Exploring the Use of Chatbots in EFL Argumentative Writing: From the Perspective of Dynamic Assessment

ABSTRACT The present study aims to explore the effects of chatbot‐assisted dynamic assessment (CA‐DA) and chatbot‐assisted non‐dynamic assessment (CA‐NDA) on learners’ argumentative writing performance. Forty‐nine Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduate students participated in the study and were assigned to three groups, including CA‐DA, CA‐NDA, and a comparison group. Using data collected from an argumentative essay writing test, questionnaire, and interview, the results showed that (1) the CA‐DA group achieved comparable writing performance to both the CA‐NDA and the comparison group. However, the CA‐DA approach yielded additional benefits in helping learners generate their ideas, developing their “maturing” ideas, and emulating an authentic communication environment; (2) learners demonstrated diverse perceptions of chatbot‐assisted argumentative writing, shaped by their metacognitive awareness of DA, scaffolding needs, and a shared emphasis on authentic dialogic interaction as essential to meaningful mediation. The chatbots were perceived to be easy to use, useful, and enjoyable. Together, these findings indicate the great potential of chatbot use for developing learners’ argumentative writing ability. Study implications for implementing chatbot‐assisted learning in the classroom and refining chatbot design for chatbot development are also discussed.