A review of the application of artificial intelligence in South African Higher Education

Abstract

The unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant shift in the operations of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), indicating the disruptive influence of technological innovations. This paper delves into the implications of such advancements within the HEI sector, emphasising the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing academic performance and student learning outcomes. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), 20 empirical studies on AI published between 2016 and 2022 are examined, systematically presented, and discussed. The article draws critical lessons about the role of AI in South African HEIs. A core finding is that the advent of AI has revolutionised the learning environment through intelligent learning, increasing collaborations, promoting active learning, sharing resources, delivering distance education through virtual learning and improving pedagogical systems. The review contributes to AI's growing theory and practice in education and adds to the limited literature on 4IR in the South African HEI sector.