Abstract:

With the increasing popularity of generative artificial intelligence, especially OpenAI ChatGPT and Google Gemini, there is a need to explore its potential applications in educational processes. This paper presents the outcomes of our research in AI-supported language learning, focusing on 5th-grade students in Croatian primary schools. For this purpose, we developed an application for practicing tasks related to spelling errors in the Croatian language. Each student received approximately 50 randomly selected sentences for practice, which they had to analyze, determine whether they were grammatically correct, and if not, correct the spelling errors within them. The sentences provided to students for practice were generated by ChatGPT and based on data from the Croatian academic spelling checker Ispravi.me, from which we extracted a list of the most common spelling errors made by its users. Our application also features an integrated scoring system, as gamification elements are known to boost students' interest, engagement, and motivation. Therefore, students received points for each correctly solved task. In addition to the data gathered from the practice activity log, students were given a brief questionnaire to collect supplementary information and gauge their attitudes towards the conducted activity. In addition to student testing, we also conducted a short survey among their teachers. The teachers were presented with a set of test sentences, some of which were ChatGPT-generated content and others were excerpts extracted from renowned Croatian literary works. Their task was to distinguish between sentences generated by artificial intelligence and those derived from literary works, in order to assess the quality and appropriateness of sentences generated by ChatGPT in comparison to literary works.

Preliminary results suggest that, with a certain degree of caution, artificial intelligence tools can be used as assistance in creating educational materials and tasks. Furthermore, employing a digital game-based approach for spelling practice has a great potential in enhancing student interest and engagement, potentially resulting in more effective learning outcomes.

Keywords:

Technology-enhanced learning, generative AI, language learning, gamification, spelling.