My Reflection
What were your initial thoughts or expectations about using ChatGPT and inquiry-based learning in this course?
To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy using ChatGPT for writing at first. I felt that we should develop the ability to write on our own. Using ChatGPT made me worry that everyone’s writing would end up looking the same—too perfect, leaving no room for personal growth or improvement. Over time, I also feared becoming overly reliant on this tool. However, throughout the course, my perspective on ChatGPT has changed, and I will elaborate more on this in the next question.
In the previous course on writing and composition, inquiry-based learning was introduced. Different teachers, however, have their own approaches to engaging us with this method. Personally, I have always enjoyed this type of learning because it allows each student to pursue topics that genuinely interest them. This freedom to explore our own interests makes learning exciting and motivates us to become active learners.
How has your perception of inquiry-based learning and ChatGPT changed throughout the course?
I still remember when ChatGPT was first announced; it was during my last year of high school. As a student interested in studying the humanities, the rise of this technology made me feel nervous. Many people became anxious about being replaced by ChatGPT. However, my Chinese teacher once said, "It will be those who don't know how to use it who will be replaced. We need to treat it as a tool and use our critical thinking to decide what suggestions to keep. Never become too reliant on it—learn to use it wisely."
I think my Chinese teacher's words really answer this question. Throughout the course, my perspective on this AI technology has changed. I learned how to give specific prompts, such as “Help me revise my writing, but don’t change my writing style,” or “Check whether I’ve followed the criteria and suggest ways to improve.” In short, I learned to use ChatGPT as a tool for personal growth.
Reflect on a specific instance where inquiry-based learning or ChatGPT helped improve your writing performance. How did this experience impact your learning?
ChatGPT is truly the best tool for inquiry-based learning. I have a lot of ideas in my mind regarding the topic of FOMO, which I’m really interested in. I explore knowledge by asking ChatGPT questions about the topic that I’m curious about, and it provides me with deeper insights to think about. I see ChatGPT as a teacher to discuss my ideas and thoughts, helping me organize them into a well-structured outline, identify grammatical errors, and find areas for improvement. While ChatGPT doesn’t always offer the best suggestions, it allows me to maintain my own writing style and main ideas, while helping me create a more refined essay.
What challenges did you face when engaging in inquiry-based learning or using ChatGPT? How did you overcome these challenges?
Overall, how do you think the integration of inquiry-based learning and ChatGPT has influenced your writing skills and overall learning experience?
ChatGPT is incredibly full of knowledge and often gives me so much information that it can feel overwhelming at times. This led to my essay having bits and pieces from all over the place during the outline phase. I remember having many discussions with my teacher, who pointed out that too much information can make it hard to stay focused on the real topic of my essay. So, I asked ChatGPT to organize my outline, but it was awful. I then started discussing with ChatGPT which concepts to delete and which ones to keep. While ChatGPT may not always be perfect, by combining it with my own critical thinking, it proves to be a useful tool for education. I plan to continue using ChatGPT in my future learning—quite a change in perspective, haha.
