Penny: Transition Network Analysis of Learner-Chatbot Interactions in Scaffolded EFL Writing
Generative AI chatbots promise to transform English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing by providing immediate, personalised feedback. However, their pedagogical value depends on how learners engage with them - a process often treated as a "black box." This study uses Transition Network Analysis to model the temporal dynamics of Japanese EFL learners using "Penny," an LLM-powered writing chatbot. Analysis of over 4,500 writing sessions and 21,000 chatbot interactions reveals two dominant behavioural loops: a "Revision Loop," where feedback leads directly to successful error correction, and a "Chat Loop," where learners engage in sustained dialogue with the chatbot following feedback. Cruc...
| Authors | Steve Woollaston, Brendan Flanagan, Yuko Toyokawa et al. |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.CY |
| Published | 16 July 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 16 July 2026 |
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