More polished, not necessarily more learned: LLMs and perceived text quality in higher education.

ABSTRACT: The use of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT is a prominent topic in higher education, prompting debate over their educational impact. Studies on the effect of LLMs on learning in higher education often rely on self-reported data, leaving an opening for complimentary methodologies. This study contributes by analysing actual course grades as well as ratings by fellow students to investigate how LLMs can affect academic outcomes. We investigated whether using LLMs affected students' learning by allowing them to choose one of three options for a written assignment: (1) composing the text without LLM assistance; (2) writing a first draft and using an LLM for revisions; or (3) generating a first draft with an LLM and then revising it themselves. Students' learning was measured by the

SUBMITTER: Tarning B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12702930 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature