Cultivating Responsible AI Use through Formative Assessment: Insights from ODeL Mathematics Students

This study examined how open distance e-learning (ODeL) mathematics students engage with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools within a formative assessment context, focusing on the extent to which their practices reflect responsible, reflective, and ethically aligned use. Guided by the aim of understanding students’ GenAI literacy and the learning conditions that shape literacy, the study employed a qualitative descriptive design supported by limited quantitative frequency data from an online questionnaire. The three themes that emerged were uneven familiarity with GenAI tools; defensive and strategic paraphrasing behaviours shaped by institutional messaging and assessment pressures; and the role of formative feedback in promoting ethical engagement. While most students showed conceptual awareness of GenAI’s capabilities and limitations, it was confidence levels, not fear of detection, that strongly influenced their practices. These findings highlight the need for assessment designs that foreground transparency, metacognitive reflection, and scaffolded development of artificial intelligence literacy, rather than punitive or compliance-oriented approaches. The study contributes to the growing literature on artificial intelligence in higher education by providing an empirical account of GenAI literacy in an open distance e-learning mathematics context within the Global South. It also offers practical implications for lecturers seeking to integrate AI responsibly into formative assessments while maintaining academic integrity and supporting student learning.