Resurrecting Socrates in the Age of AI: A Study Protocol for Evaluating a Socratic Tutor to Support Research Question Development in Higher Education
Project Overview
The document outlines a study protocol aimed at evaluating an AI-based Socratic Tutor designed to improve research question development in higher education. This generative AI tool engages students through reflective questioning, which encourages deeper cognitive engagement and mitigates the risk of overreliance on AI-generated outputs. The study involves comparing the performance of students using the Socratic AI Tutor with those interacting with a standard uninstructed chatbot, focusing on the quality of research questions produced and students' perceptions of the AI tool. The findings underscore the significance of pedagogically aligned AI in educational contexts, highlighting its role in fostering critical thinking and enhancing human cognition rather than merely acting as a replacement for traditional learning methods. Overall, the document emphasizes the transformative potential of generative AI in education, advocating for its thoughtful integration to support and enrich the learning experience.
Key Applications
AI-based Socratic Tutor
Context: Higher education, specifically for pre-service biology teacher students in Germany.
Implementation: A quasi-experimental design with two groups: one using the Socratic AI Tutor and the other using an uninstructed chatbot, involving iterative cycles of research question development.
Outcomes: Improvement in the quality of research questions and increased cognitive engagement among students using the Socratic AI Tutor compared to the uninstructed group.
Challenges: Potential overreliance on AI recommendations, difficulties in fostering deeper critical thinking, and the limitations of using a proprietary AI model.
Implementation Barriers
Pedagogical
The tendency of students to rely too heavily on AI-generated answers, leading to diminished critical thinking skills.
Proposed Solutions: Integrating Socratic questioning principles into AI tools to encourage reflective engagement and critical reasoning.
Technical
Using proprietary AI models that lack transparency and pedagogical coherence.
Proposed Solutions: Developing more transparent and adaptable AI tools that align with educational goals and teaching methodologies.
Project Team
Ben Degen
Researcher
Contact Information
For information about the paper, please contact the authors.
Authors: Ben Degen
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