From retrieval to generative models: a design-based research approach to developing a chatbot for argumentative writing

Chatbots have emerged as a valuable tool in the field of English as a foreign language (EFL) education, particularly following the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. Numerous studies have since investigated the potential of chatbots for enhancing writing skills. Our interest in chatbot-supported writing instruction predates this release, and the advent of ChatGPT has opened new avenues for our research. This Innovative Practice paper details our design-based research project, initiated in September 2021 and spanning approximately three years, during which we developed Argumate, a chatbot designed to facilitate EFL students' argumentative writing. This paper delineates our development process, tracing our initial use of retrieval models in the chatbot's development to our current application of generative models in refining Argumate. Overall, this paper provides valuable insights into the process of developing chatbots to support students' argumentative writing.