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What Drives Learners To Use ChatGPT Today?
An Update From a New Campus Study
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UM Digos College - Almost two years after the first release of ChatGPT considering the different studies undertaken to investigate this AI tool, a new campus study reveals two key factors which drive college students to utilize it – the cognitive need and tension release. This study highlights that these drivers play an important role in shaping learners` engagement with the AI tool, considering their diverse motivations and usage patterns. This key result offers a distinct understanding of how and why learners adopt this technology into their daily academic routines today. Now, what the findings specify?
Cognitive need, as operationally defined in this study, refers to the need for intellectual stimulation and understanding which was found to be moderate yet a notable factor in students` use of ChatGPT. This suggests that some students turn to this AI tool to understand complex topics, provide research support, and feed their curiosity and learning determination. By providing an aid to acquisition of knowledge, this AI tool accomplishes a critical role in learners` academic lives, assisting them explore challenging coursework and promoting a meaningful interaction with their studies.
On the other hand, tension release, based from this study, refers to the utilization of ChatGPT as a stress-relief mechanism. The study emphasized that learners perceived this AI tool which diminishes their academic anxieties and difficulties and allow them feel at ease. It dispels doubts and provides relaxed environment with no presence of being judged. Because of the capacity of the ChatGPT to assist them in their academic deliverables, they believed that their learning process is seamless and more engaging.
The results of the study signify that there is a need to strengthen instruction and assessment, cultivate and sharpen the minds of students, teach skills, and target the acquisition of expected learning outcomes. Since ChatGPT and other AI tools have invaded the digital learning space, the use of these tools should be done responsibly and ethically in enhancing learning outcomes and addressing students’ needs.
What is the key takeaway here? Nowadays, learners knew ChatGPT including its associated risks and challenges. However, they continuously adopt ChatGPT not because of its perceived usefulness, or ease of use but because it assists them towards enhancing their academic performance. These research-based insights underline that learners use ChatGPT for the purpose of cognitive enrichment and the desire for emotional relief.
There are issues concomitant to integrating AI tools particularly on the area of assessment. However, creating clear guidelines on the use of these tools can be of help in answer to fairness and integrity issues. Exploring on instructional designs that include creative and expanded teaching-learning delivery strategies can be beneficial to the students. In addition, curriculum should be continuously enriched to align with the other two areas in the triad of education, namely; curriculum, instruction, and assessment
This research was undertaken by Mrs. Emma C. Ceballo, a former graduate school lecturer of UM Professional Schools and now a student from ICL Business School in Auckland, New Zealand, in collaboration with the UM Digos Research and Publication Center. A total of 662 randomly selected students participated in the study. Amid its identified scope and limitation and its opportunities in the future, the findings serve as additional evidence to the continuing discussion of the integration of AI tools into the university frameworks especially in pursuit of improving and enhancing the university`s teaching and learning processes.
To date, few higher learning institutions acted on the institutionalization of policies related on the fair and ethical use of artificial intelligence. At UM? The academic community is eagerly awaiting.