ChatGPT as Cognitive Partner: A Mixed-Methods Study with Puerto Rican University Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Generative AI, Identity, and Cognitive Partnership

Abstract

This study explores how students at the University of Puerto Rico use ChatGPT for academic and research tasks, framed within the theory of distributed cognition. Using a mixed-methods design, we surveyed 227 students and conducted interviews with 16 selected participants. Results show that while ChatGPT is primarily used for conceptual clarification and summarization, concerns about accuracy, bias, and ethical boundaries remain. Students are engaged with ChatGPT as a cognitive tool rather than a replacement, reflecting collaborative and metacognitive practices. The study contributes to critical AI literacy, highlighting opportunities for responsible integration of generative AI in education. It also centers the voices of underrepresented students in Latin America in conversations about the future of learning and technology.

Author

• Samuel Colón De La Rosa, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras