Investigating How Learners Utilize ChatGPT for Autonomous Learning

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-475-4_21How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Autonomous Learning; ChatGPT; AI-assisted Learning; Learner Perception; Educational Technology

Abstract

This study investigates how university students utilize ChatGPT to support autonomous learning in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combined pre/post writing assessments with semi-structured interviews to examine both performance outcomes and learner perceptions. Findings indicate that short-term, pedagogically guided AI-assisted training can lead to measurable improvements in task achievement and lexical resource, while also fostering strategic prompting behaviors. However, concerns were raised regarding reduced critical thinking and ChatGPT’s occasional inaccuracy in interpreting visual data. The study highlights the potential of generative AI to serve as a scaffold for academic writing when used critically and with instructional support.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Qiting Huang
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/11/11
TI  - Investigating How Learners Utilize ChatGPT for Autonomous Learning
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 10th International Conference on Modern Management, Education and Social Sciences (MMET 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 174
EP  - 183
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-475-4_21
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-475-4_21
ID  - Huang2025
ER  -