Making AI Generative for Higher Education
Led through the Division of Digital Strategy and Innovation, UNT’s first collaboration with Ithaka S+R investigated faculty and researcher adoption of AI related to teaching, learning, and research as well as exploring resource needs in spring of 2024. The cohort found that 54% of UNT faculty reported moderate to advanced familiarity with GenAI. At the time of the study, faculty were exploring use of AI surrounding tasks related to teaching and using GenAI to support creative and research activities. Faculty expressed concerns regarding the applicability of GenAI within their disciplines and the ethical implications of using AI. Participants also reported needs for more training, professional development, and increased access to AI tools. For more information on the aggregated results of all cohort participants, access Ithaka’s published a final report.
Defining AI Literacy
A UNT Libraries cohort joined Ithaka S+R again to explore faculty and student perceptions of AI in their personal and academic lives. The UNT group conducted 25 interviews of students and faculty in the spring of 2026. Ithaka is currently analyzing the data, which will be reported in the aggregate. Initial findings revealed several predominant themes. Faculty show concerns about cognitive offloading and students’ ability to effectively evaluate AI outputs, citing a need for scaffolded AI literacy across the curriculum. Results indicate confusion in understanding how AI works and participants report a need for top-down guidance from the university. Results will be published after further analysis. Researchers from the UNT Libraries will continue to analyze local data through a University Libraries Research and Innovation Grant, Defining AI Literacy at UNT: Phase 2 Grounded Theory Analysis and Methodological Comparison Using NVivo.
AI in Action
Starting in May 2026, the UNT Libraries rejoined Ithaka S+R to investigate how AI can contribute to streamlining Library workflows in the AI in Action study. Each cohort will “explore, test, and assess” AI tools to improve library processes. Cohorts will take care to test tools transparently and ethically. At the end of the studies, institutions will share actionable results with the full cohort. Researchers are currently investigating AI resources and workflow enhancement needs at the institutions of the participating cohorts.
