Abstract:
Since its launch, ChatGPT has gained popularity and is widely used by
university students. The tool has both positive and negative effects on students'
education. In other words, it contributes to either the building or destruction of
education.This study was conducted to ascertain university students’
perceptions of whether ChatGPT is building or destroying their education. A
cross-sectional research design was employed, in which data were collected
from 200 randomly selected students from two Tanzanian Universities. The
collected data was analysed using SPSS, in which frequencies, means, and
standard deviation (SD) facilitated descriptions of various aspects of the study.
Results showed that the majority of university students in the study area
(around 81.5%) were using ChatGPT for a variety of reasons, including helping
them prepare for exams, undertaking assignments, and writing research
proposals and reports. Although there are negative impacts, such as reducing
academic integrity and diminishing critical thinking, it was established that if
ChatGPT is used cleverly, it stands to build rather than destroy education. Thus,
this study recommends that universities should consider formulating and
operationalizing respective policies and guidelines, as detailed further in the
document. The study, therefore, delivers more clarity on the nexus between the
use of ChatGPT and University education endeavours.
