Asking generative artificial intelligence the right questions improves writing performance

Yixin Cheng, Yizhou Fan, Xinyu Li, Guanliang Chen, Dragan Gasevic, Zachari Swiecki

Abstract: Highlights•Participants asked GenAI significantly more questions than a human tutor.•Questions for GenAI were one-off and focused on conceptual knowledge.•Pragmatic questioning mediated positive impact of GenAI use on performance.•Questions in GenAI were driven by knowledge deficits and social coordination.•GenAI fosters openness in addressing knowledge gaps, enhancing performance.