Developing hybrid expertise through generative AImediated ESP course design: A three-year longitudinal case study of a Bio-health English course
This longitudinal case study examines how a non-specialist English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instructor, trained in English education but with limited disciplinary expertise in Bio-Health, designed and refined an ESP course through the integration of generative AI over a three-year period (2023–2025). Using a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzed changes in instructional design practices and student perceptions. Data sources included annual student surveys, instructional materials, and the instructor’s reflective journals. Findings indicate that generative AI functioned as an external cognitive resource that reduced disciplinary content burden and supported instructional decision-making. Over time, instructional focus shifted from compensating for content limitations to structuring learning experiences through AI-supported design decisions, particularly in reading, vocabulary instruction, and project-based learning. Student perceptions of course effectiveness and major relevance increased, with the most positive evaluations following AI-supported project implementation in 2025. These changes are conceptualized as AI-mediated hybrid expertise, referring to professional knowledge in which pedagogical expertise is reconfigured through AI-supported access to disciplinary knowledge.