Can Artificial Intelligence Give a Hand to Open and Distributed Learning? A Probe into the State of Undergraduate Students' Academic Emotions and Test Anxiety in Learning via ChatGPT

Artificial Intelligence (AI), as an innovation in technology, has greatly affected human life. AI applications such as ChatGPT have been used in different fields, particularly education. However, the use of AI applications to enhance undergraduate students' academic emotions and test anxiety has not been appropriately investigated. This study addresses the effects of undergraduate students' test anxiety and academic emotions. A total of 160 undergraduate students majoring in different fields of study were selected through convenience sampling and divided into control and experimental groups. Both groups received test anxiety and academic emotions scales at the onset of the treatment. The students assigned to the experimental group were trained to use ChatGPT and monitored for learning and doing their assignments outside the classroom during the semester. The two groups received the scales at the end of the semester, which lasted 16 weeks. Independent samples t-tests were used for analyzing the data. Results revealed that using AI-empowered applications significantly reduced the students' test anxiety and negative academic emotions but enhanced their positive academic emotions. Students can use ChatGPT as an auxiliary instrument to overcome their negative emotions and enhance their educational attainment. Findings affect teachers, educational technologists, educational psychologists, and students.