Presentation ChatGPT as a Writing Peer: Enhancing University Students’ Writing Skills Beyond Genres Through AI-Assisted Formative Assessment more

Formative assessment has proven effective for evaluating academic writing at the tertiary level (Anderson & Ayaawan, 2023; Maphapatra, 2024) thanks to self and peer feedback. Since its debut in 2022, ChatGPT has drawn attention among language scholars for supporting formative assessment of in-class writing at universities. It helps students not only with idea generation (Lingard, 2023) but also adjusts feedback according to their English proficiency level (Barrot, 2023), serving as a reliable peer. However, existing studies predominantly focus on writing genres (e.g., argumentative essays) rather than essential skills like writing strong thesis statements, leaving students unprepared for new writing styles. Therefore, focusing on university students in Japan, this study integrates ChatGPT into the writing curriculum through lectures to enhance students’ writing skills and confidence when tackling diverse genres. The presentation outlines the research design and data collected through in-class pre-tests and post-tests with approximately 40 students over four weeks. Each week focuses on a specific writing skill, with ChatGPT assisting students’ weekly assignments. Surveys are also conducted to corroborate the test results and assess whether ChatGPT is perceived as a useful peer in the writing process. The findings provide insights into integrating generative AI tools to cultivate effective writing skills beyond specific genres in higher education.