UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1326 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 1326

Submission ID: 21226

Submission UUID: ff632117-1e88-4023-a328-028406702d0d

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=B1fSwiNnXUCZZ8bvpR-Ga37BTNtsWkxF3e5tAHNGdqs

Created: Fri, 08/22/2025 - 03:06 PM

Completed: Fri, 08/22/2025 - 03:06 PM

Changed: Mon, 08/25/2025 - 11:14 AM

Remote IP address: 68.63.40.89

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name Hongcui (Hannie) Du

Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns she/her/hers

When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? Dr.

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) hd17c@fsu.edu

Position Title Post Doc

FSU College (if applicable) Arts and Sciences

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Florida Center for Reading Research; Department of Psychology

Headshot (optional) {Empty}

Additional Research Mentor(s)

Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Overall Project Details

Title of the Project Smart Use or Overuse? How Students’ AI Patterns Shape Learning

Project Keywords AI Use; Critical Thinking; Individual Differences; Reading-Writing Tasks

Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes

Number of Research Assistants Needed 2

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) educational psychology, developmental psychology, social science education, education

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? {Empty}

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): Partially Remote

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 5-10

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)

Overall Research Project Description The rapid development and widespread use of generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) tools have brought new opportunities for learning and productivity, but they also raised concerns that overreliance on AI could hinder students’ critical thinking and independent reasoning. This project aims to understand how undergraduate students use generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) to complete academic reading-writing tasks, and how individual differences (such as critical thinking dispositions, prior knowledge, epistemic beliefs) shape their AI use and learning outcomes. Reading-writing tasks are common in undergraduate courses, yet little is known about how generative AI changes the way students approach to such tasks, what strategy they use, and who benefit, or may even be disadvantaged, by AI support.

In this project, we will document patterns of student-AI interaction (e.g., length of interaction, level of prompts), and identify how different types of students engage with AI during academic task completion. During the Fall semester, we will focus on research design and materials development, and will work toward securing IRB approval. In the following semester, we will conduct data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

Research Tasks As a Research Assistant, you will have the opportunity to participate in multiple phases of the project, including:

Research Design & Material Development: Help create study protocols, design reading–writing tasks, and identifying existing instruments to assess student characteristics and learning outcomes.
IRB Application: Contribute to preparing study materials and documentation for Institutional Review Board approval.
Data Collection: Assist with recruiting participants, setting up study sessions, and supporting data collection (e.g., AI log data, screen recordings, student essays).
Data Analysis: Work with both qualitative and quantitative data, including coding AI prompts, analyzing writing products, and summarizing process data.
Writing & Dissemination: Contribute to drafting research reports, conference proposals, and manuscripts. Opportunities for co-authorship may be available depending on contribution.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required Skills:
Strong attention to detail and willingness to learn new methods.
Good written and verbal communication skills.
Interest in educational psychology, learning sciences, or technology in education.
Curiosity about AI, reading/writing, and critical thinking
Preferred:
Familiarity with tools such as Excel, R, SPSS (but not required)
Familiarity with online data collection tools such as REDCap, Qualtrics
Ability to work collaboratively and communicate openly.

Mentoring Philosophy I view mentoring as a collaborative, supportive process that adapts to each student’s background and goals. I prioritize open communication, mutual respect, and constructive feedback. My aim is to provide you with meaningful opportunities to learn about the research process—from design to dissemination—while also tailoring the experience to your interests (e.g., writing, analysis, presenting).
I encourage independence and curiosity, but also ensure that students feel supported and prepared at each step. Whether you are considering graduate school, industry, or other professional paths, I want this project to serve as a foundation for your growth as a researcher and learner.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gessCL8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No

Roundtable times and Zoom links {Empty}

UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

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Year 2025

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