Analysis of college students' attitudes toward the use of ChatGPT in their academic activities: effect of intent to use, verification of information and responsible use.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has increased worldwide. The launch of the ChatGPT-3 posed great challenges for higher education, given its popularity among university students. The present study aimed to analyze the attitudes of university students toward the use of ChatGPTs in their academic activities. METHOD: This study was oriented toward a quantitative approach and had a nonexperimental design. An online survey was administered to the 499 participants. RESULTS: The findings of this study revealed a significant association between various factors and attitudes toward the use of the ChatGPT. The higher beta coefficients for responsible use (ß=0.806***), the intention to use frequently (ß=0.509***), and acceptance (ß=0.441***) suggested that these are the strongest predictors of a positive attitude toward ChatGPT. The presence of positive emotions (ß=0.418***) also plays a significant role. Conversely, risk (ß=-0.104**) and boredom (ß=-0.145**) demonstrate a negative yet less decisive influence. These results provide an enhanced understanding of how students perceive and utilize ChatGPTs, supporting a unified theory of user behavior in educational technology contexts. CONCLUSION: Ease of use, intention to use frequently, acceptance, and intention to verify information influenced the behavioral intention to use ChatGPT responsibly. On the one hand, this study provides suggestions for HEIs to improve their educational curricula to take advantage of the potential benefits of AI and contribute to AI literacy.

Traditional medicine in Incahuasi: An ethnobotanical study.

Introduction: Understanding the use of medicinal plants as herbal medicines is considered essential for the survival and continuity of humanity. Since ancient times, the origin and development of natural and traditional medicine have been intrinsically linked to humanity struggle for survival. Nowadays, ethnobotanical studies are employed as a tool for the preservation and conservation not only of taxonomic biodiversity but also of cultural biodiversity. Methodology: A descriptive research with a quantitative, non-experimental cross-sectional design was carried out. The study was conducted in six Quechua-speaking communities in the district of Incahuasi (3,000 meters above sea level), selected for convenience considering factors such as altitude, accessibility, and proximity to the city. A questionnaire was administered to 32 residents from the communities, who shared their knowledge about medicinal plants, providing relevant information about them. The gender of the participants was considered because men and women use traditional medicine and the knowledge of them is transmitted from parents to children. Results: During the study, a total of 46 medicinal species were recorded, belonging to 42 genera and 22 botanical families. The most representative medicinal families used by the informants of the communities were Asteraceae (30.4%) and Lamiaceae (15.2%). It is also worth mentioning the genera Salvia and Baccharis, with three and two species respectively, which are commonly used to treat various ailments and diseases. Conclusions: Ethnobotanical information was collected on the medicinal plants used by the community members of the selected communities in Incahuasi, and the corresponding data were recorded. A total of 46 plants were collected, with the majority belonging to the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families.