IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ireced/v45y2024ics1477388024000021.html

Essays in economics in ICU: Resuscitate or pull the plug?

Author

Listed:
  • Suleymenova, Kamilya
  • Dawood, Mary
  • Psyllou, Maria

Abstract

This study investigates the perspectives of Economics academics regarding the impact of using text-generative AI (GAI) on teaching and assessment in the UK higher education (UKHE) sector, with a specific focus on essays. The survey of academics’ perceptions encompasses considerations of academic integrity, transferrable skills, and ethical GAI use. The responses unveiled a range of significant findings regarding the present condition of essay-based assessment in Economics education. The most prominent of which is that, while GAI development has introduced a new conflict between integrity concerns and essay-writing, Economics academics confirm that the latter continues to be important to their graduates. However, there is an emphasis on reshaping the format of conventional essays and refining traditional marking criteria. Elevating assessment questions along Bloom’s taxonomy is deemed vital for critical thinking and producing future-ready graduates. Respondents also recognise the need to impart ethical awareness among students when using GAI while exploring innovative pedagogies to develop and assess the new GAI skill set. Thus, our study challenges the dichotomy of pulling the plug on conventional essays and, instead, prompts a critical re-evaluation—resuscitation through reimagination. Finally, most express interest in learning more about GAI and its educational applications, either through self-experimentation or structured events and GAI training. Overall, the study reveals a complex topography of perspectives, highlighting the need for subtle, collaborative approaches as academics carefully evaluate strategies to leverage GAI’s potential while evolving assessments and pedagogies.

Suggested Citation

  • Suleymenova, Kamilya & Dawood, Mary & Psyllou, Maria, 2024. "Essays in economics in ICU: Resuscitate or pull the plug?," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:45:y:2024:i:c:s1477388024000021
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iree.2024.100284
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477388024000021
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iree.2024.100284?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Erik Brynjolfsson & Danielle Li & Lindsey Raymond, 2025. "Generative AI at Work," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 140(2), pages 889-942.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abendroth Dias Kulani & Arias Patricia & Bacco F. Manlio & Bassani Elias & Bertoletti Alice & Bertolini Lorenzo & Bertrand Astrid & Bili Danai & Boucher Philip & Cachia Romina & Ceresa Mario & Chaslot, 2025. "Generative AI Outlook Report," JRC Research Reports JRC142598, Joint Research Centre.
    2. Zara Contractor & Germ'an Reyes, 2025. "Generative AI in Higher Education: Evidence from an Elite College," Papers 2508.00717, arXiv.org.
    3. Christoph Riedl & Eric Bogert, 2024. "Effects of AI Feedback on Learning, the Skill Gap, and Intellectual Diversity," Papers 2409.18660, arXiv.org.
    4. Carvajal, Daniel & Franco, Catalina & Isaksson, Siri, 2024. "Will Artificial Intelligence Get in the Way of Achieving Gender Equality?," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 3/2024, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics, revised 28 Apr 2025.
    5. Riccardo Zanardelli, 2025. "Navigating the safe harbor paradox in human-machine systems," Papers 2509.14057, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2026.
    6. Tatsuru Kikuchi, 2025. "Weather-Aware AI Systems versus Route-Optimization AI: A Comprehensive Analysis of AI Applications in Transportation Productivity," Papers 2507.17099, arXiv.org.
    7. Francesco Venturini, 2025. "Generative AI and Income Growth: Early Evidence on Global Data," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 31-46.
    8. Leonardo Banh & Gero Strobel, 2023. "Generative artificial intelligence," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-17, December.
    9. Carlo Drago & Alberto Costantiello & Marco Savorgnan & Angelo Leogrande, 2025. "Macroeconomic and Labor Market Drivers of AI Adoption in Europe: A Machine Learning and Panel Data Approach," Economies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-62, August.
    10. Alexander Cuntz & Carsten Fink & Hansueli Stamm, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property : An Economic Perspective," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 77, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.
    11. Lilia Patrignani, 2024. "Understanding digital trade," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 841, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    12. Kiran Tomlinson & Sonia Jaffe & Will Wang & Scott Counts & Siddharth Suri, 2025. "Working with AI: Measuring the Applicability of Generative AI to Occupations," Papers 2507.07935, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2025.
    13. David Rothschild, 2025. "Comment on "The Coasean Singularity? Demand, Supply, and Market Design with AI Agents"," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Transformative AI, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Feiyang Xu & Poonacha K. Medappa & Murat M. Tunc & Martijn Vroegindeweij & Jan C. Fransoo, 2025. "AI-Assisted Programming Decreases the Productivity of Experienced Developers by Increasing the Technical Debt and Maintenance Burden," Papers 2510.10165, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2026.
    15. Amali Matharaarachchi & Wishmitha Mendis & Kanishka Randunu & Daswin De Silva & Gihan Gamage & Harsha Moraliyage & Nishan Mills & Andrew Jennings, 2024. "Optimizing Generative AI Chatbots for Net-Zero Emissions Energy Internet-of-Things Infrastructure," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-19, April.
    16. Carlo Drago & Alberto Costantiello & Marco Savorgnan & Angelo Leogrande, 2025. "Driving AI Adoption in the EU: A Quantitative Analysis of Macroeconomic Influences," Working Papers hal-05102974, HAL.
    17. Bohren, Noah & Hakimov, Rustamdjan & Lalive, Rafael, 2024. "Creative and Strategic Capabilities of Generative AI: Evidence from Large-Scale Experiments," IZA Discussion Papers 17302, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Anthony Harding & Juan Moreno-Cruz, 2024. "Watts and Bots: The Energy Implications of AI Adoption," Papers 2409.06626, arXiv.org.
    19. Andreas D. Landmark & Johan E. Ravn & Hans Y. Torvatn & Lisbeth Øyum, 2024. "Digital Transformations Through the Lens of the Collaborative, Co-Generative and Domesticative," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 37(5), pages 537-548, October.
    20. Martin Baily & David Byrne & Aidan Kane & Paul Soto, 2025. "Generative AI at the Crossroads: Light Bulb, Dynamo, or Microscope?," Papers 2505.14588, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2025.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:45:y:2024:i:c:s1477388024000021. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-review-of-economics-education .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.