Research Seminars @ Illinois

Tailored for undergraduate researchers, this calendar is a curated list of research seminars at the University of Illinois. Explore the diverse world of research and expand your knowledge through engaging sessions designed to inspire and enlighten.

To have your events added or removed from this calendar, please contact OUR at ugresearch@illinois.edu

Human-Computer Interaction Talk Series: Dr. Jennifer Cromley: "Using ChatGPT for Writing: When does it not harm learning?"

Jan 28, 2026   3:30 - 4:30 pm  
0216 Siebel Center
Sponsor
Research Area of Interactive Computing
Speaker
Dr. Jennifer Cromley
Contact
Allison Mette
E-Mail
agk@illinois.edu
Views
32
Originating Calendar
Siebel School Speakers Calendar

Abstract: Student use of generative AI might to some extent harm learning because it deprives learners of the opportunity to practice, and at the same time might help learning because it relieves learners of many tedious aspects of academic tasks. We test to what extent these explanations hold true when post-secondary students (N = 120) read a set of texts and then write using either ChatGPT or Word. Participants completed pretest, think-aloud protocols during reading and writing, and 2 posttests. We show that these tasks yielded two very different routes to learning, but learning did not differ between conditions.

Bio: Jennifer Cromley is Professor of Educational Psychology. Her research on generative AI effects on learning builds on two decades of research in reading comprehension and STEM achievement. Her research has been funded by NSF, the US Department of Education, and UIUC.

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