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  4. Structured Prompts, Better Outcomes? Exploring the Effects of a Structured Interface with ChatGPT in a Graduate Robotics Course
 
conference paper

Structured Prompts, Better Outcomes? Exploring the Effects of a Structured Interface with ChatGPT in a Graduate Robotics Course

Brender, Jérôme  
•
El-Hamamsy, Laila
•
Uittenhove, Kim  
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Tammets, Kairit
•
Sosnovsky, Sergey
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2026
Two Decades of TEL. From Lessons Learnt to Challenges Ahead - 20th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2025, Proceedings
20th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning

Prior research shows that how students engage with Large Language Models (LLMs) influences their problem-solving and understanding, reinforcing the need to support productive LLM-uses that promote learning. This study evaluates the impact of a structured GPT platform designed to promote “good” prompting behavior with data from 58 students in a graduate-level robotics course. The students were assigned to either an intervention group using the structured platform or a control group using ChatGPT freely for two practice lab sessions, before a third session where all students could freely use ChatGPT. We analyzed student perception (pre-post surveys), prompting behavior (logs), performance (task scores), and learning (pre-post tests). Although we found no differences in performance or learning between groups, we identified prompting behaviors - such as having clear prompts focused on understanding code - that were linked with higher learning gains and were more prominent when students used the structured platform. However, such behaviors did not transfer once students were no longer constrained to use the structured platform. Qualitative survey data showed mixed perceptions: some students perceived the value of the structured platform, but most did not perceive its relevance and resisted changing their habits. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts to identify effective strategies for integrating LLMs into learning and question the effectiveness of bottom-up approaches that temporarily alter user interfaces to influence students’ interaction. Future research could instead explore top-down strategies that address students’ motivations and explicitly demonstrate how certain interaction patterns support learning.

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Type
conference paper
DOI
10.1007/978-3-032-03870-8_7
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-105016157014

Author(s)
Brender, Jérôme  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

El-Hamamsy, Laila

University of Teacher Education (Haute Ecole Pédagogique) Vaud

Uittenhove, Kim  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Mondada, Francesco  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Bumbacher, Engin

University of Teacher Education (Haute Ecole Pédagogique) Vaud

Editors
Tammets, Kairit
•
Sosnovsky, Sergey
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Ferreira Mello, Rafael
•
Pishtari, Gerti
•
Nazaretsky, Tanya
Date Issued

2026

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

Published in
Two Decades of TEL. From Lessons Learnt to Challenges Ahead - 20th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2025, Proceedings
ISBN of the book

978-3-032-03870-8

Book part number

Part I

Series title/Series vol.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science; 16063

ISSN (of the series)

1611-3349

0302-9743

Start page

91

End page

106

Subjects

Behaviors

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ChatGPT

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Computing Education

•

Effectiveness

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Learning

•

Performance

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
SCI-STI-FMO1  
AVP-E-LEARN  
Event nameEvent acronymEvent placeEvent date
20th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning

ECTEL 2025

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

2025-09-15 - 2025-09-19

Available on Infoscience
September 30, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/254491
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