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VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 (2025)
Generative Artificial Intelligence in digital learning: A literature review of practices, effectiveness, and implementation challenges in higher education
Authors
Ritika Verma
Abstract
The rapid diffusion
of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT into higher
education has generated an extensive but fragmented body of empirical research.
This literature review synthesizes findings from systematic reviews,
meta-analyses, and primary studies published primarily between 2023 and 2026 to
characterize how GenAI is being used in digital learning environments, what
effects it produces on learning outcomes, and what barriers constrain its
productive adoption. Drawing on multiple recent meta-analyses, the review finds
converging evidence that GenAI use is associated with moderate-to-large
positive effects on measured academic performance, with smaller and more
variable effects on self-efficacy, motivation, and mental effort. At the same
time, a growing qualitative and experimental literature documents risks of
cognitive offloading, diminished higher-order reasoning, and superficial
engagement when GenAI is used without structured pedagogical scaffolding. The
review further identifies persistent barriers to implementation, including
uneven digital and AI literacy, unresolved academic integrity concerns,
algorithmic bias, data privacy risks, and unequal infrastructural access that
threatens to widen rather than narrow existing educational inequities. The discussion
argues that the effectiveness of GenAI in digital learning is highly
conditional on instructional design, task type, and institutional support
structures rather than being an intrinsic property of the technology itself.
The review concludes by outlining implications for pedagogy, policy, and future
research, emphasizing the need for longitudinal, discipline-specific, and
equity-focused studies.
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Pages:15-19
How to cite this article:
Ritika Verma "Generative Artificial Intelligence in digital learning: A literature review of practices, effectiveness, and implementation challenges in higher education". International Journal of Current Studies, Vol 1, Issue 1, 2025, Pages 15-19
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