Artificial Intelligence Applications and Inclusive Curriculum Practices among Undergraduates in Public Universities in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated artificial intelligence applications and inclusive curriculum practices among undergraduates in public universities in South-East Nigeria. Five research questions guided the study. A correlational survey design was adopted for the study. The study was carried out in South-East Nigeria, comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States. The population comprised undergraduate students in public universities in the zone, while University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike were purposively selected for the study because they are established public universities with large and diverse undergraduate populations and broad academic programmes that provided suitable settings for examining artificial intelligence applications and inclusive curriculum practices. The population of the study comprised 56,028 undergraduates distributed across the public universities in South-East Nigeria, from which a sample of 397 undergraduates was determined using Taro Yamane's formula. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled: Artificial Intelligence Applications and Inclusive Curriculum Questionnaire (AIAICQ). The instrument was face-validated by senior experts in the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The overall reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.82, established using an appropriate reliability procedure. The instrument was administered to the respondents and the completed copies were retrieved for analysis. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, with a mean benchmark of 2.50 used as the decision rule; mean scores of 2.50 and above were interpreted as High Extent, while mean scores below 2.50 were interpreted as Low Extent. The findings revealed that artificial intelligence applications supported learner-centred teaching, personalized learning, flexible assessment, collaborative learning, and accessible learning resources to a high extent among undergraduates. The study concluded that artificial intelligence applications had considerable potential for strengthening inclusive curriculum practices in public universities. The study recommended among others that public universities should integrate appropriate artificial intelligence applications into teaching and learning while providing adequate digital infrastructure, training and institutional support.