Understanding the Generative AI Divide: Faculty and Student Perspectives in Higher Education

Authors

  • Christine DeStefano
  • Joshua Hackney
  • Patsy Moskal University of Central Florida

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v30i2.5911

Keywords:

Generative AI, higher education, faculty development, student learning, educational policy, artificial intelligence

Abstract

As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools rapidly transform educational landscapes, higher education institutions face the critical challenge of developing effective policies and guidelines for their integration. However, little empirical research has examined actual GenAI usage patterns, perceptions, knowledge assessments, and training needs among faculty and students in U.S. universities. This study presents findings from a comprehensive survey of 3,164 students and 166 faculty members at a large R1 university in the southeastern United States. Results indicate that while 88% of students are familiar with GenAI concepts, only about a quarter currently use these tools for academic work, and 76% have received no formal classroom instruction on their use. Faculty demonstrate comparable familiarity but report substantial support needs, including assistance with AI-resistant assessments and effective integration strategies. The findings highlight a “familiarity-usage paradox” and underscore the need for institutional policies, faculty development, and clearer guidance to support effective and ethical GenAI integration in higher education.

Author Biography

Patsy Moskal, University of Central Florida

Patsy D. Moskal is the Director of Digital Learning Impact Evaluation for the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Since 1996, she has served as the liaison for faculty research of distributed learning and teaching effectiveness at UCF. Patsy specializes in statistics, graphics, program evaluation, and applied data analysis. She has extensive experience in research methods including survey development, interviewing, and conducting focus groups and frequently serves as an evaluation consultant to school districts, and industry and government organizations. She has also served as a co-principal investigator on grants including the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Gates-Foundation-funded Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC). She frequently serves as a reviewer for conferences and journals and also for Department of Education and National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR proposals. Patsy has co-authored numerous articles and chapters on blended and online learning and frequently presents on these topics. In 2011 she was named a Sloan-C Fellow “In recognition of her groundbreaking work in the assessment of the impact and efficacy of online and blended learning. Patsy's most recent book, with co-authors, Dziuban, Picciano and Graham, Conducting research in online and blended learning environments: New pedagogical frontiers was published in 2015.

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Published

2026-06-01

How to Cite

Christine DeStefano, Joshua Hackney, & Moskal, P. (2026). Understanding the Generative AI Divide: Faculty and Student Perspectives in Higher Education. Online Learning, 30(2), 31–48. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v30i2.5911

Issue

Vol. 30 No. 2 (2026): Online Learning

Section

Higher Education in an AI-Transformed World

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Copyright (c) 2026 Patsy Moskal; Christine DeStefano, Joshua Hackney

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