The overall aim of this research project is to explore students’ writing processes when they make use of chatbots in the Norwegian subject. Norwegian is the most extensive school subject in Norway and is defined as a carrier of Norwegian languages and culture, both historically and contemporary (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2020). Writing is a subject specific as well as a basic and cross-curricular core competency, and Norwegian has a particular responsibility for developing students’ writing skills (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2020). Writing does not only involve mastering formal skills, but is also understood to promote students’ Buildung and cultural understanding, support them in developing their thoughts and personal voices, as well as a method for learning (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2020).
Chatbots are based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology, specifically large language models (LLMs) that are trained on massive amounts of text data and are able to generate human-like responses, like written texts, by statistically predicting the next word in a sequence (Kasneci et al., 2023). Chatbots, powered by LLMs, are created to communicate with humans in natural conversations and provide information and answers based on our input, in a way that feels authentic (Lo, 2023). For educational purposes, students and teachers might choose, individually, to create chatbot accounts, like ChatGPT. Additionally, in Norway several counties and municipalities have provided teachers and students access to chatbots that upholds data protection regulation and may be used in teaching and learning.
Chatbots’ rapid entry into Norwegian classrooms over the last couple of years have, in many ways, shaken and stirred the subject’s grounds. Specifically, questions about the near and far future of writing have erupted; How will chatbots change, challenge, or contribute to the way we learn to write and write to learn? What will writing competencies comprise of in the near and far future? Who or what is writing: students or chatbots? How do students use chatbots, and how do teachers facilitate writing processes in these technology rich contexts? These and many other pressing matters make it very timely and extremely important to gain more knowledge about what writing in the age of chatbots comprises. This is where I want to contribute.
Research on students’ use of chatbots is a rapidly emerging but still new field. Research on chatbots in writing processes in general, and in Norwegian in particular, is very limited. Thus, it is against this backdrop, I ask the following overarching research question in my project:
How do students make use of chatbots during writing processes in the Norwegian subject?
To explore how the participants employ chatbots when writing texts, the project will adopt and apply sociocultural perspectives on learning and writing. Specifically, it will examine how chatbots are used as cultural tools in the Norwegian classroom, focusing on the collaborative and social processes that occurs through human activity, communication, and interaction with others (Säljö, 2013; Vygotsky, 1978).
With this research project I aim to make new and valuable contributions to what writing in the age of chatbots comprises now and over time. The project will contribute to the field of Norwegian subject didactics, by exploring subject related writing in technology rich environments. Writing is, as said, a cross-curricular, basic skill, making the project’s outcomes valuable across subject disciplines and didactics as well. Additionally, I hope to contribute not only with empirical knowledge, but also providing new perspectives on the sociocultural understanding of learning and writing in technology rich environments, with a particular focus on chatbots.
