2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

From Allowed to Embedded: Student Perceptions of AI Use Across Engineering Courses

Presented at FDD Technical Session 1: Generative AI and Transformations in Faculty Work

As generative AI becomes embedded in university learning environments, engineering educators are moving beyond initial reactive bans toward more complex integration strategies. However, normalization does not imply effective integration. This longitudinal study, emerging from a student-initiated audit of computing and electrical engineering courses at the University of Central Florida, traces the evolution of AI policies and student perceptions across nine semesters (Spring 2023 through Fall 2025). Utilizing the authors' defined Depth-of-Integration continuum, the team employed a participatory action research design to audit 128 course experiences across 71 unique courses, mapping the trajectory of institutional adaptation from initial disruption to current practice.

Findings reveal a dramatic shift in the AI policy landscape. While the explicit bans and absence of stated policy characterized the early response (Spring 2023), these categories have substantially diminished by late 2025, with Disallowed policies dropping to 12.9% of reported courses. However, this retreat from prohibition has not yielded pedagogical clarity. The data identify the rapid rise of Allowed (Informal) policies---a category that peaked at 75% in Fall 2023 and remained prevalent through Fall 2025. These permissive-but-vague environments are associated with the lowest student clarity scores (M=2.45/5, n=47), significantly trailing both Encouraged (M=4.37/5, p<.001) and Disallowed (M=4.50/5, p<.001) environments. The study further provides longitudinal evidence of a Shadow Curriculum: 62.5% of students in courses classified Disallowed nonetheless reported using AI for at least one task. The paper concludes that the current phase of tacit permission is associated with what we call an ethical vacuum, a pedagogical environment in which students lack explicit guidance on acceptable AI use, leaving ethical boundaries undefined, and advocates for a shift toward Critical Use pedagogy to support responsible AI literacy and professional formation.

Authors

Dr. Mike Borowczak http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9409-8245 University of Central Florida [biography]

Dr. Borowczak, currently an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida, has over two decades of academic and industry experience. He worked in the semiconductor, biomedical informatics, and storage/security sectors in early-stage and mature startups, medical/academic research centers, and large corporate entities before returning to the US public university system full-time in 2018. His current research interest are focused on automation for design, development, and assessment of resilience, robustness, and security of electronic devices and systems which currently includes topics such as: advanced/novel cryptographic logic primitives (polymorphic, homomorphic, quantum-enhanced), assessment and evaluation of assistive technologies on semiconductor design and post-manufacturing operation, development and detection methods for AI-based sabotage. He and his students have published over 100 journal and conference publications. His research has been funded (~$8.5M since 2018) by federal, national, state, and industrial entities.
Dr. Andrea Carneal-Burrows Borowczak http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5925-3596 University of Central Florida [biography]

Dr. Andrea C. Burrows Borowczak is the Director of the School of Teacher Education and a Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE). She received her doctorate from the University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses on STEM integration, engineering education, and partnerships. She has published 45+ journal articles, received over $10M in grant funding, received multiple awards, and presented papers, workshops, or posters at over 250 conferences. Dr. Borowczak continues promoting STEM education and integration in traditional and non-traditional settings. She was elected and served as PCEE Division Chair for 2022-2025, and she is dedicated to advancing educational knowledge and practices.

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