A Design-Based Research Approach to What Distance Learners Expect and Value from an Institutional AI Digital Assistant

The rapid evolution of Generative AI (Gen AI) and its integration into higher education necessitates a critical evaluation of teaching and learning practices. Many students already use publicly available AI Digital Assistants (p-AIDA) such as ChatGPT for academic purposes. However, there are concerns around the use of such p-AIDA tools, in particular in terms of data privacy, academic integrity, Intellectual Property (IP), and the impact on the quality of education. We therefore explored the perspectives of AI usage with 106 students in two consecutive studies using a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach. Study 1 explored the lived experiences a demoed prototype of an institutional AI Digital Assistant (i-AIDA) with ten distance learning students. Building on these findings, in Study 2 the preliminary results were validated with a cohort of 96 students using an online survey on whether the development of an i-AIDA might mitigate some of these concerns. By comparing i-AIDA with p-AIDA in two studies our research underscores the potential benefits and limitations of in-house Gen AI tools in enhancing learning experiences without compromising academic integrity, IP or privacy.