Online-Journals.

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JET International Journal of

Emerging Technologies in Learning
iJET | eISSN: 1863-0383 | Vol. 18 No. 17 (2023) |

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i17.39019

PAPER

The Perception by University Students of the Use

of ChatGPT in Education

Thi Thuy An Ngo() ABSTRACT

ChatGPT, a generative language model recently created by OpenAI, has drawn a lot of
FPT University, Can Tho,
criticism from people all around the world. ChatGPT illustrates both potential opportunities
Vietnam
and challenges in education. This study aims to investigate how university students perceive
anntt24@fe.edu.vn using ChatGPT for learning, including benefits, barriers, and potential solutions. To determine
how students felt about using ChatGPT in their learning, a questionnaire was distributed to
200 students via an online survey, and 30 students participated in semi-structured interviews.
The research results showed that, in general, students had a favorable opinion of ChatGPT’s
application. The benefits of ChatGPT, according to students, included saving time, providing
information in various areas, providing personalized tutoring and feedback, and illuminating
ideas in writing. Also, several barriers to using ChatGPT were recognized, and some solutions
were suggested for improvement of using ChatGPT in education. The most concerning issues
for students while using ChatGPT were inability to assess the quality and reliability of sources,
inability to cite sources accurately, and inability to replace words and use idioms accurately.
To address these concerns, some potential solutions can be implemented; for example, verify-
ing ChatGPT’s responses with reliable sources; using ChatGPT as a reference source or a con-
sultant tool; providing guidelines for use; and promoting academic integrity to ensure ethical
uses of ChatGPT in an academic context.

KEYWORDS
chatGPT, education, perception, benefits, barriers

1 INTRODUCTION

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in education has been

an area of study for several decades [1]–[3]. In recent years, the widespread use
of AI in various educational contexts, including teacher training, online tutoring,
and curriculum development, has grown exponentially. The increasing promi-
nence of AI technologies in classrooms raises important questions and challenges.
Researchers and educators are concerned about the effective implementation of AI

Ngo, T.T.A. (2023). The Perception by University Students of the Use of ChatGPT in Education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET),
18(17), pp. 4–19. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i17.39019
Article submitted 2023-02-20. Revision uploaded 2023-06-27. Final acceptance 2023-06-28.
© 2023 by the authors of this article. Published under CC-BY.

4 International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET) iJET | Vol. 18 No. 17 (2023)
 The Perception by University Students of the Use of ChatGPT in Education

and its long-term impact on teaching roles. Of utmost importance is the potential
impact of AI on education itself and whether it will enrich or undermine students’
intellectual development [4].
ChatGPT (generative pre-trained transformer), developed by OpenAI in late 2022,
is an advanced AI technology that has gained considerable attention. Its impressive
performance in producing well-structured, logical, and informative responses has
gained worldwide attention [5]. As the foremost natural language processing (NLP)
model, ChatGPT exhibits human-like response-generation abilities, with an emphasis
on personalized and interactive assistance. Notably, it can provide tailored recom-
mendations for educational resources based on individual learning objectives and
preferences [6]. Since its official launch on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT has rapidly
emerged as a revolutionary user application, experiencing an unprecedented rate
of growth. Within an exceptionally short span of two months, ChatGPT amassed
an exceptional user base of 100 million active users as of January 2023 [7]. This
extraordinary surge in user adoption highlights the significant impact and wide-
spread acceptance of ChatGPT in the domain of NLP, solidifying its transformative
position within the field. Hence, ChatGPT holds promise as a valuable tool to support
students in their educational journeys, generating significant interest from learners
worldwide.
However, despite the potential benefits, ChatGPT also presents novel challenges
and risks to education [4], [8], [9]. The capability to provide precise responses to user
inquiries gives rise to apprehensions about the possibility of AI-enabled academic
dishonesty, as it can be exploited for completing assignments and exams on behalf of
students [10]. Educators have expressed worries that students might rely excessively
on ChatGPT to rapidly generate acceptable texts, potentially outsourcing their work
to the AI system [11]. Furthermore, concerns have been raised regarding issues such
as plagiarism, incorrect information, and inaccurate referencing [12]. It is essential
to address the implications of integrating ChatGPT into the learning process in order
to maximize its benefits while minimizing its drawbacks [10].
Despite the growing concerns and the need for thorough investigation, there is
a scarcity of studies that delve into students’ actual experiences with using ChatGPT
in an educational context. Therefore, this study aims to assess students’ perceptions
of using ChatGPT in learning, focusing on their overall perception, the benefits they
perceive, the barriers they encounter, and potential solutions for effective utilization
of this tool. By conducting this research, we seek to bridge the existing research gap
and contribute to the scientific understanding of AI in education. Moreover, gaining
insights into students’ perceptions of ChatGPT is vital since they are the primary
users and beneficiaries of these technologies. The insights gained from this study
will be valuable for educational practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, help-
ing them understand the implications of integrating ChatGPT into educational set-
tings and guiding responsible and effective utilization of this technology.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 AI technologies

The concept of AI pertains to the creation of machines capable of executing tasks

that typically necessitate human intelligence, as originally proposed by McCarthy
et al. [13]. AI is a subfield of computational science that relies on algorithms, programs,
and big data to develop intelligent systems that emulate human intelligence [14].
As an interdisciplinary field, AI integrates knowledge and technologies from diverse

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