The use of ChatGPT in academic writing: A case study in Education

Academic Literacy faces new challenges with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, specifically in the field of university academic writing. This study investigates the impact of ChatGPT on the quality of academic work from 33 students (7 groups) in Early Childhood Education. The project was developed in three phases, through a descriptive case study with a qualitative approach, consisting of: 1) an initial assessment using a closed ad hoc survey to understand experiences prior to using ChatGPT, 2) a comparative analysis of academic work with and without ChatGPT using a rubric and a comparative table, 3) an ad hoc open-ended survey to understand project experiences, later categorized with Atlas.ti software. The results reveal improvements in writing such as coherence, cohesion, academic language, but also certain deficiencies. It is concluded that ChatGPT can serve as a supplement to academic work, being more effective when students already have a foundation in critical, ethical, and argumentative skills.