Dr. Karla Bailey, International Institute of Technology, Education, and Leadership

Dr. Krishna Bista, Morgan State University
Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, Volume 15, Issue 7, 2026

This study examines the factors associated with student acceptance and use of generative AI in higher education, including the distinction between behavioral intention and actual use.

This research-to-practice brief examines what the findings from "Habit Before Utility" may mean for higher education institutions and policymakers. It explains the distinction between students’ intention to use generative AI and their actual use, considers the institutional questions raised by that difference, and identifies areas requiring further inquiry. The brief distinguishes the study’s findings from broader institutional implications and offers a practical foundation for examining student engagement, learning, policy, and institutional response.

Student interest in generative AI does not tell institutions how students are using it, or whether that use supports learning. Informed by IITEL-affiliated peer-reviewed research, the Beyond Adoption Integration Guide helps higher education teams apply this distinction within their own institutional context. Teams examine local evidence, separate documented student practices from assumptions, identify what is known and not yet known about learning, and assess whether current policies, guidance, and supports reflect the evidence. The guide does not prescribe a single approach to integration. It helps institutions develop a documented determination and identify practical next steps: what to retain, revise, investigate, pilot with safeguards, or reconsider.