ChatGPT effects on cognitive skills of undergraduate students: Receiving instant responses from AI-based conversational large language models (LLMs)

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of using ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art generative AI-based model, on the critical, creative, and reflective thinking skills of university students in Ghana. The study utilized a mixed-methods research approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments, and an experimental procedure with a pretest-posttest control group. The study ultimately enlisted a sample of 125 students randomly allocated to either the experiment group (60 students) or the control group (65 students). The research was conducted in the context of a Research Methodology course, which had adopted the flipped classroom approach. The students in the experiment group engaged with ChatGPT for in-class tasks, while those in the control group used traditional databases and search engines for similar tasks. Data were collected using the Critical Thinking Scale, Creative Thinking Scale, Reflective Thinking Scale, and a student interview guide (semi-structured). The study's findings illustrated that incorporating ChatGPT influenced the students' critical, reflective, and creative thinking skills and their dimensions discernibly. As a result, the study provides suggestions for academics, instructional designers, and researchers working in educational technology.