Evaluating the Impact of Unrestricted GenAI Usage on Experiential-Based Learning

This work examines the usage and experience of students using generative AI (genAl) in a engineering entrepreneurship experiential-based learning course. It utilizes a project-based learning approach, where students are in teams of five. The course takes place over a full academic year, i.e., the fall and spring semesters. One of the aims of the course is to be as realistic as possible within an academic setting, with the students trying to create a new technology-based business, in the hopes that they will continue their ventures after the course concludes. Therefore, the teams were allowed to and encouraged to use any genAI they wish throughout the course to assist them. Outside of academia, it would be expected that a start-up founder would use genAl to speed up many aspects of starting their business. Therefore, we want to examine how the students use genAI without there being any constraints. As part of the summative assessment for the course each student peer assesses the members of their team. Included within that they also “peer assess” genAI as though it were another team member, which is a critical reflection of their genAI usage. This work addresses how students use genAI, in experiential-based learning courses when they are allowed to use it any way possible to assist them. The study uses a quantitative and qualitative approach with student data from their “peer assessment” (i.e., critical reflection) of their genAI usage from the academic year 2023/24. Within the peer assessment of the genAI team member the students answer Likert-scale statements to be rated on a five-point semantic differential scale. The results indicate a varied adoption and value of genAI across different project phases. While some students appreciated genAI for speeding up specific tasks, its contribution to creative processes like ideation was less impactful.