BRIDGING THE GAP: A PRELIMINARY NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC LITERACY AND THE URGENCY OF AI-AUGMENTED ETEXTBOOKS FOR STUDENTS IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence has precipitated a systemic
pedagogical misalignment within higher education. While automated tools offer
sophisticated text generation, a critical deficit remains in students’ discursive agency
and analytical depth. This research conducts a preliminary needs assessment across
three academic institutions in Semarang: UNNES, UPGRIS, and UNISSULA to
identify instructional interactivity gaps. Grounded in the Deep Learning framework,
which prioritizes meaningful understanding over rote memorization, the study
employs a discrepancy analysis model with one hundred and fifty respondents.
Results delineate a significant aggregate gap of plus zero point nine two, with the most
pronounced priority deficit in rhetorical data synthesis at plus one point one three.
These findings reflect a profound student desire for systematic and gradual
instructional structures that guide them from basic concepts to complex problemsolving. Despite high technological receptiveness, traditional static materials continue
to hinder academic literacy. The study concludes that these gaps provide the essential
empirical foundation for developing AI-augmented E-textbooks as a structural
necessity for maintaining professional relevance in the twenty-first century.