Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

DOI

10.1111/ejed.70576

Publication Title

European Journal of Education

Volume

61

Issue

2

Pages

e70576

Abstract

The rapid scaling of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology presents opportunities for personalised learning experiences and facilitates collaborative learning, including collaborative argumentation (CA). However, empirical research examining students' perceptions of GenAI-assisted CA within classroom contexts remains limited. This study explored university students' experiences with GenAI-assisted CA through in-depth interviews with 36 students following a CA activity using a ChatGPT4-embedded argumentation platform developed by the research team. Findings indicate that students viewed GenAI as serving multiple roles, including tool, facilitator, teaching assistant and machine buddy. Students perceived that GenAI-assisted CA could empower task performance and create a collaborative learning environment. Meanwhile, they found three challenges, including students'-, AI- and learning environment-related challenges during GenAI-assisted CA. These findings offer evidence-based strategies for educators seeking to integrate GenAI into the design of collaborative learning activities and guidelines for developers on the design of pedagogical AI for creating student-centered GenAI-powered collaborative learning.

Rights

© 2026 The Authors.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Data Availability

Article states: "The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to concerns regarding the privacy of study participants. However, data may be made available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request."

Original Publication Citation

Kim, J., Yu, S., Detrick, R., Fan, L. J., & Li, N. (2026). Students' perception of generative AI-assisted collaborative argumentation. European Journal of Education, 61(2), Article e70576. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70576

ORCID

0000-0002-3365-7354 (Kim), 0009-0000-5610-2864 (Detrick)

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