Web 2.0 and AI applications for teaching and learning in university core courses

Abstract

The integration of AI into university teaching raises questions about how digital assistance can contribute to learning while sustaining students’ responsibility for their work. This conceptual article examines the complementary uses of Web 2.0 and AI in compulsory university core teaching within Malaysia’s general studies context. Nationhood Studies, Philosophy and Contemporary Issues, and Appreciation of Ethics and Civilisation illustrate how collaborative applications can be adapted to different forms of interpretation and judgement. A focused narrative discussion brings national higher education guidance into conversation with research published between 2024 and 2026. The synthesis develops applications for shared writing, online discussion and multimedia production, with particular attention to the relationship between feedback, revision and independent explanation. It argues that the educational contribution of AI depends on how assistance is incorporated into a task and on the decisions students are required to justify. Contrasting experimental findings underscore the importance of instructional design, while research on assessment and evaluative judgement informs the proposed activities. A simple digital reference platform is outlined to organise subject introductions, activity guidance and resource links. The article offers a practical basis for integrating collaborative web functions and AI, with classroom evaluation needed to establish their contribution to learning in the three subject contexts.