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Description
AI writing tools are increasingly used in EFL classrooms, but their effect on students’ independent writing ability is still unclear. This classroom-based study examines whether AI-assisted revision practice helps improve students’ independent paragraph writing. Pre- and post-writing samples collected over three years from Japanese college students were analyzed across three instructional conditions: no AI intervention, high AI intervention, and low AI intervention. The study examines changes in writing fluency, accuracy, and syntactic complexity.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
- To what extent is AI-assisted writing instruction associated with changes in students’ independent writing performance?
- How do different levels of AI use relate to changes in writing fluency, accuracy, and complexity?
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Results show changes in students’ independent writing over the semester. Students in the AI-use groups showed more improvement than students in the no-AI group. Improvements were mainly seen in writing fluency and syntactic complexity, while changes in accuracy were smaller. Differences were also found between the high-AI and low-AI groups, suggesting that the amount of AI use may influence writing development. These results suggest that AI tools can support writing development when they are used for guided revision while students still practice writing on their own.
Abstract section 5: References
Skehan, P. (1998). A cognitive approach to language learning. Oxford University Press.
Wolfe-Quintero, K. E., Inagaki, S., & Kim, H. Y. (1998). Second language development in writing: Measures of fluency, accuracy, & complexity. University of Hawai‘i Press.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
AI writing tools are becoming more common in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, especially during drafting and revision. These tools can give students helpful language support and feedback. However, some teachers worry that frequent AI use may reduce students’ ability to write on their own and may lead to dependence on AI-generated text. For this reason, it is important to understand how AI use affects students’ independent writing development. This study examines how different levels of AI use in classroom writing instruction relate to changes in students’ independent writing performance, focusing on fluency, accuracy, and complexity (Skehan, 1998).
Abstract section 3: Content/method
Data were collected over three academic years from about 150 Japanese college students per year in a required EFL writing course. Three instructional conditions were compared: no AI use, high AI use, and low AI use. Students completed timed paragraph-writing tasks at the beginning and end of the semester without AI tools. Writing samples were analyzed for fluency, accuracy, and syntactic complexity (Wolfe-Quintero et al., 1998).
| Title | From AI Assistance to Independent EFL Writing |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |