Since the commercial release of ChatGPT in 2022, generative AI has had an undeniable impact on higher education, reshaping student learning methods, prompting concerns regarding academic integrity, and sparking larger questions on teaching and learning. It is therefore vital to understand how instructors are currently using (or not using) generative AI in their classrooms to support teaching.

To gain insight into how instructional practices are evolving, Ithaka S+R fielded the triennial survey of postsecondary faculty with a focus on instruction as well as a section dedicated specifically to generative AI. Today, we publish findings from the survey, with responses from 2,654 college instructors across a wide range of disciplines and institutions—the largest survey on the topic of which we are aware.

The report provides a snapshot of instructional practices two semesters after the dramatic advent of generative AI, and provides compelling evidence that instructors are exploring instructional uses of generative AI in large numbers. It also highlights ongoing uncertainty about how best to use the technology. Our key findings are:

  • The majority of instructors have at least passing familiarity with generative AI tools. But many, especially older instructors, are not confident in their abilities to use them for pedagogical purposes or in their value in educational contexts.
  • A large majority (72 percent) of instructors have experimented with using generative AI as an instructional tool. Yet while instructors are using generative AI in many different ways, no individual use case has become particularly well established.
  • Most instructors want some kind of institutional support to help them integrate generative AI into their courses. But only a minority of them are looking for any specific support service, likely creating a dilemma for those investing in providing such services.
  • Many faculty, especially in the humanities, still prohibit student use of generative AI.

We’re hopeful that results from our survey can guide colleges and universities as they navigate a new technological environment and support faculty, staff, and students in the midst of ongoing change.

This project is part of a larger portfolio of projects on generative AI and its impacts on higher education. If you’re interested in learning more or discussing your institution’s generative AI strategy, please reach out to Dylan Ruediger (Dylan.Ruediger@ithaka.org).