Student Perceptions of ChatGPT Use in a College Essay Assignment: Implications for Learning, Grading, and Trust in Artificial Intelligence

This study examined student experiences before and after an essay writing assignment that required the use of ChatGPT within an undergraduate engineering course. Utilizing a pre-post study design, we gathered data from 24 participants to evaluate ChatGPT's support for both completing and grading an essay assignment, exploring its educational value and impact on the learning process. Our quantitative and thematic analyses uncovered that ChatGPT did not simplify the writing process. Instead, the tool transformed the student learning experience yielding mixed responses. Participants reported finding ChatGPT valuable for learning, and their comfort with its ethical and benevolent aspects increased post-use. Concerns with ChatGPT included poor accuracy and limited feedback on the confidence of its output. Students preferred instructors to use ChatGPT to help grade their assignments, with appropriate oversight. They did not trust ChatGPT to grade by itself. Student views of ChatGPT evolved from a perceived "cheating tool" to a collaborative resource that requires human oversight and calibrated trust. Implications for writing, education, and trust in AI are discussed.