Original title: Students’ Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence Tools for Study Productivity and Learning: An Exploratory Survey Study
Alimat-Adeyemo Oladosu · August 2026
Students now use generative artificial intelligenceAI that creates new content—like text, images, or code—rather than just sorting or analyzing existing data. tools for study help, such as getting explanations, summaries, and feedback. Researchers wanted to know how these tools affect study speed and learning. They ran an anonymous online questionnaire asking people about their habits, study time, comprehension, and concerns. Students use these tools by asking them to retrieve information and assist with school tasks. Most participants reported that they use artificial intelligence for their studies. Many felt that these tools helped them finish assignments faster and improved their understanding of school subjects. However, respondents also worried about serious downsides. They noted risks like relying too much on the tools, thinking less critically, putting in less independent effort, getting inaccurate information, and academic dishonesty. Overall, students see both real benefits and distinct risks when using these study tools.
Imagine getting homework help from a friend who always has the answer. You finish faster and feel like you understand, but after a while you notice you reach for the friend before trying on your own. That is exactly the pattern students described when researchers asked them about AI study tools. In this paper, the friend is the AI assistant, and the students' mixed feelings about depending on it are the survey responses.
Students are already using generative AI to study, and most believe it saves time and deepens understanding. But they also worry it encourages overreliance and weakens critical thinking. That tension matters for teachers deciding how to design assignments and for students trying to use AI without outsourcing their own learning.
The study uses a small, non-probability sample (26 responses, 23 from current students) and relies entirely on self-reported perceptions, so it cannot establish causal effects of AI use on learning or productivity. Findings are exploratory and may not generalize to students broadly.
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Students’ Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence Tools for Study Productivity and Learning: An Exploratory Survey Study — Alimat-Adeyemo Oladosu — EdArXiv — doi:10.35542/osf.io/ur5w8_v1
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper. This is a preprint, so it hasn't necessarily been peer reviewed.