Presenter: Danika

Title:

Understaning How Undergraduate Students Use ChatGPT During Academic Writing?

Type of Presentation: Oral

Abstract:

This project explores how undergraduate students utilize ChatGPT as an assistive tool in academic writing, because understanding students’ actual writing practices with AI tools is crucial for educators seeking to support meaningful learning in the digital age. Previous research shows that students find ChatGPT useful for academic writing tasks, yet little is known about how students actually use it during the writing process. However, there is still a gap in understanding how ChatGPT affects students’ thinking during planning, drafting, and revision phases. To address this gap, this study asks: How do undergraduate students use ChatGPT when completing academic writing assignments, and how does it impact their thinking processes? This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students who have used ChatGPT for their coursework. Specifically, the data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns. This study may reveal that students use ChatGPT strategically at different writing stages, and that while it improves efficiency, it may reduce independent thinking. However, this study is limited to undergraduate students at one institution, so findings may not apply to other contexts.

Biography

Danika is a first-year international student fascinated by how everyday choices (what people buy, save, and trade) quietly shape the communities around them. Outside her academic studies, she is an enthusiastic instrument player, drawn to the way scattered notes come together into structure and rhythm. Danika believes that data, when paired with genuine curiosity about people, is one of the most powerful ways to understand a community and solve the problems it really cares about. She plans to pursue a degree in Economics with a minor in Data Science.