The growing availability of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is reshaping teaching and learning practices in Higher Education, particularly in quantitatively demanding subjects such as Statistics. This classroom-based pedagogical experience was conducted within a Master’s programme in Digital Marketing, aimed at exploring the role of AI as a support tool in the development of statistical reasoning. The activity was organized in two sequential phases. In the first phase, students, most of whom had limited prior exposure to statistics, used ChatGPT or Julius AI to analyse a dataset generated from their own class context. This initial stage revealed both the accessibility afforded by AI tools and the risks associated with uncritical reliance on AI-generated interpretations in the absence of conceptual grounding. In the second phase, students received formal instruction on fundamental statistical concepts. Equipped with this theoretical framework, students revisited the dataset using AI as a complementary analytical resource. Comparative analysis between the two phases demonstrated significant improvements in interpretation accuracy, analytical depth, and critical engagement with results. The findings highlight the importance of integrating AI tools within structured pedagogical designs that prioritize foundational knowledge, positioning generative AI as an enhancer, rather than a substitute, of statistical learning.

Authors:
Helena Sofia Rodrigues, ADiT-Lab, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Portugal

About the Presenter(s)
Helena Sofia Rodrigues is an Adjunct Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo. Her interests include statistics education and AI in Higher Education. She is currently involved in the pedagogical project EPIC.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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