Social Work Educators Innovating With Generative AI: An Exploratory Study

Johanna Creswell Báez; Arlene Bjugstad; Tae Kyung Park; Jacqueline L. Jones; Laurel N. Bidwell; Melanie Sage; Laurel Iverson Hitchcock

doi:10.1080/10437797.2024.2411170

Social Work Educators Innovating With Generative AI: An Exploratory Study

Johanna Creswell Báez
, Arlene Bjugstad
, Tae Kyung Park
, Jacqueline L. Jones
, Laurel N. Bidwell
, Melanie Sage
, Laurel Iverson Hitchcock

MSW Program Admin

University of Colorado Colorado Springs
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining traction across various fields, yet its adoption within social work remains limited. This study explores the use of ChatGPT by social work educators to enhance teaching, research, and service activities. Six educators documented their use of ChatGPT in fall 2023 to explore AI integration in academia with a qualitative content analysis and quantitative assessments of usage frequency and perceived usefulness. The findings indicated that ChatGPT was considered useful in 85% of interactions, with the majority using ChatGPT for teaching support. Ethical and practical challenges are discussed, noting that AI tools like ChatGPT augment rather than replace human expertise. Social work academics are encouraged to reflect on AI use to enhance their work.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	14-29
Number of pages	16
Journal	Journal of Social Work Education
Volume	61
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2024.2411170
State	Published - 2025

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10.1080/10437797.2024.2411170

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title = "Social Work Educators Innovating With Generative AI: An Exploratory Study",

abstract = "Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining traction across various fields, yet its adoption within social work remains limited. This study explores the use of ChatGPT by social work educators to enhance teaching, research, and service activities. Six educators documented their use of ChatGPT in fall 2023 to explore AI integration in academia with a qualitative content analysis and quantitative assessments of usage frequency and perceived usefulness. The findings indicated that ChatGPT was considered useful in 85\% of interactions, with the majority using ChatGPT for teaching support. Ethical and practical challenges are discussed, noting that AI tools like ChatGPT augment rather than replace human expertise. Social work academics are encouraged to reflect on AI use to enhance their work.",

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T2 - An Exploratory Study

AU - Báez, Johanna Creswell

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AU - Park, Tae Kyung

AU - Jones, Jacqueline L.

AU - Bidwell, Laurel N.

AU - Sage, Melanie

AU - Hitchcock, Laurel Iverson

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

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AB - Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining traction across various fields, yet its adoption within social work remains limited. This study explores the use of ChatGPT by social work educators to enhance teaching, research, and service activities. Six educators documented their use of ChatGPT in fall 2023 to explore AI integration in academia with a qualitative content analysis and quantitative assessments of usage frequency and perceived usefulness. The findings indicated that ChatGPT was considered useful in 85% of interactions, with the majority using ChatGPT for teaching support. Ethical and practical challenges are discussed, noting that AI tools like ChatGPT augment rather than replace human expertise. Social work academics are encouraged to reflect on AI use to enhance their work.

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Social Work Educators Innovating With Generative AI: An Exploratory Study

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