Higher Education Students' Early Perceptions of ChatGPT: Global Survey Data

The introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022 marked a significant milestone in the application of artificial intelligence in higher education. Due to its advanced natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT quickly became popular among students worldwide. However, the increasing acceptance of ChatGPT among students has attracted significant attention, sparking both excitement and scepticism globally. In order to capture early students' perceptions about ChatGPT, the most comprehensive and large-scale global survey to date was conducted between the beginning of October 2023 and the end of February 2024. The questionnaire was prepared in seven different languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese, Arabic, and Hebrew. It covered several aspects relevant to ChatGPT, including sociodemographic characteristics, usage, capabilities, regulation and ethical concerns, satisfaction and attitude, study issues and outcomes, skills development, labour market and skills mismatch, emotions, study and personal information, and general reflections. The survey targeted higher education students who are currently enrolled at any level in a higher education institution, are at least 18 years old, and have the legal capacity to provide free and voluntary consent to participate in an anonymous survey. Survey participants were recruited using a convenience sampling method, which involved promoting the survey in classrooms and through advertisements on university communication systems. The final dataset consists of 23,218 student responses from 109 different countries and territories. The data may prove useful for researchers studying students' perceptions of ChatGPT, including its implications across various aspects. Moreover, also higher education stakeholders may benefit from these data. While educators may benefit from the data in formulating curricula, including designing teaching methods and assessment tools, policymakers may consider the data when formulating strategies for higher education system development in the future.