Summary

Training in research and innovation (R&I) is a distinguishing feature of the graduate profile for the Kinesiology program at the University of O’Higgins (UOH). However, traditional methodologies do not always succeed in developing scientific reasoning skills to the expected level. Recent studies highlight significant gaps in artificial intelligence (AI) literacy among health sciences students.

This project aims to systematize and evaluate the effect of integrating free AI tools (NotebookLM, OpenEvidence, Inciteful, Perplexity, SciSpace, AnswerThis) as a structural component of the courses “Research and Innovation Projects in Kinesiology 1 and 2” (KIN3601–1 and KIN3602–1).

Students will use these tools under guidance and with assessment at each stage of their project, from evidence search and literature synthesis to the generation of research ideas and validation of their innovation proposals. A quasi-experimental pre–post design with a control group and a qualitative component based on focus groups will be employed.

The objectives are: (i) to design a teaching sequence that incorporates AI tools into each unit of the course; (ii) to assess the quality of final projects by comparing cohorts with and without AI integration using standardized criteria; and (iii) to evaluate students’ perceptions of the usefulness, usability, and ethical considerations of using AI in research.

The sample will consist of students from the 2026 cohort (intervention group, n≈50) and the 2025 cohort (control group, n≈50). Evaluation guidelines will be applied to assess rigor in evidence-based research, methodological coherence, and originality, supplemented by Likert-scale surveys and focus groups.

The proposal is directly linked to the learning units and outcomes stated in the courses. The resulting pedagogical approach can be replicated in any research course in the School of Health and other schools at UOH.