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Generative AI in Writing
The release of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools has rapidly taken over much of the discourse of the writing education community. While reactions to generative AI are varied, ranging from excitement for the future of AI to fear for the potential consequences of student learning, it remains clear that there is a need to address the use of generative AI in writing classrooms. This need is one that needs to be addressed immediately and over time. Many of these tools is already public knowledge and widely available for use, necessitating timely investigation into effective ways of using generative AI tools in the classroom. In the long-term, research on best practices with AI literacy pedagogy is also necessary to help not only support students' writing development, but also prepare for students for a world that increasingly values the use of AI in classrooms and in the workplace. As part of the UC Irvine Digital Learning Lab, I seek to work with my lab as well as the broader educational research community to meaningfully contribute toward these efforts. My doctoral research focuses on understanding the potential role of generative AI tools in the writing communities of undergraduate writing classrooms. In particular, I examine the ways in which teachers and students engage with generative AI in the undergraduate, upper-division writing classroom. In addition, by characterizing and observing the writing communities formed in the writing classrooms, I explore the ways in which generative AI may function in these communities – how it supports teachers and students as a tool for writing pedagogy as well as how it goes beyond to possibly act in the roles typically occupied by the members of the community themselves. By gaining an in-depth insight into the ways in which teachers and students interact with generative AI within their classroom writing communities, I seek to contribute to our understanding of the potential role of generative AI in transforming writing pedagogy and the writing process. Publications
Presentations
Other Research Under the guidance of Dr. Penelope Collins and Dr. Fernando Rodriguez, I investigated the use of supplemental writing resources integrated into non-writing-focused courses. Through clickstream data analysis, I explored students’ perceptions of and engagement with digital writing resources scaffolded into course instruction, with the goal of contributing to research on supporting students’ writing development across the curriculum. In addition, as part of the Postsecondary Education Lab, I developed and implemented interventions with Dr. Di Xu focused on supporting students' success and sense of belonging in online learning, particularly through designing means through which distance learning students can connect and collaborate through online learning communities. |