Teaching with AI in Mind

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into higher education has urged a critical reassessment of both student workflows and pedagogical strategies. This study investigates how engineering students use AI tools and how such technologies can be integrated pedagogically within English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. The research draws on a survey of 250 first- and second-year students from several faculties at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, examining patterns of AI use, motivations and students’ perceptions of ethical boundaries. Building on these findings, the study advances a series of classroom activities that incorporate AI as a pedagogical tool, including hybrid text analysis, prompt engineering, hallucination detection and iterative feedback exercises. The findings emphasise that AI’s educational value lies not in replacing student effort but rather in guiding reflective, process-oriented learning, shifting assessment from product-oriented outcomes toward process-oriented engagement.