You Do It, AI Does It, You Compare and Reflect: Exploring Reflective Learning With Generative AI in Principles of Marketing

Abstract

This study explores how a structured comparative assignment, “You do it, GAI does it, you compare and reflect,” can support reflective learning in marketing education. Drawing on a dual methodology of systematic literature review and thematic analysis of student reflections, the article examines how students respond to generative artificial intelligence (GAI) when asked to compare their own environmental scan with one produced by GAI. The findings suggest that students are not passive users of GAI, but rather engage with it as a dialogic partner, one that challenges assumptions, prompts refinement, and deepens insight. The study identifies five key constructs that emerged from integrating insights from the literature and student reflections: reflective dialogues, situated judgment, model-based scaffolding, ethical engagement, and meta-learning. These constructs describe how students reflected on their learning, evaluated the role of context and human reasoning, recognized the value of structure in GAI output, and considered the ethical and metacognitive dimensions of using GAI in academic work. The study offers a conceptual model for understanding reflective engagement with GAI and outlines future research directions to build on this work. It concludes by highlighting the importance of designing assignments that promote critical reflection alongside technological integration.