From traditional teaching to human-AI collaboration: transforming the role and competencies of university faculty in the era of generative artificial intelligence
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4388-5991
Generative artificial intelligence is transforming higher education and requires university faculty to develop capabilities that go beyond the instrumental use of tools. This study aimed to understand the experiences and interpretations of university professors specializing in educational technology and artificial intelligence who train other faculty members, regarding the AI literacy needs that emerge during its integration into teaching and learning. A qualitative, exploratory study with a hermeneutic phenomenological orientation was conducted. Ten university professors were selected through criterion-based purposive sampling and snowball recruitment. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted via WhatsApp and Zoom, recorded with informed consent, manually transcribed, and analyzed with the support of ATLAS.ti. Findings indicate that faculty AI literacy requires conceptual understanding, critical judgment, verification skills, pedagogical redesign, ethical criteria, and knowledge of students’ AI uses. Human–AI collaboration was also interpreted as an asymmetrical relationship in which technology expands capabilities while faculty retain educational intentionality, contextualization, and responsibility. The study concludes that professional development should be situated, continuous, linked to authentic disciplinary problems, and institutionally supported to promote experimentation, ongoing guidance, and professional reflection. These findings frame AI literacy as a professional and pedagogical capacity rather than as mere operational proficiency with rapidly changing digital applications.
Abbas, M., Jam, F. A., & Khan, T. I. (2024). Is it harmful or helpful? Examining the causes and consequences of generative AI usage among university students. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00444-7
Adel, A., Ahsan, A., & Davison, C. (2024). ChatGPT Promises and Challenges in Education: Computational and Ethical Perspectives. Education Sciences, 14(8), 814. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080814
Aler Tubella, A., Mora-Cantallops, M., & Nieves, J. C. (2024). How to teach responsible AI in Higher Education: Challenges and opportunities. Ethics and Information Technology, 26(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-023-09733-7
Alshammari, F. (2026). Pedagogical transformation through generative AI: A hybrid deep learning comparison with traditional digital learning materials based on GenAI-EduNet framework. Quality & Quantity, 60(3), 10855–10886. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-026-02699-w
Álvarez Robledo, S., Vega Aponte, L. J., & Álzate, L. A. (2023). Diseño De Un Recurso Educativo Digital Para El Fortalecimiento De Las Competencias De Ciencias Naturales. Negonotas Docentes, (22), 8–15.
https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/negonotas/article/view/882
Alzahrani, A., & Alzahrani, A. (2025). Understanding ChatGPT adoption in universities: The impact of faculty TPACK and UTAUT2. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.28.1.41498
Arévalo Castro, E. E. (2025). Impacto e implementación de la Inteligencia Artificial en los procesos de Marketing en el sector comercial: Una revisión sistemática. # ashtag, 1(26), 7–22. https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/hashtag/article/view/1077
Atchley, P., Pannell, H., Wofford, K., Hopkins, M., & Atchley, R. A. (2024). Human and AI collaboration in the higher education environment: Opportunities and concerns. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 9(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-024-00547-9
Baggia, A., Tratnik, A., & Brezavšček, A. (2026). University teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and practices with generative AI: A systematic literature review with a meta-analytic component. Quality & Quantity, 60(4), 14107–14139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-026-02717-x
Bail, C. A. (2024). Can Generative AI improve social science? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(21), e2314021121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2314021121
Bayraktar, B., Henry, D., & Taggart, J. (2025). Navigating the AI-enabled education landscape: A multifaceted approach to providing effective professional learning and support for educators. Theory Into Practice, 64(4), 421–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2025.2528543
Bearman, M., Tai, J., Dawson, P., Boud, D., & Ajjawi, R. (2024). Developing evaluative judgement for a time of generative artificial intelligence. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 49(6), 893–905. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2024.2335321
Bond, M., Khosravi, H., De Laat, M., Bergdahl, N., Negrea, V., Oxley, E., Pham, P., Chong, S. W., & Siemens, G. (2024). A meta systematic review of artificial intelligence in higher education: A call for increased ethics, collaboration, and rigour. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 4. https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-023-00436-z
Bort Caballero, M. L. (2026). Reading and writing in university teacher training: Strategies for comprehension, written expression and the responsible use of technology. Región Científica, 5(1), 2026552. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2026552
Bower, M., Torrington, J., Lai, J. W. M., Petocz, P., & Alfano, M. (2024). How should we change teaching and assessment in response to increasingly powerful generative Artificial Intelligence? Outcomes of the ChatGPT teacher survey. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12405-0
Camastra, F. D., & González Vallejo, R. (2025). Inteligencia artificial, sostenibilidad e impacto ambiental. Un estudio narrativo y bibliométrico. Región Científica, 4(1), 2025355. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2025355
Ceallaigh, T. J. Ó., & Murphy, S. (2026). Teaching the teachers: A systematic review of genAI-specific technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) in teacher education. Computers and Education Open, 10, 100367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2026.100367
Celik, I., Dindar, M., Muukkonen, H., & Järvelä, S. (2022). The Promises and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence for Teachers: A Systematic Review of Research. TechTrends, 66(4), 616–630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-022-00715-y
Chadha, N., Popil, E., Gregory, J., Armstrong-Davies, L., & Justin, G. (2025). How do we teach generative artificial intelligence to medical educators? Pilot of a faculty development workshop using ChatGPT. Medical Teacher, 47(1), 160–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2341806
Chan, C. K. Y. (2023). A comprehensive AI policy education framework for university teaching and learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00408-3
Chan, C. K. Y., & Tsi, L. H. Y. (2024). Will generative AI replace teachers in higher education? A study of teacher and student perceptions. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 83, 101395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2024.101395
Cotton, D. R. E., Cotton, P. A., & Shipway, J. R. (2024). Chatting and cheating: Ensuring academic integrity in the era of ChatGPT. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 61(2), 228–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2190148
Crompton, H., & Burke, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence in higher education: The state of the field. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 22. https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-023-00392-8
Delcker, J., Heil, J., Ifenthaler, D., Seufert, S., & Spirgi, L. (2024). First-year students AI-competence as a predictor for intended and de facto use of AI-tools for supporting learning processes in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00452-7
Díaz Guerra, D. D. (2024). Potenciar la participación y el compromiso estudiantil: Estrategias efectivas para la Educación Superior. Ignis, (18), 54–66. https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/ignis/article/view/1023
Díaz-Chieng, L. Y. (2025). Cambio educativo y liderazgo universitario: Retos administrativos en la gobernanza de instituciones de educación Superior. Opinión Pública, (23), 42–51. https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/opinionpublica/article/view/1090
Farazouli, A., Cerratto Pargman, T., Bolander Laksov, K., & McGrath, C. (2025). Navigating uncertainty: University teachers’ experiences and perceptions of generative artificial intelligence in teaching and learning. Studies in Higher Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2025.2550766
Farazouli, A., Cerratto-Pargman, T., Bolander-Laksov, K., & McGrath, C. (2024). Hello GPT! Goodbye home examination? An exploratory study of AI chatbots impact on university teachers’ assessment practices. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 49(3), 363–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2023.2241676
Gamboa Sánchez, B., Arroyo Morales, M., & Quesada Valverde, J. (2025). La tutoría entre pares en la formación de competencias investigativas de estudiantes universitarios: Un estudio de caso. Región Científica, 2025420. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2025420
García Peñalvo, F. J., Llorens-Largo, F., & Vidal, J. (2023). La nueva realidad de la educación ante los avances de la inteligencia artificial generativa. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(1), 9–39. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.1.37716
García-Martínez, J. A., & Soto-Delgado, E. V. (2026). Apoyos pedagógicos e implementación de tecnología en el aula: Percepciones de docentes y directores costarricenses. Región Científica, 5(1), 2026566. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2026566
Gómez Cano, C. A. (2022). Política educativa y toma de decisiones estratégicas: Un enfoque en la administración universitaria y su relación con la formación de calidad. Opinión Pública, (19), 56–63. https://www.metarevistas.org/Record/metarevistapublica_cun_opinionpublica_48-article-1037
Gómez Cano, C. A., & Pérez Gamboa, A. J. (2025). La adopción de la inteligencia artificial generativa en la Educación Superior: Análisis bibliométrico y cienciométrico. Maestro y Sociedad, 22(1), 299–311. https://maestroysociedad.uo.edu.cu/index.php/MyS/article/view/6779
Henderson, M., Bearman, M., Chung, J., Fawns, T., Buckingham Shum, S., Matthews, K. E., & De Mello Heredia, J. (2026). Comparing Generative AI and teacher feedback: Student perceptions of usefulness and trustworthiness. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 51(5), 863–878. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2025.2502582
Hernández Lugo, M. de la C. (2024). Modelos mixtos y comunicación: Una aproximación al futuro de la integración tecnológica en la Educación Superior. Ignis, (18), 67–79. https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/ignis/article/view/1024
Juma, L., Chavula, P., Kayusi, F., & González Vallejo, R. (2026). Assessing the Role of AI Integration in Competence-Based Curriculum Development and Effective Implementation Strategies in Junior Secondary Schools in Kilifi County. Región Científica, 5, 2026531. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2026531
Kim, J., Klopfer, M., Grohs, J. R., Eldardiry, H., Weichert, J., Cox, L. A., & Pike, D. (2025). Examining Faculty and Student Perceptions of Generative AI in University Courses. Innovative Higher Education, 50(4), 1281–1313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09774-w
Kohnke, L., Moorhouse, B. L., & Zou, D. (2023). Exploring generative artificial intelligence preparedness among university language instructors: A case study. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100156. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2666920X23000358
Laidlaw, P. (2026). Supporting assessment redesign in the age of AI: A critical practice-based framework for equitable change. Teaching in Higher Education, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2026.2670362
Lee, D., Arnold, M., Srivastava, A., Plastow, K., Strelan, P., Ploeckl, F., Lekkas, D., & Palmer, E. (2024). The impact of generative AI on higher education learning and teaching: A study of educators’ perspectives. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 6, 100221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100221
Lee, D., & Palmer, E. (2025). Prompt engineering in higher education: A systematic review to help inform curricula. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 22(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00503-7
Lim, W. M., Gunasekara, A., Pallant, J. L., Pallant, J. I., & Pechenkina, E. (2023). Generative AI and the future of education: Ragnarök or reformation? A paradoxical perspective from management educators. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(2), 100790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100790
Lo, C. K. (2023). What Is the Impact of ChatGPT on Education? A Rapid Review of the Literature. Education Sciences, 13(4), 410. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13040410
Logan, M., & Tapp, S. (2025). The PIER Framework for AI: How Educational Technologists and Developers Can Support Faculty in Assignment and Course Design. TechTrends, 69(3), 467–470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-025-01084-y
Mata Hernández, J. M. (2025). Aplicaciones de la inteligencia artificial generativa en la enseñanza del derecho aduanero e internacional. Región Científica, 4(1), 2025432. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2025432
Mateus, J.-C., Cappello, G., Lugo, N., & Guerrero-Pico, M. (2024). Communication Educators Facing the Arrival of Generative Artificial Intelligence: Exploration in Mexico, Peru, and Spain. Digital Education Review, (45), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2024.45.106-114
Matos Matos, A. G. M. (2023). El desarrollo de las competencias investigativas desde una pedagogía crítica. Ignis, (17), 19–30. https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/ignis/article/view/1022
Moorhouse, B. L., Yeo, M. A., & Wan, Y. (2023). Generative AI tools and assessment: Guidelines of the world’s top-ranking universities. Computers and Education Open, 5, 100151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2023.100151
Muñoz, H., & Oviedo, K. A. (2021). La inteligencia artificial: ¿esperanza o apocalipsis? #ashtag, 1(18), 40–53. https://doi.org/10.52143/2346139X.927
Nguyen, A., Hong, Y., Dang, B., & Huang, X. (2024). Human-AI collaboration patterns in AI-assisted academic writing. Studies in Higher Education, 49(5), 847–864. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2323593
Osorio Amaya, J. C. (2026). Tecnofeudalismo y pensamiento complejo: Edgar Morin en resistencia epistemológica, social y cultural. Región Científica, 5(1), 2026528. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2026528
Pacios Dorado, J. L., Beltrán Zazueta, O. A., Santana Alaniz, J. D., & Echeagaray Solorza, N. Y. (2025). Liderazgo educativo frente a los desafíos en el uso de las tecnologías digitales e inteligencias artificiales. #ashtag, 2(26). https://doi.org/10.52143/2346139X.1109
Padilla Hernández, S. G. (2024). Inteligencia Artificial en los servicios bancarios. Una revisión bibliométrica. Región Científica, 3(2), 2024335. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2024335
Pei, B., Lu, J., Zhang, Z., Tuffour, P., & Park, S. (2026). Enhancing AI literacy for educators: Where to start and to what end? Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 10, 100550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2026.100550
Pérez Gamboa, A. J. (2025). El Rol de la Administración Educativa en la Implementación de Reformas en la Formación Universitaria. Opinión Pública, (23), 7–19. https://nuevo.metarevistas.org/Record/metarevistapublica_cun_opinionpublica_48-article-1062
Pérez Gamboa, A. J., Sánchez Castillo, V., & Gómez Cano, C. A. (2024). El proceso de investigación cualitativa: Herramientas teórico-metodológicas para su desarrollo (1era ed.). Corporación Unificada Nacional de educación superior-CUN. https://libros.cun.edu.co/index.php/editorial-cun/catalog/book/18
Qian, Y. (2025). Pedagogical Applications of Generative AI in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of the Field. TechTrends, 69(5), 1105–1120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-025-01100-1
Rodríguez Torres, E., López Gómez, H. E. L., & Dávila Cisneros, J. D. (2023). Importancia de los semilleros estudiantiles en las universidades, para la investigación científica. Negonotas Docentes, (22), 50–62. https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/negonotas/article/view/886
Romeu Fontanillas, T., Romero Carbonell, M., Guitert Catasús, M., & Baztán Quemada, P. (2025). Desafíos de la Inteligencia Artificial generativa en educación superior: Fomentando su uso crítico en el estudiantado. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.28.2.43535
Sanabria Martínez, M. J. (2017). La responsabilidad social universitaria: Un reto para la academia del siglo XXI. Negonotas Docentes, (9), 61–75. https://doi.org/10.52143/2346-1357.414
Santana González, Y., Torres Rodríguez, O., & Torres Estrada, N. L. (2023). Siete aspectos claves para elevar la calidad de las universidades. Negonotas Docentes, (22), 39–49. https://revistas.cun.edu.co/index.php/negonotas/article/view/885
Sardiñas Padilla, E., & Valdés García, K. (2025). Incorporación de la inteligencia artificial a la educación cubana. Ventajas y limitaciones. Región Científica, 2025372. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2025372
Sarián González, M., Bruna Román, C., Robles Lagos, C., & Vaca Lombana, G. (2025). Gestión empresarial de la sostenibilidad, RSE e Inteligencia Artificial. Una nueva frontera en las decisiones. Región Científica, 4(1), 2025382. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2025382
Serrano-Ortiz, M. (2026). TIHA: Un modelo para la inspiración y humanización del aprendizaje en la educación universitaria. Región Científica, 5(1), 2026535. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2026565
Sperling, K., Stenberg, C.-J., McGrath, C., Åkerfeldt, A., Heintz, F., & Stenliden, L. (2024). In search of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in teacher education: A scoping review. Computers and Education Open, 6, 100169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100169
Tlili, A., Shehata, B., Adarkwah, M. A., Bozkurt, A., Hickey, D. T., Huang, R., & Agyemang, B. (2023). What if the devil is my guardian angel: ChatGPT as a case study of using chatbots in education. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00237-x
Usher, M. (2025). Generative AI vs. instructor vs. peer assessments: A comparison of grading and feedback in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 50(6), 912–927. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2025.2487495
Velásquez Castro, L. A., & Paredes-Águila, J. A. (2024). Revisión sistemática sobre los desafíos que enfrenta el desarrollo e integración de las tecnologías digitales en el contexto escolar chileno, desde la docencia. Región Científica, 3(1), 2024226. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2024226
Vélez Jiménez, T., & Balderas Gutiérrez, I. (2025). Tareas y responsabilidades de profesores de posgrado de universidades pública y privada. Región Científica, 4(1), 2025389. https://doi.org/10.58763/rc2025389
Wang, H., Dang, A., Wu, Z., & Mac, S. (2024). Generative AI in higher education: Seeing ChatGPT through universities’ policies, resources, and guidelines. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 7, 100326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100326
Xia, Q., Weng, X., Ouyang, F., Lin, T. J., & Chiu, T. K. F. (2024). A scoping review on how generative artificial intelligence transforms assessment in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00468-z
Yan, L., Sha, L., Zhao, L., Li, Y., Martinez‐Maldonado, R., Chen, G., Li, X., Jin, Y., & Gašević, D. (2024). Practical and ethical challenges of large language models in education: A systematic scoping review. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55(1), 90–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13370