Comparing ChatGPT, SciSpace, Copilot, and Human Brainstorming

This assignment introduces students to collaborative inquiry, AI-assisted research, and critical source evaluation within the context of contemporary social issues. Working in groups, students brainstorm a course-related social problem, develop an exploratory research question, and generate preliminary explanations grounded in personal experience, common sense, and course concepts. They then use SciSpace Copilot to gather scholarly sources and apply the CRAAP test to evaluate credibility and relevance. Students subsequently compare these findings with responses generated by ChatGPT, analyzing similarities and differences in scope, reasoning, and evidence. Through structured reflection, students critically assess how AI shapes the research and information-gathering process. As the first stage of a scaffolded project, this assignment builds toward the creation of an infographic that disseminates researched insights and potential solutions, strengthening students’ information literacy, critical thinking, and ethical AI use.