Cogent Education

Artificial Intelligence and Higher Education Curriculum – From “No” to “How?”

Two recent publications warrant our attention as faculty on the use of generative AI as faculty and curricular specialists. Both indicate that we, as educators, need to educate ourselves on how to use AI in our courses and then develop innovate curricula around its use.

Goldberg et al (2024) in one of the few research studies conducted with students around their perceptions of AI found that the students felt that AI would play a significant role in their futures, although this finding differed by disciplines. Yet students were concerned about the directions that they were provided about the use of AI within the curriculum and the allegations of plagiarism. Students also expressed concerns around the increasing technological gap between students and teachers, fearing this could detrimentally impact the student-teacher relationship.

A recent New York Magazine piece (2025), entitled “Everyone is Cheating Their Way Through College,” begins with the experience of one student at an Ivy League university who in his interview states that he used ChatGPT to generate many of his assignments. The article goes on to focus on cheating and AI and how to stop its use and includes concerns about intellectual growth.

Employers are looking for graduates who are comfortable with a range of technologies including AI. Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in a variety of industries and workplaces. Add to this the increasing demand in higher education for career readiness and we are left with a call to action. (Meyer et al, 2025)

We need to stop saying “no” and start saying “how.”

This Collection will focus on the integration of AI in the curriculum. From individual assignments, to courses, to programmatic initiatives these articles will provide examples of how innovative educators across disciplines are incorporating AI into their classrooms. In this way, critical thinking continues, “cheating” is diminished, career skills are enhanced, and student success increases.

We welcome a wide array of research papers from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to:

• Case Studies, particularly pedagogical examples
• Empirical Research
• Conceptual Works

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member). Please review the journal scope  and author submission instructions  prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 01 May 2026.

Keywords

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Curriculum
3. Pedagogy
4. Career Education
5. Technology

About the Guest Advisor

Dr. Norah P. Shultz is a Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology at San Diego State University.  She is currently the co-PI on a project funded by the California State University’s Chancellor’s Office entitled, AI-Ready Curriculum Overhaul and Redesign (ACORN) Toolkit: A Scalable, Whole-Program Approach to AI Literacy Integration. For the past two decades her scholarly work has been in the sociology of higher education, in topics such as the relationship of multiculturalism and internationalization in global curricula, general education, leading change in higher education, diversity, equity and inclusion and student success. She is the editor of Revising the Curriculum and Co-Curriculum to Engage Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2024, Routledge) and Co-Editor of Challenges of Multicultural Education: Teaching & Taking Diversity Courses. (2015, Routledge).

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Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Dr. Shultz does not have any Conflicts of Interest to disclose.