Volume 24
Abstract: The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is fundamentally reshaping how students navigate academic help-seeking. While prior research has examined AI as a standalone support, its disruptive influence on students’ choices among a broader ecosystem of support options remains underexplored. Our study investigates the factors driving students’ help source selection in a GenAI accessible learning environment. Using a convergent mixed-methods approach, we surveyed 52 postgraduate computing and information systems students and conducted in-depth interviews with seven students to capture both their overall preferences and the reasoning behind them. Our study is primarily grounded in Giblin et al.’s Source Selection Model (SSM), with the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) used as interpretive lenses, and extends SSM to account for AI-specific dynamics. Findings show that while traditional factors such as accuracy and institutional authority remain relevant for assessment tasks, GenAI has introduced three critical new dimensions to the selection process: habitual use, concerns about dependency, and the desire to minimize cognitive effort. The results indicate that students engage in a “pragmatic trade-off,” often prioritizing GenAI’s immediacy and low extraneous cognitive load to maintain progress, while strategically layering formal sources later for verification. This research offers an extended model of help-seeking that accounts for the tension between the convenience of GenAI and the necessity of academic rigor, providing institutions with a framework to guide students toward critical, rather than passive, engagement with GenAI tools. Download this article: ISEDJ - V24 N4 Page 4.pdf Recommended Citation: Guo, M., Chow, W., Samadi, H., Atiq, A., Linden, T., (2026). Revisiting Academic Source Selection: Habit, Dependency, and Cognitive Effort in the Age of GenAI. Information Systems Education Journal 24(4) pp 4-21. https://doi.org/10.62273/YZIG9056 | ||||||