Not all AI tools are created equal. Analysis of smart applications for university teaching

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2024.45.141-149

Keywords:

AI in educacion, educational apps, Educational technology, higher education

Abstract

Currently, in addition to generative and conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications or tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Groq, and others, there exists a vast array of specific-purpose tools or apps for particular functionalities. These tools are continually evolving and are accessible through various repositories or web portals. In this article, we conducted a study of these apps with the objectives of: a) identifying and characterizing the AI tools specifically designed for the field of Higher Education, considering their functionality and didactic usability; and b) classifying the potential use of AI tools based on the phases of the teaching-learning process (pre-active, interactive, post-active) and the educational agents involved (teachers and students). For this purpose, 118 AI tools or apps created for educational purposes were selected from two of the most extensive international repositories or platforms (such as FUTUREPEDIA and THERE'S AN AI FOR THAT). A self-developed analysis instrument was used for their review. It is concluded that only a third of these tools are free, which presents an issue of inequality in access to them. Moreover, more than half have a dual function: to support both teaching (for teachers) and learning (for students).

Author Biographies

Manuel Area-Moreira, Universidad de La Laguna

Doctor in Education and Director of the Education and New Technologies Laboratory, EDULLAB, of the University of La Laguna

Annachiara Del Prete, Universidad de La Laguna

Doctor in Education and Researcher at the Education and New Technologies Laboratory of the University of La Laguna

Ana Luisa Sanabria-Mesa, Universidad de La Laguna

Doctor in Education and Researcher at the Education and New Technologies Laboratory EDULLAB of the University of La Laguna

María Belén Sannicolás-Santos, Universidad de La Laguna

Doctor in Education and Researcher at the Education and New Technologies Laboratory, EDULLAB, of the University of La Laguna

References

Area, M. y Adell, J. (2021). Tecnologías digitales y cambio educativo. Una aproximación crítica. REICE. Revista Iberoamericana sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educación, 19(4), 83-96. https://doi.org/10.15366/reice2021.19.4.005

Area, M. (2023). Inteligencia artificial en educación. Máquinas que enseñan. Hipótesis, 16, Universidad de La Laguna https://www.ull.es/portal/cienciaull/tabletplanet/?w=4806&s=13

Baker, T., & Smith, L. (2019). Educ-AI-tion rebooted? Exploring the future of artificial intelligence in schools and colleges. Nesta Foundation. Retrieved July 5, 2021, from https://media.nesta.org.uk/documents/Future_of_AI_and_education_v5_WEB.pdf

Bilad, M. R., Yaqin, L. N., & Zubaidah, S. (2023). Recent Progress in the Use of Artificial

Intelligence Tools in Education. Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengkajian Ilmu Pendidikan: E-Saintika, 7(3), 279–

https://doi.org/10.36312/esaintika.v7i3.1377

Carrington, A. (2016). Professional development: The pedagogy wheel: It is not about the apps, it is about the pedagogy. Education Technology Solutions. https://educationtechnologysolutions.com/2016/06/padagogy-wheel/

Galli, M. G., & Kanobel, M. C. (2023). ChatGPT en Educación Superior: explorando sus potencialidades y sus limitaciones. Revista Educación Superior Y Sociedad (ESS), 35(2), 174-195. https://doi.org/10.54674/ess.v35i2.815

García Peñalvo, F. J., Llorens-Largo, F., & Vidal, J. (2024). La nueva realidad de la educación ante los avances de la inteligencia artificial generativa. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(1), 9–39. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.1.37716

Ghnemat, R., Shaout, A., & Al-Sowi, A. M. (2022). Higher Education Transformation for Artificial Intelligence Revolution: Transformation Framework. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 17(19).

González-Calatayud, V., Prendes-Espinosa, P., & Roig-Vila, R. (2021). Artificial intelligence for student assessment: A systematic review. Applied Sciences, 11(12), 5467.

Hernández Sampieri, Roberto (2006). Definición del alcance de la investigación a realizar: exploratoria, descriptiva, correlacional o explicativa en Metodología de la investigación. México: McGraw-Hill, pp. 57-68.

Jiménez-García, E., Orenes-Martínez, N., y López-Fraile, L. A. (2024). Rueda de la Pedagogía para la Inteligencia Artificial: adaptación de la Rueda de Carrington. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(1), 87–113. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.1.37622

Laurillard, D. (2013). Teaching as a design science: Building pedagogical patterns for learning and technology. Routledge.

López, E. y Martín, S. (2023). Guía para integrar las tecnologías basadas en inteligencia artificial generativa en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Vicerrectorado Innovación Educativa, UNED, Madrid. https://unedo365-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/smartin_ieec_uned_es/Ear9X0v_kXtBgrZowwGx5yUBlCyOClaGHbYmAjHT52dYhQ?e=HyVx8O

Luan, H., Geczy, P., Lai, H., Gobert, J., Yang, S. J., Ogata, H., Baltes J, Guerra R, Li P. & Tsai, C. C. (2020). Challenges and future directions of big data and artificial intelligence in education. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 580820. https://doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.580820. PMID: 33192896; PMCID: PMC7604529.

Owoc M. L., Sawicka A., & Weichbroth P. (2021). Artificial intelligence technologies in education: Benefits, challenges and strategies of implementation. In M. L Owoc, & M. Pondel (Eds.), Artificial intelligence for knowledge management (Vol. 599, pp. 37–58). Springer.

Pinzolits R. (2023). AI in academia: An overview of selected tools and their areas of application. MAP Education and Humanities, 4, 37-50.doi: https://doi.org/10.53880/2744-2373.2023.4.37

Pisica, A. I., Edu, T., Zaharia, R. M., & Zaharia, R. (2023). Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Pros and Cons from the Perspectives of Academics. Societies, 13(5), 118.

Pratama, M. P., Sampelolo, R., & Lura, H. (2023). Revolutionizing education: harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for personalized learning. Klasikal: Journal of Education, Language Teaching and Science, 5(2), 350-357.

Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V.I., Bond, M. Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education–where are the educators?. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16-39 https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0

Downloads

Published

2024-07-01

Issue

No. 45 (2024): Number 45, June 2024 [Monographic] Artificial intelligence from the perspective of educability

Section

Monographic Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Manuel Area-Moreira, Annachiara Del Prete, Ana Luisa Sanabria-Mesa, María Belén Sannicolás-Santos

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.
  2. The texts published in Digital Education Review, DER, are under a license Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4,0 Spain, of Creative Commons. All the conditions of use in: Creative Commons,
  3. In order to mention the works, you must give credit to the authors and to this Journal.
  4. Digital Education Review, DER,  does not accept any responsibility for the points of view and statements made by the authors in their work.