Presentation Completing ≠ Learning: AI, Minimal Effort, and Shallow Responses to an Online Self-Access Task Sheet more

This practice-oriented presentation examines the frequency and depth of learners' responses to an online self-access task sheet at one private Japanese university. The sheet structures students' self-access work into three stages: preparation, task completion, and reflection. Designed for use in a self-access centre, it prompts students to log task goal(s) and planned resources beforehand, describe their session task, and reflect on outcomes, challenges, and next steps. Over a semester, usage logs and response data of 150 English majors were analysed using a mixed-methods approach for two questions: How often do students engage with the task sheet, and to what extent do responses—preparation plans, task descriptions, and reflections—move beyond brief/minimal entries toward detailed, specific, future-oriented content? Quantitative measures included submission counts per student and average response length per section. Qualitative coding assessed depth (superficial vs. detailed) and specificity (vague vs. concrete strategies/plans) in a stratified sample of 100 submissions using a simple three-level rubric. Preliminary analysis revealed high completion rates, but consistent lack of depth. This ranged from minimal effort responses and AI-generated content to vaguely/superficially action-oriented reflections. The presentation concludes by exploring reasons for these patterns and measures being considered moving forward.