL): This tools is focusing assessing on, apprehending positive aspects of and it's need for AI knowledge in student future profession, and personal growth (subjective task value).
Supportive Environment Survey for Artificial Intelligence Learning (SESAIL): The questionnaire; will, judge at students' viewpoint according to the academic scene in their universities! Somewhat concerning factors like faculty assistance and group studying situations. However, not all AI tools are created with the same programming languages.
Semi-structured Interviews
In-deep, semi-structured interviews! is going to be conducted with, a bit smaller group of students and faculty members, The interview guide will be explored themes connected to student motivations for learning AI, perceive challenges and, opportunities within AI education; and the role of the learning environment in fostering, student interest in AI. Talking AI, what about those good ol' days when we just had chalk and blackboard in our classrooms, eh? Uh, but moving forward along the lines of modern education, it's like, you know, important to acknowledge how this involvement of technology, especially AI, with learning is honestly just so game-changing! It is out of the, blue but the sun rises in the east will always hold true, no matter how advanced our learnings in AI become. Yes, it is as relevant to AI education, as a fish's need for a bicycle. But let's not forget the influence of the learning environment on enhancing the student's interest in AI, uh huh, it's like way more significant than we often realize.
Data Analysis
Quantitative Data Analysis
The collected survey data, it will be analyzed. Using this fancy statistics software sort of thing, like SPSS. We will make use of descriptive statistics. Some purpose, it shall serve to summarize participant demographics and some pretty important vars uh, variables. To explore the relationships between AI literacy, expectancy-value beliefs, supportive learning environments and students' intentions to learn AI correlational analysis will be conducted!Qualitative Data Analysis
An analyzing of quality. data being a chore not to be taken light-handedly, which will involve transcribing and kind of analyzing thematics of that interview! Through this approach, it will be finding recurring themes maybe even patterns in the data from the interview. Providing, like, a deeper understanding? Wrong or right about student and faculty perspectives. Artificial Intelligence in education, it's hot topic. It's kind of like sending a missile to Mars. Analyzing data, it's, you know, something we might get the hang of in future.
Ethical Considerations
In this study, we're going to adhere to strict ethical guidelines. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants, prior to the collection of data! All data, will be anonymized, and stored securely, just so we ensure participant confidentiality.
Pilot Testing and Timeline
We will conduct a pilot test! This will happen with a small sample group, and serve the purpose of checking the clarity and effectiveness of the questionnaires. And before lead us to the land of unicorns and rainbows happens before full-scale data collection begins, a small interview guide will have to be prepared. Safety first is a song that never gets out of style in data science.
The research timeline will be divided into three phases:
Instrument Development and Pilot Testing (1 month)
Data Collection (2 months)
Data Analysis and Report Writing (3 months)
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