#189: Expertise in Two Dimensions: Mathematical Problem Solving with ChatGPT

Using tools to solve problems within a subject domain requires both knowledge of the domain and of the tool itself. Drawing from perspectives on building expertise, we analyzed task-based episodes where undergraduates solved a mathematics free response question with ChatGPT-4o. We present four contrasting cases of students’ problem solving and discuss how their knowledge of (a) the underlying mathematics and (b) ChatGPT-4o appeared to influence what they did and did not understand. We situate our findings in broader education debates on the role of intelligent agents in developing human expertise.