Digital Competences within MTU

This research explored the extent of Gen AI adoption, the types of tools used and the levels of guidance received by the university population on the technology use. The university population of 17,869 individuals, including students and staff, were invited to participate in the research. Ethics approval (MTU-HREC-MR-25-058-A) was granted in early December 2025 and research tools were developed. Two separate cross-sectoral questionnaires were designed, tested and then administered as the use of technology differed for both cohorts researched. The first questionnaire was designed for university students and was tested by two students prior to administration. The second survey was administered to staff and again was piloted by staff internally to ensure the questions were understandable and easy to interpret. All staff including research, administration, professional management and support staff (PMSS) as well as lecturing staff were included in this circulation, to explore elements of technology use within their work and education. The questionnaires were both organised into seven parts including a section on Gen AI competency (Section 6). The first MS Forms online questionnaire was sent to the entire student population of the university and made available for the months of February and March 2026. The second questionnaire was circulated to all university staff via email and made available for the same period as questionnaire one. Results were captured through MS Forms with tailored questions for students (𝑛 =1489) and staff (𝑛 =256).