The critical role of structured training in GenAI adoption: a longitudinal case study on student perceptions and skills development

Abstract

This study underscores the indispensable role of structured training programs in equipping students with the necessary skills and awareness to effectively and ethically utilize Generative AI (GenAI) technologies. Unlike most studies that primarily examine short-term effects, this research adopts a longitudinal perspective, exploring both the immediate and sustained impacts of GenAI training. With the rapid proliferation of GenAI tools, students increasingly engage with these technologies without sufficient understanding, raising concerns about their uninformed and sometimes problematic use. Addressing this gap, our study investigates how formal GenAI education can foster responsible, informed, and skillful engagement with AI technologies. This research evaluates students’ perceptions and technical competencies before, immediately after, and six months following a structured, two-week training program conducted with a group of undergraduate students. Utilizing semi-structured interviews and structured observations, the findings reveal a marked increase in students’ competence, confidence, and motivation towards GenAI technologies post-training. Moreover, six months later, while proficiency remained high, students demonstrated a more refined and realistic understanding of GenAI’s role and ethical implications. These findings highlight the necessity of integrating formal GenAI training into academic curricula to ensure students not only adopt these technologies effectively but also develop critical digital literacy and ethical awareness for long-term engagement in academic and professional settings.