From curiosity to critical literacy: Scaffolding undergraduate use of Generative AI through a nested and reflective assessment design

This study investigates an “early adopters” scaffolded approach to developing informed and effective use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) among university students. The research involved an undergraduate, fully online Music Psychology subject enrolling over 700 students in 2023 and used a nested, developmental, reflective assessment design.Students voluntarily selected a GenAI-integrated alternative to a conventional report completed three low-stakes reflective tasks. These tasks progressively supported students from unguided GenAI use towards structured prompt engineering, informed by the Role, Task, Requirements, Instructions (RTRI) framework (Liu, 2023). Complementary LMS discussion activities encouraged critical engagement with prompt design and student GenAI practices research, supporting comparison between GenAI-supported work and peer collaboration in the third group task.Thematic analysis of more than 80 student reflections identified four macro-themes: (1) naïve trust and cautious GenAI use moved towards critical output evaluation; (2) structured prompt engineering enhanced clarity, confidence, and criticality; (3) GenAI was perceived as efficient and accessible but less capable of authentic, contextual collaboration than peers; and (4) efficiency gains were often offset by increased workload.Despite acknowledged limitations of reflective self-report data, findings suggest that strategic, supportive teaching practices can strengthen GenAI literacy, metacognitive judgment, and informed engagement among undergraduate students.