Students who used AI were happier in class, UMass study finds
A new University of Massachusetts-Amherst study found that college students who were allowed to use artificial intelligence for a course were happier and more engaged in class than those who couldn't, though it didn't necessarily lead to better grades.
The study involved two economics classes that had the same assignments, lectures and exams. UMass said one class was encouraged to use AI tools like ChatGPT "with structured guidance and disclosure requirements," while the other was banned from using AI.
There was "no measurable effect" on test scores and grades, the study found, but those who were allowed to use AI "consistently reported higher satisfaction." Those students participated more in class and even found they preferred their own answers over ones that come from AI.
The study concludes that AI helped students achieve "'the same for less,' primarily by reallocating effort and deepening the thought process rather than by boosting test performance."
"It's not that AI helped students learn more—it helped them learn more efficiently and confidently," study leader and economic professor Christian Rojas said in a statement.
Students in the class that used AI were also far more likely to say they might pursue a career with an intensive AI focus.
Massachusetts K-12 schools are currently working to identify the benefits of students using AI. Rojas said AI in the classroom can work if students are given explicit instructions about how to use it and disclose how it helped them.
"There's an opportunity for instructors to be more open about AI usage. Letting students engage with it just creates a different environment," he said. "It's been super impactful for me and the way I think about teaching."