Report Link: Link
Summary:
Recent research has highlighted downstream negative effects of AI use, including impacts on cognitive effort, critical thinking, and even social and learning behaviors. However, our findings show that students still heavily rely on LLMs because of short-term academic pressure, prioritizing immediate answers over long-term consequences. Clanker Clash addresses this gap by targeting students who already use AI frequently and nudging them toward more intentional prompting rather than restricting usage. Instead of blocking AI or forcing skill-building through separate tools, our browser extension integrates directly into existing LLM workflows and reframes prompting as a behavior that can be improved.
Clanker Clash uses gamification—specifically a tug-of-war game between humans and robots—to make prompt quality visible and motivating. Through user research, intervention studies, and assumption testing, we found that scoring systems and visual feedback significantly increase users’ awareness and intentionality when prompting. By combining real-time feedback, competition, and rewards, our solution makes better prompting more engaging and desirable, helping students develop healthier AI habits without removing the convenience that drives their current behavior.
