Integrating Generative AI as a Tool for Formative Feedback in Large Enrollment Physics Courses

We investigated ways to integrate AI into our introductory physics classical mechanics course. We utilized ChatGPT to offer constructive written feedback to students during an optional pre-exam review activity. Given students' struggles with developing systematic problem-solving approaches and instructors' time limitations in large classes, we created prompts to connect course concepts and gather ChatGPT feedback. Data collected encompassed student responses, ChatGPT feedback, criteria provided for feedback and instructors' assessments. Through thematic analysis of feedback received from ChatGPT and instructors' assessments, our preliminary results suggest that ChatGPT can be used to provide timely constructive written feedback if provided with detailed criteria. In this talk, we present both the encouraging similarities between human instructor feedback and ChatGPT's feedback as well as some of the limitations that emerged in our study. In the future, it will be important to repeat this study with a larger sample size. This will help us confirm ways AI could potentially be incorporated in physics courses or suggest additional unforeseen subtleties about the potential effectiveness of AI as a feedback tool in physics courses.