# A Cognitive Lab Study of Student AI Chatbot Use in Online Coursework

> Source: <https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-wip.1/>
> Published: 2026-10-02 00:00:00+00:00

##### Abstract

This cognitive lab study examined how secondary students in Grades 7-12 interacted with an AI-enabled chatbot while completing online course activities. Using chat logs, facilitator observations, post-session reflections, and survey responses, we analyzed spontaneous and lightly seeded interactions to evaluate whether the chatbot supported its intended theory of action: helping students continue learning without simply completing work for them. Findings highlight the importance of typing fluency, answer-boundary handling, safety and privacy response patterns, and student-facing feedback mechanisms. This study illustrates how cognitive lab evidence can inform ongoing validation.
- Anthology ID:
- 2026.aimecon-wip.1
- Volume:
- [Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Works in Progress](https://aclanthology.org/volumes/2026.aimecon-wip/)
- Month:
- October
- Year:
- 2026
- Address:
- Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Editors:
- [Joshua Wilson](https://aclanthology.org/people/joshua-wilson/unverified/) ,[Christopher Ormerod](https://aclanthology.org/people/christopher-ormerod/unverified/) ,[Magdalen Beiting-Parrish](https://aclanthology.org/people/magdalen-beiting-parrish/unverified/)
- Venue:
- [AIME-Con](https://aclanthology.org/venues/aimecon/)
- SIG:
- Publisher:
- National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)
- Note:
- Pages:
- 1–8
- Language:
- URL:
- [https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-wip.1/](https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-wip.1/)
- DOI:
- Cite (ACL):
- Jinah Choi, Sonya Powers, Farzan Karimi-Malekabadi, and Michelle Barrett. 2026. [A Cognitive Lab Study of Student AI Chatbot Use in Online Coursework](https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-wip.1/) . In*Proceedings of the Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con): Works in Progress* , pages 1–8, Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).
- Cite (Informal):
- [A Cognitive Lab Study of Student AI Chatbot Use in Online Coursework](https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-wip.1/) (Choi et al., AIME-Con 2026)
- PDF:
- [https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-wip.1.pdf](https://aclanthology.org/2026.aimecon-wip.1.pdf)