What does this research mean for the field?

Undergraduate awareness and use of ChatGPT for academic assignments, including cheating behaviors such as writing essays, have significantly increased over the semesters following its release. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate longitudinal trends in undergraduate students' awareness, classroom usage, perceptions of appropriateness, and academic cheating behaviors involving ChatGPT over seven semesters.

August 23, 2026Education SciencesOpen Access

ChatGPT Use and Abuse: A 3 Year Look at Undergraduate Perceptions and Usage in the Classroom

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

AEAdelia C. EhrlichUniversity of North Dakota CGChristopher GrovesUniversity of Wisconsin–Oshkosh LTLuke TackeUniversity of Wisconsin–Oshkosh

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Cross-sectional survey reveals rising ChatGPT awareness and cheating behavior in undergraduate students, highlighting growing challenges for academic integrity.

Key Points

To evaluate longitudinal trends in undergraduate students' awareness, classroom usage, perceptions of appropriateness, and academic cheating behaviors involving ChatGPT over seven semesters.
Conducted a cross-sectional survey across seven semesters following the release of ChatGPT.
Sampled undergraduate college students (n = 845) to measure awareness, frequency of generative AI use for coursework, and views on academic appropriateness.
Student awareness of ChatGPT increased rapidly from 58.5% in Spring 2023 to between 81.8% and 100% in subsequent semesters.
Self-reported cheating behavior using ChatGPT increased significantly over the observation period (r = 0.24, p < 0.001).
Overall, 33.9% of students reported using ChatGPT sometimes to always for course assignments, and 12.7% reported using it to generate essays or essay sections.

Cite This Study

Ehrlich et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8aae207677a34114446f0d https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16081341

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Implication

Cross-sectional survey reveals rising ChatGPT awareness and cheating behavior in undergraduate students, highlighting growing challenges for academic integrity.

ChatGPT Use and Abuse: A 3 Year Look at Undergraduate Perceptions and Usage in the Classroom

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

ChatGPT Use and Abuse: A 3 Year Look at Undergraduate Perceptions and Usage in the Classroom

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider