Journal Paper Published

Abstract

Conversational AI bots are increasingly integrated into writing instruction. However, little is known about how these tools may function as multimodal learning partners in writing activities, especially among younger learners. This study examined changes in primary school students' critical thinking during and after a conversational AI bot–supported multimodal writing practice and explored students' experiences to contextualize the observed changes. A mixed-methods design was employed with 60 Grade 5 students in a Chinese primary school. Over an eight-week intervention, students transformed their narratives into multimodal representations using a conversational AI bot and created short videos combining images and narration. Quantitative data were collected at three time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up). Semi-structured interviews with nine students explored their perceptions and experiences. Quantitative results showed significant increases in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and explanation from pre-intervention to post-intervention and follow-up. Inference showed no significant increase, while self-regulation showed a short-term increase that was not sustained at follow-up. Qualitative findings suggest that conversational AI bot-supported multimodal composing helped students to externalize ideas through visual representations, which they associated with processes such as idea verification, gap detection, and revision. However, explicit multimodal representations may have reduced the need for inferential reasoning, while peer collaboration appeared to create complementary occasions for students to infer others' interpretations and reconsider their own texts. These findings suggest the potential of conversational AI bots as multimodal learning partners, while highlighting the need for continued instructional scaffolding to help sustain observed increases in students’ critical thinking.

Keywords

Conversational AI bots, Multimodal writing, Critical thinking, Primary education, Collaborative learning