UROP Project
Understanding Undergraduate Students’ Use of Generative AI in Academic Reading and Writing
GenAI; academic; reading; writing
Research Mentor: Hongcui (Hannie) Du, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Florida State University, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: hd17c@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Florida State University, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: hd17c@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Education, Educational Psychology, Psychology, English, Communication, Sociology, Computer Science, or related fields
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Education, Educational Psychology, Psychology, English, Communication, Sociology, Computer Science, or related fields
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
This project examines how college students use generative AI tools in academic settings, particularly during reading, writing, and critical-thinking tasks. We are interested in when students choose to use AI, how they incorporate it into their work, and how individual differences, such as students’ prior knowledge and self-regulation skills, relate to their AI use and academic performance. Current work involves analyzing data from a study conducted in Spring 2026, including coding students’ written responses and interactions with AI. The project may also involve developing and conducting a new study on students’ use of generative AI for academic writing.Research Tasks: Literature reviews; coding written responses and AI interactions; establishing interrater reliability; data management and analysis; developing study materials; and potentially assisting with participant recruitment and data collection.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Attention to detail, reliability, willingness to learn, ability to follow a coding protocol, and effective communication with the research team.
Recommended: Interest in generative AI, education, psychology, or academic writing; experience with Excel or other data-management tools; and familiarity with research methods or qualitative coding.