Abstract:

The rapid adoption of generative AI in higher education has created new opportunities for language learning, including personalized support and immediate feedback. At the same time, concerns have emerged that students may rely on AI primarily for answer retrieval rather than engaging in meaningful learning processes. This has led to growing interest in helping students understand how generative AI works and encouraging them to use it as a learning support tool rather than as an “answering machine.”

Building on previous work that examined AI awareness-raising activities for teachers and students, this study explores how AI-integrated task design relates to the quality of AI use in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) course at a Japanese university. The course included a short guidance session explaining how large language models generate text, followed by hands-on activities and regular assignments in which students were encouraged to use AI as part of the learning process rather than only for producing final answers. Reflection activities were incorporated to prompt students to review their learning process, including how they used AI during the tasks. The course was delivered in an on-demand format to a large class of approximately 70 first-year students, with around 60 students actively participating throughout the semester. The course design also included comprehension checks through quiz formats that were less “copy-paste friendly,” as well as instructional guidance encouraging students to use AI to expand their own expressions and knowledge. Data were collected through questionnaires and reflection papers.

The analysis examined:
(1) students’ perceptions of AI after the guidance session,
(2) patterns in how students reported using AI during the course, and
(3) emerging learner differences reflected in their reflections.

Preliminary findings indicate that many students reported a shift in their perception of AI after the guidance session—from a tool for obtaining answers to a learning support tool for exploring ideas, refining expressions, and practicing language. However, students’ actual approaches to the learning process varied. Differences were also observed in how students reported engaging with AI-integrated tasks, suggesting that the quality of AI use may vary depending on learners’ approaches to the learning process. The findings highlight the potential role of task design and reflection activities in shaping how students engage with AI in language learning contexts. Differences were also observed in how students reported engaging with AI-integrated tasks, suggesting that the quality of AI use may vary depending on learners’ approaches to the learning process. The findings highlight the potential role of task design and reflection activities in shaping how students engage with AI in language learning contexts.

Keywords:

Generative AI, task design, language learning, reflection, AI use.