Hybridization of Academic Practices. Generative AI and Digital Reading in the University

Uso de Inteligencia Artificial Generativa y prácticas de lectura digital en la Universidad

Abstract

This article stems from a qualitative research study, with an interpretive approach and grounded in Grounded Theory, that explores digital academic reading practices and the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) among university students. The study acknowledges the impact of these technologies on cognitive processing, the construction of meaning, and seeks to understand the meanings and social representations that subjects construct around these tools and practices.

The research followed an inductive logic, using in-depth semi-structured interviews and flexible questionnaires to explore students’ experiences.

For the present paper, a specific case study was selected: a medical student who carries out her academic readings exclusively in digital format and uses GenAI as a tool for task simplification, review, and obtaining explanations. Her academic uses also include preparing for multiple-choice exams, training for oral presentations, and simulating clinical interrogations with GenAI—identified as a novel finding of the study.

The cited case exemplifies innovative and self-directed study strategies in which GenAI emerges as a valuable academic support, whose effectiveness lies in critical use and precise interaction to optimize university learning.