QQI Generative Artificial Intelligence Survey Report 2025


Source

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), August 2025

Summary

This national survey captures the views of 1,229 staff and 1,005 learners across Ireland’s further, higher, and English language education sectors on their knowledge, use, and perceptions of generative AI (GenAI). The report reveals growing engagement with GenAI but also wide disparities in understanding, policy, and preparedness. Most respondents recognise AI’s transformative impact but remain uncertain about its role in assessment, academic integrity, and employability.

While over 80% of staff and learners believe GenAI will significantly change education and work over the next five years, few feel equipped to respond. Only 20% of staff and 14% of learners report access to GenAI training. Policies are inconsistent or absent, with most institutions leaving decisions on use to individual educators. Both staff and learners support transparent, declared use of GenAI but express concerns about bias, overreliance, loss of essential skills, and declining trust in qualifications. Respondents call for coherent national and institutional policies, professional development, and curriculum reform that balances innovation with integrity.

Key Points

  • 82% of respondents expect GenAI to transform learning and work within five years.
  • 63% of staff and 36% of learners believe GenAI literacy should be explicitly taught.
  • Fewer than one in five institutions currently provide structured GenAI training.
  • Policies on GenAI use are inconsistent, unclear, or absent in most institutions.
  • Over half of respondents fear skill erosion and reduced academic trust from AI use.
  • 70% of staff say assessment rules for GenAI lack clarity or consistency.
  • 83% of learners believe GenAI will change how they are assessed.
  • Staff and learners call for transparent declaration of GenAI use in assignments.
  • 61% of staff feel learners are unprepared to use GenAI responsibly in the workplace.
  • Respondents emphasise ethical governance, inclusion, and sustainable AI adoption.

Conclusion

The survey highlights a critical moment for Irish education: generative AI is already influencing learning and work, yet systems for policy, training, and ethics are lagging behind. To maintain public trust and educational relevance, QQI recommends a coordinated national response centred on transparency, AI literacy, and values-led governance that equips both learners and educators for an AI-driven future.

Keywords

URL

https://www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2025-08/generative-artificial-intelligence-survey-report-2025.pdf

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5


New Horizons for Higher Education: Teaching and Learning with Generative AI


Source

N-TUTORR National Digital Leadership Network (NDLN) – Professor Mairéad Pratschke

Summary

This report examines how generative AI (GAI) is transforming higher education, presenting both opportunities and risks. It highlights three main areas: the impact of GAI on current teaching, assessment, and learner-centred practice; the development of emerging AI pedagogy, international best practice, and early research findings; and the broader context of digital transformation, regulation, and future skills. The analysis stresses that while GAI can enhance accessibility, personalisation, and engagement, it also raises critical concerns around academic integrity, bias, equity, and sustainability.

The report positions GAI as a general-purpose technology akin to the internet or electricity, reshaping the nature of knowledge and collaboration in higher education. It calls for institutional leaders to align AI adoption with sectoral values such as inclusion, integrity, and social responsibility, while also addressing infrastructure gaps, staff training, and regulatory compliance. To be effective, GAI use must be pedagogically aligned, ethically grounded, and strategically supported. The future success of higher education depends on preparing students not just to use AI, but to work with it critically, creatively, and responsibly.

Key Points

  • GAI challenges academic integrity but also enables personalised learning at scale.
  • Pedagogical alignment is essential: AI must support, not replace, learning processes.
  • Early research warns of overreliance and “cognitive offloading” without human oversight.
  • AI can widen inequities unless digital equity and inclusion are prioritised.
  • Institutional strategy must balance efficiency with effectiveness in learning design.
  • National and EU regulation (e.g., AI Act) set high standards for responsible AI use.
  • Frontier AI models offer powerful capabilities but raise issues of bias and safety.
  • Educators increasingly take on roles as AI tool designers and facilitators.
  • Collaboration with industry is crucial for future career alignment and skills.
  • Sustained investment in infrastructure, training, and AI literacy is required.

Conclusion

Generative AI represents a transformative force in higher education. Its integration offers significant potential to augment human learning and expand access, but only if guided by values-led leadership, pedagogical rigour, and robust governance. Institutions must act strategically, embedding AI literacy and ethical practice to ensure that this “new horizon” supports both student success and the future sustainability of higher education.

Keywords

URL

https://www.ndln.ie/teaching-and-learning-with-generative-ai

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5