ChatGPT and Generative AI in Educational Ecosystems: Transforming Student Engagement and Ensuring Digital Safety

Introduction

In the digital dawn of the 21st century, the realm of education continues to undergo a seismic shift driven by the persistent advancement of technology. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is among the most groundbreaking technological vanguards, with systems like ChatGPT at the forefront, revolutionizing the educational landscape. These sophisticated AI platforms are collaborative partners in learning, transforming student engagement, and reshaping pedagogy (Schiff, 2023). Over 70% of educators believe that generative AI has the potential to transform education, according to a recent survey by Capgemini Research Institute (2023). This statistic highlights the positive perceptions of generative AI among educators and their belief in its potential to improve student learning.

Integrating AI into education offers opportunities and challenges, such as personalized learning and instantaneous feedback (Lam et al., 2018), as well as ethical concerns (Holmes et al., 2021), data privacy risks, and academic integrity threats (Cotton et al., 2023). Educators must prioritize digital safety to ensure both secure and stimulating learning environments. The extensive and diverse literature on using ChatGPT within educational environments documents its potential to positively and negatively influence teaching and learning practices (Lo, 2023; Grassini, 2023; Adeshola & Adepoju, 2023). For instance, ChatGPT can enhance educational experiences by providing instant, tailored feedback to learners, but it may also inadvertently promote reliance on automated responses at the expense of critical thinking skills. However, this body of research lacks common agreement on how ChatGPT contributes to or detracts from student engagement, a cornerstone for transformative education. The notion of transformative education can be described as “education that (i) is transformative (i.e., the “idea”) in its (ii) process (i.e., the “how”) and (iii) product (i.e., the “what”) in response to (iv) grand challenges (i.e., the “so what”)” (Lim et al., 2023, p. 2).

As we embark on this exploration, it is crucial to recognize the multi-faceted nature of AI’s influence on education. Through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), specifically a Rapid Review, this chapter aims to dissect the nuanced layers of generative AI’s integration into learning environments. It seeks to uncover how generative AI, particularly ChatGPT, is shaping student engagement—transforming it from a passive to an active process, and how educators can leverage this technology to foster a more dynamic form of learning while simultaneously navigating the challenges of digital safety. By synthesizing the current research, we will illuminate the pathways through which AI can enrich education and the safeguards needed to anchor its promise in a foundation of security and trust. The high-level research questions guiding this research are: “How are ChatGPT and generative AI currently utilized in educational ecosystems, and how do they impact teaching and learning processes? What ethical challenges and digital safety concerns are associated with using ChatGPT and generative AI in educational settings, and what strategies can be employed to address them?”

The chapter is organized as follows: We begin by providing background information on Generative AI and its application in education through ChatGPT. This is followed by a description of our methodology, detailing the steps of our rapid review process. We then present our findings, which include the educational applications of ChatGPT, the ethical considerations it raises, and issues of digital safety. The subsequent discussion delves into these findings in greater depth and explores the policy implications. The paper concludes with a summary of the principal outcomes, their educational implications, and a comprehensive list of references.