{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4410986723","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/educon62633.2025.11016406","title":"Scaffold or Crutch? Examining College Students' Use and Views of Generative AI Tools for STEM Education","display_name":"Scaffold or Crutch? Examining College Students' Use and Views of Generative AI Tools for STEM Education","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-04-22","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4410986723","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/educon62633.2025.11016406"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/educon62633.2025.11016406","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/educon62633.2025.11016406","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2025 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5019479887","display_name":"Karen D. Wang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3653-2706"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I880766802","display_name":"Graduate School USA","ror":"https://ror.org/04n835f38","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I880766802"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Karen D. Wang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Graduate School of Education"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Graduate School of Education","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I880766802"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5043020442","display_name":"Zhilu Wu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7278-632X"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhangyang Wu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Physics"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Physics","institution_ids":[]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5115004431","display_name":"L'Nard Tufts","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I97018004","display_name":"Stanford University","ror":"https://ror.org/00f54p054","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I97018004"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"L'Nard Tufts","raw_affiliation_strings":["Stanford University,Department of Mechanical Engineering,Stanford,California,USA,94305"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Stanford University,Department of Mechanical Engineering,Stanford,California,USA,94305","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I97018004"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5006656464","display_name":"Carl Wieman","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1449-9319"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Carl Wieman","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Physics"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Physics","institution_ids":[]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5065082560","display_name":"Shima Salehi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6077-3193"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I880766802","display_name":"Graduate School USA","ror":"https://ror.org/04n835f38","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I880766802"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shima Salehi","raw_affiliation_strings":["Graduate School of Education"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Graduate School of Education","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I880766802"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5069105490","display_name":"Nick Haber","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8804-7804"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I880766802","display_name":"Graduate School USA","ror":"https://ror.org/04n835f38","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I880766802"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Nick Haber","raw_affiliation_strings":["Graduate School of Education"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Graduate School of Education","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I880766802"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":6,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5019479887"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I880766802"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":35.0675,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":10,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99644033,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":99,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"1","last_page":"10"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13482","display_name":"Engineering Education and Technology","score":0.9172999858856201,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13482","display_name":"Engineering Education and Technology","score":0.9172999858856201,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/crutch","display_name":"Crutch","score":0.8580856919288635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scaffold","display_name":"Scaffold","score":0.798936128616333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.5201488137245178},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mathematics-education","display_name":"Mathematics education","score":0.4814664423465729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/generative-grammar","display_name":"Generative grammar","score":0.44886529445648193},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/artificial-intelligence","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","score":0.3386768698692322},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human\u2013computer-interaction","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","score":0.3205753266811371},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/psychology","display_name":"Psychology","score":0.3040487468242645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/engineering","display_name":"Engineering","score":0.26438528299331665},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/programming-language","display_name":"Programming language","score":0.11653876304626465},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/structural-engineering","display_name":"Structural engineering","score":0.06349536776542664}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778345045","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q268828","display_name":"Crutch","level":2,"score":0.8580856919288635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C89429830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q735710","display_name":"Scaffold","level":2,"score":0.798936128616333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.5201488137245178},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145420912","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q853077","display_name":"Mathematics education","level":1,"score":0.4814664423465729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39890363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36108","display_name":"Generative grammar","level":2,"score":0.44886529445648193},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.3386768698692322},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.3205753266811371},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.3040487468242645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.26438528299331665},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.11653876304626465},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66938386","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q633538","display_name":"Structural engineering","level":1,"score":0.06349536776542664}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/educon62633.2025.11016406","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/educon62633.2025.11016406","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2025 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4","display_name":"Quality Education","score":0.8100000023841858}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":32,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W2053519262","https://openalex.org/W2095632701","https://openalex.org/W2160830805","https://openalex.org/W2259986987","https://openalex.org/W2562986337","https://openalex.org/W2971755171","https://openalex.org/W3019879938","https://openalex.org/W3191212485","https://openalex.org/W4207052600","https://openalex.org/W4235315268","https://openalex.org/W4246933807","https://openalex.org/W4248876967","https://openalex.org/W4292641143","https://openalex.org/W4323655724","https://openalex.org/W4377855098","https://openalex.org/W4384156431","https://openalex.org/W4384464487","https://openalex.org/W4384662087","https://openalex.org/W4387144847","https://openalex.org/W4387531855","https://openalex.org/W4390082902","https://openalex.org/W4390315357","https://openalex.org/W4390981665","https://openalex.org/W4392296006","https://openalex.org/W4392484199","https://openalex.org/W4398194304","https://openalex.org/W4399627833","https://openalex.org/W4401078035","https://openalex.org/W4401854290","https://openalex.org/W4402467338","https://openalex.org/W6771915120","https://openalex.org/W6870453994"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W1965297774","https://openalex.org/W2942000095","https://openalex.org/W4386732120","https://openalex.org/W2895959491","https://openalex.org/W2110615873","https://openalex.org/W2055765594","https://openalex.org/W2658182906","https://openalex.org/W2792222415","https://openalex.org/W2744699734","https://openalex.org/W2084416109"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Developing":[0],"problem-solving":[1,21,50,68,227,252,301],"competency":[2,51],"is":[3],"central":[4],"to":[5,20,48,104,131,200,220,240,282,294,298],"Science,":[6],"Technology,":[7],"Engineering,":[8],"and":[9,23,56,81,137,145,156,184,259,266,292],"Mathematics":[10],"(STEM)":[11],"education,":[12],"yet":[13],"translating":[14],"this":[15],"priority":[16],"into":[17,280],"effective":[18,136],"approaches":[19,239],"instruction":[22],"assessment":[24],"has":[25],"been":[26],"a":[27,53,95,216],"significant":[28],"challenge.":[29],"The":[30,165,189,254],"recent":[31],"proliferation":[32],"of":[33,66,113,159,170,209,263],"generative":[34],"artificial":[35],"intelligence":[36],"(genAI)":[37],"tools":[38,59,89,103,161,172,195,243,272,297],"like":[39],"ChatGPT":[40],"in":[41,52,74,90,142,173,196,247,273,289],"higher":[42],"education":[43],"introduces":[44],"new":[45],"considerations:":[46],"how":[47,57,80,99,281,293],"define":[49],"genAI":[54,88,139,160,171,194,242,271,287],"era,":[55],"these":[58,76,102],"can":[60],"help":[61],"or":[62],"hinder":[63],"students'":[64,237,258,300],"development":[65],"STEM":[67,92,115,129,143,163,174,197,251,260,274,290],"competency.":[69,302],"Our":[70,150,276],"research":[71],"takes":[72],"steps":[73],"examining":[75],"considerations":[77],"by":[78],"studying":[79],"why":[82],"college":[83,116],"students":[84,117,284],"are":[85],"currently":[86],"using":[87,193,270],"their":[91,106,146,225,249],"coursework,":[93],"with":[94,186,269],"specific":[96],"focus":[97],"on":[98,135,285],"they":[100],"employ":[101],"support":[105],"problem-solving.":[107],"We":[108],"conducted":[109],"an":[110],"online":[111],"survey":[112],"40":[114],"from":[118],"diverse":[119,157],"institutions":[120],"across":[121],"the":[122,210,264],"US.":[123],"In":[124],"addition,":[125],"we":[126,204],"surveyed":[127],"28":[128],"faculty":[130],"understand":[132],"instructor":[133],"views":[134],"ineffective":[138],"tool":[140],"use":[141,168,288],"courses":[144,291],"guidance":[147],"for":[148,192,218],"students.":[149,164],"findings":[151,230,277],"reveal":[152],"high":[153,234],"adoption":[154,235],"rates":[155],"applications":[158],"among":[162],"most":[166],"common":[167],"cases":[169],"coursework":[175,198],"include":[176],"finding":[177],"explanations,":[178],"exploring":[179],"related":[180],"topics,":[181],"summarizing":[182],"readings,":[183],"helping":[185],"problem-set":[187],"questions.":[188],"primary":[190],"motivation":[191],"was":[199],"save":[201],"time.":[202],"Moreover,":[203],"found":[205],"that":[206,232],"over":[207],"half":[208],"student":[211],"participants":[212],"reported":[213],"simply":[214],"inputting":[215],"problem":[217],"AI":[219],"generate":[221],"solutions,":[222],"potentially":[223],"bypassing":[224],"own":[226,250],"processes.":[228],"These":[229],"indicate":[231],"despite":[233],"rates,":[236],"current":[238],"utilizing":[241],"often":[244],"fall":[245],"short":[246],"enhancing":[248],"competencies.":[253],"study":[255],"also":[256],"explored":[257],"instructors'":[261],"perceptions":[262],"benefits":[265],"risks":[267],"associated":[268],"education.":[275],"provide":[278],"insights":[279],"guide":[283],"appropriate":[286],"design":[295],"genAI-based":[296],"foster":[299]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":7}],"updated_date":"2026-03-13T16:22:10.518609","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}
