Learning with AI, not from AI: Ethical and pedagogical implications of ChatGPT in undergraduate education.

To explore how first-year nursing students engaged with ChatGPT during an assessment task, and to understand the experiences, challenges, and perceptions they reported regarding its use in academic work. As artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT reshape higher education, new opportunities a...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Nurse Education Today Vol. 158
Autores principales: Stratton-Maher, Dianne, Kelly, Jennifer
Formato: research Journal Article
Publicado: Elsevier B.V. Mar2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=190825519&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 190825519
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        02606917
        8IS
      jtl: Nurse Education Today
      issn: 02606917
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Mar2026
      vid: 158
      pid: 467
      pub: Elsevier B.V.
      place: New York, New York
    artinfo:
      ui:
        190825519
        190825519
        190825519
        10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106961
        190825519
      ppct: 1
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Learning with AI, not from AI: Ethical and pedagogical implications of ChatGPT in undergraduate education.
      aug:
        au:
          Stratton-Maher, Dianne
          Kelly, Jennifer
        affil: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, 11 Salisbury Rd, Ipswich, QLD, 4305, Australia
      sug:
        subj:
          Students, Nursing, Baccalaureate Psychosocial Factors
          Student Experiences Evaluation
          Student Attitudes Evaluation
          Artificial Intelligence, Generative Utilization
          Artificial Intelligence, Generative Ethical Issues
          Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate
          Learning Methods
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Human
          Female
          Male
          Focus Groups
          Qualitative Studies
          Outcomes of Education
          Computer Literacy
          Digital Technology
          Descriptive Research
          Descriptive Statistics
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Academic Performance
          Thematic Analysis
          Confusion
          Skill Acquisition
          Reliability Evaluation
          Uncertainty
          Communication Skills
          Misinformation
          Deep Learning
          Female
          Male
      ab: To explore how first-year nursing students engaged with ChatGPT during an assessment task, and to understand the experiences, challenges, and perceptions they reported regarding its use in academic work. As artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT reshape higher education, new opportunities and ethical tensions emerge in how students learn. Rather than simply adopting AI as a shortcut, there is an urgent need to guide students toward learning with AI critically, ethically, and creatively within assessment practices. Despite the growing use of AI, limited research has examined how structured integration into undergraduate education influences learning outcomes, digital literacy, and academic integrity. A qualitative descriptive study investigated the ethical and pedagogical implications of integrating ChatGPT into a first-year undergraduate nursing assessment. Focus groups were conducted with 48 first-year nursing students following their use of ChatGPT in an assessment task. Semi-structured questions explored students' experiences, challenges, and perceptions of ChatGPT's role in their academic development. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis, supported by the AI tool CoPilot for coding rigour. The analysis identified six themes: initial confusion, developing skills, evaluating reliability, negotiating academic integrity, recognising future benefits, and valuing support. Students initially experienced uncertainty, particularly around ethical use and institutional messaging. Many developed critical engagement skills, using ChatGPT to improve writing clarity, language proficiency, and idea generation. However, tensions remained between the benefits of AI support and concerns about dependency, misinformation, and digital inequities. Structured, ethical engagement with ChatGPT can foster critical literacy, digital fluency, and deeper learning outcomes in undergraduate education. To fully realise AI's potential, institutions must develop coherent policies, embed AI literacy into curriculum design, and provide targeted support for educators and students. Learning with AI, rather than passively relying on it, is essential for preparing graduates to thrive in an AI-integrated future. • ChatGPT integration fostered critical, ethical engagement in first-year nursing students. • Structured AI use enhanced writing clarity, digital literacy, and idea generation. • Students valued support and clear guidelines to navigate ethical AI use in assessment. • Institutional inconsistency created confusion around responsible AI engagement. • Embedding AI literacy prepares nursing graduates for future AI-driven healthcare roles.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N