Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education

First Committee Member

E. Michael Nussbaum

Second Committee Member

Vanessa Vongkulluksn

Third Committee Member

Nathan Slife

Fourth Committee Member

Kendall Hartley

Number of Pages

155

Abstract

The fast-paced changes caused by generative AI (GenAI) innovations call for exploring the potential benefits of GenAI in empowering 21st-century pedagogical strategies. Previous studies in the field of argumentation have shown how students can benefit from using critical questions. However, scaffolding argument evaluation through custom GenAI using critical questions has not been systematically investigated. This study involved two components: (1) designing and determining the usability of a GPT-powered conversational assistant (CQMAA Conversational Assistant) and (2) testing its impact on participants' efficacy for argument evaluation and their acceptance of GenAI as a learning tool through a pretest–posttest experiment. A convergent mixed-methods design was used to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Results from 43 undergraduate students taking preservice teacher education courses showed that the CQMAA Conversational Assistant was highly usable. Interacting with the conversational assistant had statistically significant positive effects on both participants’ self-efficacy for argument evaluation and their technology acceptance. Potential moderating variables (gender, ethnicity, and academic major) yielded no significant differences in terms of gains in self-efficacy and technology acceptance, suggesting comparable impacts of the conversational assistant across groups. The findings not only show the benefits of leveraging GenAI to scaffold quality argumentation but also highlight the value of integrating the skill of designing custom GenAI tools into teacher education, thereby supporting innovative pedagogical strategies and promoting responsible and equitable use of the technology.

Keywords

argument evaluation; artificial intelligence in education; critical questions; GPT-powered conversational assistants; preservice teachers; usability testing

Disciplines

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics | Cognitive Psychology | Computer Engineering | Education

File Format

PDF

File Size

1400 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS