Rethinking Digital Literacy in the Age of Generative AI - College Students’ Use of ChatGPT for Educational Purposes

Funded by UWM CCEP to explore college students' use of generative artificial intelligence tools for academic tasks. 2023–2024 ($6,000)

Project Description

ChatGPT and similar innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbots have generated a tidal wave in higher education. Although these advanced technologies have promising capabilities to support both students and instructors, such as significantly reducing the cost of writing and coding tasks for students and creating lesson plans and tutoring for instructors, the responsible and ethical use of these tools remains questionable (D’Agostino, 2023; Lund & Wang, 2023; Zhai, 2022). The proposed project aims to provide initial insights into (a) college students’ perceptions and mental models of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT; (b) motivations and use cases of these tools for academic purposes; (c) practices and strategies for evaluating the quality and credibility of information returned by AI-empowered tools; (d) challenges and issues with such tools; and (e) need for support at the instructor, school, and university levels. We will conduct a two-phase study, analyzing log data of ChatGPT-related conversations posted on social question-and-answer (Q&A) sites and online discussion forums and interviewing college students who have used ChatGPT or similar tools for academic purposes. Findings of the study will serve as the preliminary evidence for developing an external grant application to create a theoretical framework of human information behavior in the AI era and inform various stakeholders in higher education—including faculty and instructors, university leaderships, and university librarians—to develop instructional materials, policies and guidelines, and literacy programs that are aligned with college students’ perceptions, behaviors, and needs regarding the use of generative AI tools for academic purposes.

Research Team

  • Wonchan Choi, PI, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) iSchool
  • Yan Zhang, PI, Professor, University of Texas at Austin iSchool
  • Besiki Stvilia, PI, Professor, Florida State University iSchool

Funding Information

  • Program: UWM College of Community Engagement & Professions Research Seed Proposal Grant
  • Period: 2023–2024
  • Funds $6,000