Interaction Patterns between Learners and AI Tools for English Writing

Abstract

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has drawn educators' attention to its educational potential. However, the efficacy of AI depends on learners' effective interaction, avoiding either neglect or excessive dependence. Despite the significance of learner-AI interaction, research on interaction patterns remains limited. This study investigates how EFL (English as a foreign language) learners interact with an AI tool for English writing and explores the effects of different interaction patterns on their writing performance. Through an experiment involving 29 EFL undergraduates, three distinct interaction patterns emerged, exhibiting significant differences in their engagement with the AI tool. The comparisons of the three clusters indicate that different AI interaction patterns lead to varied interaction approaches, and not all learners equally benefit from AI's potential. In order to promote productive learner-AI interaction in educational environments, instructors should provide personalized support and feedback.