Critical Thinking with AI: Navigating ChatGPT in Engineering Education

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in educational settings presents both opportunities and challenges. This teaching innovation project presents a practical example of how generative AI-Tools (here ChatGPT) can be integrated into a Physics course in engineering education at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) School of Engineering (SoE). Specifically, it first assesses how engineering students utilize generative AI-Tools in their daily work. Then, it explores how such a project can be used to improve the AI Literacy of the students, aiming to also boost students' critical thinking and evaluative judgement capabilities while using such tools. Students are asked to use and reflect upon ChatGPT in a lab session from the module "Physical Principles of Sensor Technology " in the third semester of the BSc Data Science program. The project is designed to encourage and guide students' use of AI technologies, promoting critical engagement in the context of their studies. It employs a mixed-methods approach to gather insights into students' perceptions and experiences with ChatGPT. The outcomes highlight a generally positive reception towards AI-Tools, being utilized for various academic tasks, including programming, data analysis, and general academic support. Challenges identified include the reliability and accuracy of AI-generated content, the development of effective prompts, and the need for guidance of critical evaluation of AI-provided information. The project s findings are summarised in a best practice guideline designed to support future students and to enhance the discourse on the use of AI tools at the School of Engineering.