Investigating Students' Engagement in Chatbot-Supported Classroom Debates

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Investigating Students' Engagement in Chatbot-Supported Classroom Debates
Language: English
Authors: Kai Guo (ORCID 0000-0001-9699-7527), Yuchun Zhong (ORCID 0000-0002-2019-7870), Danling Li (ORCID 0000-0003-0974-1182), Samuel Kai Wah Chu (ORCID 0000-0003-1557-2776)
Source: Interactive Learning Environments. 2024 32(9):4917-4933.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Undergraduate Students, Debate, Persuasive Discourse, Public Speaking, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Uses in Education, Speech Curriculum, Discourse Modes, Man Machine Systems, Learner Engagement, Classroom Communication
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1080/10494820.2023.2207181
ISSN: 1049-4820
1744-5191
Abstract: This study proposed a novel approach to classroom debates, in which chatbots that are able to engage in argumentative dialogues are adopted to facilitate students' debate preparation. The approach comprised three stages: first, students interacted with a chatbot named Argumate to help them generate ideas; second, students discussed the ideas with their group members; third, students participated in debates with other groups. The study investigated students' behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement in the approach using multiple data sources, including chat logs, audio recordings of group discussions and classroom debates, and students' written reflections, collected from four debate groups involving 24 students. The results showed that the students fruitfully generated ideas through interacting with the chatbot in the first stage, but their uptake of chatbot-suggested ideas in the second and third stages was not sufficient. Cognitively, the students adopted various strategies for sharing, synthesizing, and selecting their self-proposed and chatbot-suggested ideas when preparing for debates. Affectively, the students generally reported positive attitudes toward the integration of the chatbot into debate preparation because it suggested inspiring ideas, provided an interesting approach to debate, and created a stress-free learning environment. These findings provide insights into the use of chatbots to enhance classroom debates.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1449106
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This study proposed a novel approach to classroom debates, in which chatbots that are able to engage in argumentative dialogues are adopted to facilitate students' debate preparation. The approach comprised three stages: first, students interacted with a chatbot named Argumate to help them generate ideas; second, students discussed the ideas with their group members; third, students participated in debates with other groups. The study investigated students' behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement in the approach using multiple data sources, including chat logs, audio recordings of group discussions and classroom debates, and students' written reflections, collected from four debate groups involving 24 students. The results showed that the students fruitfully generated ideas through interacting with the chatbot in the first stage, but their uptake of chatbot-suggested ideas in the second and third stages was not sufficient. Cognitively, the students adopted various strategies for sharing, synthesizing, and selecting their self-proposed and chatbot-suggested ideas when preparing for debates. Affectively, the students generally reported positive attitudes toward the integration of the chatbot into debate preparation because it suggested inspiring ideas, provided an interesting approach to debate, and created a stress-free learning environment. These findings provide insights into the use of chatbots to enhance classroom debates.
ISSN:1049-4820
1744-5191
DOI:10.1080/10494820.2023.2207181