Graduate Students at the Frontier of GenAI: Emerging Trends from a Southwest Borderland University.
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| Title: | Graduate Students at the Frontier of GenAI: Emerging Trends from a Southwest Borderland University. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Parra, Julia1, Chatterjee, Suparna1, Okoye, Eché1, Lucero, Leanna1 |
| Source: | Online Learning. Jun2026, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p153-179. 27p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Generative artificial intelligence, *Graduate students, *Higher education, *Education ethics, *Educational technology, *Government policy, Ethics, Innovation adoption |
| Abstract: | The rapid emergence of generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping higher education, offering both opportunities and challenges. In this context, graduate students are a critical population for examining adoption as they tend to experience both advanced academic work and professional preparation. This study explored graduate students’ awareness, uses, perceptions, and future intentions regarding GenAI within the context of taking one or more educational technology courses at a southwest borderland university. A qualitative descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected via an online survey (N = 24) including multiple choice, Likert-scale, and open-ended items. Connectivism served as the primary theoretical perspective, with the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Stages of Concern providing a complementary framework for interpreting adoption patterns. Findings indicated that students moved from limited prior exposure to more deliberate integration of GenAI. Three key thematic trends emerged: (1) promise, productivity, and partnership, where GenAI was framed as a collaborative partnership that augments rather than replaces human agency; (2) boundaries and ethics, including strong concerns about academic integrity, accuracy, equity, and over-reliance; and (3) navigating uncertainty, marked by inconsistent institutional policies and disciplinespecific variation. Overall, graduate students are navigating GenAI adoption with enthusiasm tempered by boundary consciousness. They viewed GenAI literacy as increasingly essential for academic and career competitiveness yet stressed the importance of policies and practices that emphasize appropriate augmentation, ethics, and equity in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Online Learning is the property of Online Learning Consortium and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 194761190 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=194761190 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.24059/olj.v30i2.5529 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 27 StartPage: 153 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Generative artificial intelligence Type: general – SubjectFull: Graduate students Type: general – SubjectFull: Higher education Type: general – SubjectFull: Education ethics Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational technology Type: general – SubjectFull: Government policy Type: general – SubjectFull: Ethics Type: general – SubjectFull: Innovation adoption Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Graduate Students at the Frontier of GenAI: Emerging Trends from a Southwest Borderland University. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Parra, Julia – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chatterjee, Suparna – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Okoye, Eché – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lucero, Leanna IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Text: Jun2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 24725749 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 30 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Online Learning Type: main |
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