Exploring Generative AI in Learning: Neurodivergent and Disabled Students’ Voices in Higher Education
摘要
In recent years, the number of neurodivergent and disabled students enrolled in universities in the UK has increased. These students often face challenges related to cognitive processing, self-regulation, and social acceptance. Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots have gained significant attention and show potential to offer personalised support to these students. Despite this growing focus on GenAI, the perspectives of disabled and neurodivergent students remain largely overlooked. This paper amplifies the voice of these students through a survey in one of the largest UK universities. It explores the way they perceive and use GenAI to support their studies, and how GenAI complements the institutional support that they can receive. We develop a framework based on information processing theory for analysing open-ended questions of the survey. The analysis confirmed the biggest challenges faced by these students and their primary concerns about GenAI.