Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Educational Transformation, Assessment, and Governance

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has rapidly transformed higher education practices, creating new opportunities for pedagogical innovation while introducing complex challenges related to assessment validity, academic integrity, and institutional governance. However, existing studies remain fragmented across technological adoption, learning processes, assessment practices, and ethical considerations, limiting a comprehensive understanding of how GenAI can be integrated responsibly into higher education ecosystems. This systematic literature review aims to synthesize current evidence on the educational implications of GenAI by examining its influence on teaching transformation, student learning, assessment redesign, and academic integrity governance. Following the PRISMA framework, relevant studies were systematically identified, screened, and analyzed to reveal emerging patterns, challenges, and future research directions in GenAI adoption within higher education. The synthesis revealed four interconnected themes: (1) transformation of teaching practices through AI-supported instructional design and efficiency improvement, (2) enhancement of student learning through personalization and self-regulated learning support, (3) evolution of assessment toward authentic and competency-oriented approaches, and (4) development of institutional governance frameworks addressing ethical, privacy, transparency, and integrity concerns. The findings indicate that successful GenAI integration requires a balanced approach combining technological capability, pedagogical redesign, and responsible governance. This review contributes to Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) research by proposing an integrated perspective for sustainable GenAI adoption and identifying priorities for future empirical investigations.