Exploring the Role of AI in Academic Essay Writing

by Dr Firat Batmaz

The rapid advancement of generative AI tools in recent years has significantly transformed students' approaches to academic work. This evolution necessitates a reassessment by educators of both assessment content and methodologies. Coursework-based summative assessments are particularly susceptible to AI's influence, yet have not been extensively examined. As these tools become increasingly accessible and sophisticated, the higher education sector must develop appropriate strategies and provide clear guidance.

Given the increasing role of AI, it is helpful to consider precisely how AI tools might influence students' writing. To better understand these influences, the essay-writing process can be broadly divided into four main stages:

• Idea Generation: Students can utilise AI to brainstorm ideas, identify core concepts, and initiate preliminary research. AI tools can suggest relevant topics, prompts, or sources, enhancing initial understanding and exploration.
• Organisation: AI can assist in arranging and structuring ideas logically. Mind-mapping or outlining software powered by AI helps students establish clear and coherent structures before drafting begins.
• Drafting: AI-driven text-generation tools can facilitate the creation of initial paragraphs or essay sections. Though the generated content may require refinement, it provides a starting point for further development and critical engagement by students.
• Reviewing and Editing: AI tools can assist with grammar checks, style improvements, sentence restructuring, and clarity enhancements. They are particularly beneficial in the final stages to ensure readability and coherence.

Understanding these stages clearly allows educators and students to better assess both the benefits and limitations of integrating AI into coursework. When used appropriately, AI tools can guide students through complex processes and help articulate ideas more clearly. However, over-reliance on AI may diminish opportunities for independent thinking and original writing. Therefore, understanding the implications of AI use on both the process and the final product is crucial.

Role of Educators and Institutional Response

Educators need to stay informed about AI capabilities, necessitating regular training and updates. Reviewing module-specific Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) is essential to determine if AI use aligns with assessed skills like critical thinking and argument construction. Clear coursework guidelines should specify permissible AI usage, acceptable stages for its application, and expectations for demonstrating individual contributions, such as drafts or process logs. While mechanisms for monitoring and detecting AI-generated writing are important, a detailed exploration of these policing strategies is outside the scope of this article.

The integration of AI in academic work suggests a shift in traditional concepts of authorship and originality. Viewing AI as analogous to mass-produced clothing is insightful: while it offers efficiency and accessibility, it may lack the bespoke quality of entirely original work. For example, using AI to generate a standard essay structure might be acceptable for demonstrating comprehension, but crafting a unique argument requires personal input. Institutions may need to revise criteria for evaluating originality and authenticity in this context.

In the absence of clear institutional guidance, there may be a tendency to revert to traditional examinations, potentially disadvantaging students who excel in coursework, including neurodiverse individuals. To prevent such outcomes, it is imperative to establish transparent guidelines on AI's role in assessments. This approach will uphold academic integrity while promoting inclusive and equitable educational practices.