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CoachGPT: A Scaffolding-based Academic Writing Assistant

Project Overview

The document introduces CoachGPT, an innovative AI-powered academic writing assistant tailored to support students, especially those with limited resources or who are second language learners, throughout the writing process. By employing a scaffolding approach, CoachGPT guides users from brainstorming ideas to performing grammar checks, offering real-time feedback that enhances learning outcomes. This tool aims to provide a more personalized and immersive experience compared to conventional writing assistants, effectively addressing challenges such as plagiarism risks and the lack of instructional support often found in traditional large language model applications. Overall, CoachGPT exemplifies the potential of generative AI in education by empowering students to improve their writing skills in a supportive environment.

Key Applications

CoachGPT: A Scaffolding-based Academic Writing Assistant

Context: Academic writing support for students, particularly those with limited educational resources and non-native English speakers.

Implementation: Web-based application that guides users through a structured writing process with feedback and suggestions.

Outcomes: Improved writing skills through personalized feedback and a structured approach to writing assistance.

Challenges: Potential for misuse leading to plagiarism; ensuring quality of feedback and assistance; accessibility for all users.

Implementation Barriers

Ethical

Risk of students using AI to generate essays without learning, leading to plagiarism and diminished motivation.

Proposed Solutions: Incorporating teaching elements in the AI's feedback to encourage learning and responsible use.

Technical

Large language models can forget context, have limitations in understanding domain-specific language, and may require improved user engagement.

Proposed Solutions: Implementing a scaffolding structure and user feedback mechanisms to enhance understanding and engagement.

Project Team

Fumian Chen

Researcher

Sotheara Veng

Researcher

Joshua Wilson

Researcher

Xiaoming Li

Researcher

Hui Fang

Researcher

Contact Information

For information about the paper, please contact the authors.

Authors: Fumian Chen, Sotheara Veng, Joshua Wilson, Xiaoming Li, Hui Fang

Source Publication: View Original PaperLink opens in a new window

Project Contact: Dr. Jianhua Yang

LLM Model Version: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

Analysis Provider: Openai

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