Impact of Generative AI on University Students' Learning Processes and Critical Thinking (AI-Critical)

August 8, 2026 updated by: Mahmut Coban, Ataturk University

An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Generative Artificial Intelligence-Supported Learning on University Students' Academic Success, Learning Efficiency, and Critical Thinking Skills

This study is a randomized, controlled trial with a pre-test/post-test design, conducted to determine the effects of Generative AI (GenAI)-supported learning on academic achievement, learning efficiency, and critical thinking within a university setting. The study population consists of students from the Dialysis Program at Bingöl University's Vocational School of Health Services; the sample comprises 100 volunteer students who met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=50) or a control group (n=50). The experimental group will participate in a "Generative AI-Supported Learning Program" over the course of one month-meeting two days a week for a total of eight 60-minute sessions-covering topics ranging from effective prompting techniques to case analysis and academic ethics; meanwhile, the control group will continue with their routine educational activities. Data will be collected using a Demographic Information Form, the Academic Achievement Inventory, the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale, and the Artificial Intelligence Dependency Scale, and will be analyzed using biostatistical methods (t-tests, ANCOVA, and effect size calculations).

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Study Design and Methodology Type of Study: This study will be conducted as a randomized experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group to determine the impact of generative artificial intelligence-assisted learning on university students' academic achievement, learning efficiency, and critical thinking skills.

Setting and Time of Study: The study will be carried out with students enrolled in the Dialysis Program at Bingöl University Vocational School of Health Services. It is planned to be completed within approximately one month following the receipt of institutional permissions and approval from the Ethics Committee.

Population and Sample: The population of the study will consist of students studying in the Dialysis Program at Bingöl University Vocational School of Health Services. The sample will comprise a total of 100 students who voluntarily agree to participate in the study. Participants will be divided into two equal groups-50 in the experimental group and 50 in the control group-using a computer-assisted simple random randomization method.

Data Collection Tools: Demographic Information Form: Developed by the researchers in line with the literature, this form will be used to determine the sociodemographic and educational characteristics of the students. It will consist of approximately 10-15 items covering age, gender, grade level, cumulative grade point average (CGPA), daily internet usage time, generative AI usage status, frequency of use, purpose of use, and prior AI training.

Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS): Originally developed by Prevatt, Roberson, and Peterson (2011) as the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS) to evaluate university students' behaviors, efforts, and performance perceptions related to academic success. The Turkish adaptation, validity, and reliability study was conducted by Orçanlı, Bekmezci, and Boztoprak (2021). In the adaptation study, confirmatory factor analysis for the first-order multi-factor model demonstrated good fit indices . The overall Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was reported as 0.937, indicating high internal reliability. Higher scores on this Likert-type scale indicate higher levels of academic achievement.

Disposition Towards Critical Thinking Scale: Based on the "Disposition Towards Critical Thinking" model developed by Facione and Facione, this widely recognized international tool was adapted into Turkish by Hülya Ertaş Kılıç and Ahmet İlhan Şen. In the Turkish validity and reliability study, the five-factor structure (Analysis, Open-Mindedness, Inquisitiveness, Systematization, Cognitive Maturity/Self-Confidence) showed good fit indices, and the overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged between 0.85 and 0.95. Responses are recorded on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = "Strongly Disagree" to 5 = "Strongly Agree"), where higher overall scores indicate a greater disposition toward critical thinking.

Dependence on Artificial Intelligence Scale: Developed globally by Morales-García et al. (2024) as the Dependence on Artificial Intelligence Scale to measure AI addiction behaviors among college students, its Turkish adaptation was performed by Buğra Çağatay Savaş (2024). Confirmatory factor analysis for the single-factor structure revealed excellent fit indices and an overall Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient of 0.937. The Likert-type scale will be administered as a pretest and posttest in both groups to evaluate changes in students' AI dependence levels resulting from generative AI-assisted learning applications.

Study Implementation After obtaining written informed consent from participating students, randomization into experimental and control groups will be performed. At baseline, both groups will complete:Demographic Information FormAcademic Achievement Assessment ToolsMotivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) / Disposition Towards Critical Thinking Scale.

The experimental group will undergo a Generative AI-Assisted Learning Program developed by the researchers.

Duration: 1 month Frequency: 2 days per week (Total of 8 sessions) Session Length: Approximately 60 minutes each Intervention Materials: Educational booklets, instructor presentations, implementation guides, prompt engineering handbooks, worksheets, and infographics.

Session Outline:

Session 1: Introduction to Generative AI Technologies Session 2: Effective Prompt Engineering Techniques Session 3: AI-Assisted Study Methods Session 4: Content Summarization and Knowledge Organization Session 5: Question Generation and Exam Preparation with AI Session 6: Case Analysis and Clinical Problem-Solving Applications Session 7: Critical Evaluation of AI Outputs and Academic Integrity Session 8: Practical Synthesis, Overall Evaluation, and Feedback Students in the control group will continue their standard curriculum without receiving any educational intervention. Upon completing the one-month period, all posttests will be re-administered to both groups.

Data Analysis:Data will be analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software with support from a biostatistics consultant. Initial procedures will include data cleaning, missing value checks, outlier analysis, data coding, and assessing suitability for parametric testing.Statistical Methods to be Applied:Descriptive Statistics: Mean, standard deviation, median, minimum-maximum, frequencies, and percentages.Normality & Homogeneity Tests: Shapiro-Wilk test and Levene's test for equality of variances.Comparative Inferential Tests: Chi-square test, Independent Samples t-test, Paired Samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test.Advanced & Covariate Analysis: Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) for repeated measures and multiple linear regression models if indicated.Effect Size & Reliability: Cohen's d, Partial Eta Squared , and Cronbach's alpha internal consistency analysis.All statistical tables, figures, and reporting will strictly follow scientific publication standards. The threshold for statistical significance will be set at p < 0.05.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being an active undergraduate student enrolled in the university program/course during the study period
  • Willingness to voluntarily participate in the study and providing written informed consent
  • Having regular access to a digital device (e.g., smartphone, laptop, tablet) and an internet connection
  • Basic digital literacy to use educational software and AI tools
  • Agreeing to complete all course activities, pre-tests, and post-test

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior formal or advanced training in generative AI tools (e.g., prompt engineering certification)
  • Transfer students or students repeating the course who have prior experience with the course material
  • Having cognitive, visual, or physical impairments that prevent participation in online learning or completing evaluation surveys
  • Unwillingness to participate in the study or withdrawing consent at any stage
  • Missing more than 20% of the course sessions or failing to complete the outcome assessment tools (pre-test/post-test)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Generative AI-Supported Education
Participants in the intervention group will receive a 4-week generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-supported educational program integrated into the course curriculum. Students will use generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to support learning course content, develop study materials, solve subject-specific problems, access information, and enhance critical thinking skills under structured guidance and educational instructions provided by the researchers. The intervention will be delivered in 8 sessions over 4 weeks, with two sessions per week.
Behavioral: Behavioral
Participants in the intervention group will receive a 4-week generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-supported educational program integrated into the course curriculum. Students will use generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to support learning course content, develop study materials, solve subject-specific problems, access information, and enhance critical thinking skills under structured guidance and educational instructions provided by the researchers. The intervention will be delivered in 8 sessions over 4 weeks, with two sessions per week.
No Intervention: Standard Education
Participants in the control group will continue to receive the standard/traditional educational program for 4 weeks. No study-specific training, guidance, or structured intervention regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence tools will be provided. The course content, curriculum, educational duration, and assessment methods will be the same as those of the intervention group; however, generative AI-supported learning activities will not be implemented.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Academic Achievement
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and immediately after the intervention (Week 4)
Academic success will be assessed using the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS), developed by Prevatt et al. (2011) and adapted into Turkish by Orçanlı, Bekmezci, and Boztoprak (2021). The Turkish version consists of 46 items across 9 dimensions. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). Seventeen negatively worded items are reverse scored. The total score ranges from 46 to 322, and the unit of measurement is points. Higher scores indicate a higher level of academic success orientation and academic functioning.
Baseline (Week 0) and immediately after the intervention (Week 4)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Critical Thinking Disposition
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and immediately after the intervention (Week 4)
Critical thinking disposition will be assessed using the University of Florida Engagement, Maturity, and Innovativeness Critical Thinking Disposition Instrument (UF/EMI), developed by Irani et al. (2007) and adapted into Turkish by Ertaş Kılıç and Şen (2014). The Turkish version consists of 25 items across 3 dimensions: Engagement (11 items), Cognitive Maturity (7 items), and Innovativeness (7 items). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). There are no reverse-scored items. The total score ranges from 25 to 125, and the unit of measurement is points. Higher scores indicate a stronger critical thinking disposition.
Baseline (Week 0) and immediately after the intervention (Week 4)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ataturk University

Collaborators

Bingol University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 8, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2026/06-12

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared in order to protect participant confidentiality and privacy, as explicit consent for open data sharing was not obtained from the participants in accordance with institutional ethics board approval and data protection regulations

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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