INTEGRATING AI WRITING TOOLS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE IMPACT ON ACADEMIC PRACTICE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26418/jefle.v6i2.103417Keywords:
ProWritingAid, Artificial Intelligence, Academic Writing, Higher Education, Systematic ReviewAbstract
A systematic literature review was conducted to examine recent research on the effectiveness, perception, and pedagogical integration of ProWritingAid and other AI-based writing tools in higher education. An electronic search was conducted using Semantic Scholar and assisted by Elicit AI to identify relevant journal articles published between 2021 and 2025. Included studies were those focusing on the use of AI-based or automated writing evaluation tools to improve students' academic writing performance, engagement, and feedback experience. Both empirical and conceptual studies were considered without restrictions on research design or geographic location. The data screening, selection, and extraction process was conducted independently using a structured coding framework. A total of 20 eligible articles were identified, which collectively highlighted 5 main thematic areas: effectiveness and accuracy, student engagement and motivation, students and teachers’ perceptions, pedagogical and institutional integration, and ethical and technical challenges. Findings show that artificial intelligence (AI)-based writing tools such as ProWritingAid, Grammarly, and ChatGPT consistently improve writing quality, grammatical accuracy, and learning motivation. However, concerns remain regarding over-reliance on automated feedback, ethical use, and data privacy. Overall, evidence indicates the pedagogical potential of AI-based writing tools when responsibly integrated into higher education contexts.References
Adelia, A. P., & Irawati, T. (2025). The Effect of Prowritingaid as Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Student’s Engagement. JEELL (Journal of English Education, Linguistics and Literature), 12(2), 111–120. https://doi.org/10.32682/jeell.v12i2.57
Aini, N., & Basthomi, Y. (2025). Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Learning English Writing in Higher Education. Journal of Learning for Development, 12(2), 364–371. https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v12i2.1596
Ariyanto, M. S. A., Mukminatien, N., & Tresnadewi, S. (2021). College Students’ Perceptions of an Automated Writing Evaluation as a Supplementary Feedback Tool in a Writing Class. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 27(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.17977/um048v27i1p41-51
Bensalem, E., Harizi, R., & Boujlida, A. (2024). Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Usage and Perceptions of AI Writing Tools. Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 14(2), 53–65. https://doi.org/10.18844/gjflt.v14i2.9344
Bimpong, B. W., Atsise, P., & Owusu, F. (2024). Exploring the Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Writing Tools in Teaching and Learning: Faculty and Students’ Perspectives in Higher Education. East African Journal of Information Technology, 7(1), 380–393. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajit.7.1.2286
Booth, A., Sutton, A., Clowes, M., & Martyn-St James, M. (2022). Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review. SAGE.
Chan, C. K., & Hu, W. (2023). Students’ Voices on Generative AI: Perceptions, Benefits, and Challenges in Higher Education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00411-8
Chen, Q. (2025). Students’ Perceptions of AI-powered Feedback in English writing: Benefits and Challenges in Higher Education. International Journal of Changes in Education. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewijce52025580
Damayanti, K. D., & Santosa, M. H. (2024). The Effect of ProWritingAid Writing Tool on the Writing Skills of EFL Students: A Systematic Literature Review. Indonesian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 4(2), 469–478. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijomr.v4i2.78943
Dja’far, V. H., & Hamidah, F. N. (2024). The Effectiveness of AI Technology in Improving Academic English Writing Skills in Higher Education. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 4(3), 579–593. https://doi.org/10.36312/jolls.v4i3.2031
Koka, N. A., Khan, A. S., & Jan, N. (2023). Exploring the Attitudes and Perceptions of Foreign Language Lecturers on AI-driven Writing Evaluation and Feedback Tools for Improving Undergraduate Writing skills. Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 58(5). https://doi.org/10.35741/issn.0258-2724.58.5.6
Marzuki, Widiati, U., Rusdin, D., Darwin, & Indrawati, I. (2023). The Impact of AI Writing Tools on the Content and Organization of Students’ Writing: EFL Teachers’ Perspective. Cogent Education, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2236469
Noviyanti, Pratiwi, D., & Apriani, S. (2025). The Impact of AI Writing Tools on Academic Writing: The Perspective of Higher Education Students in Indonesia. ACE Official Conference Proceedings, 1045–1058. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2025.91
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 Statement: An Updated Guideline for Reporting Systematic Reviews. BMJ, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pitukwong, K., & Saraiwang, S. (2024). Exploring the Effectiveness of Digital Writing Tools on Thai EFL Students’ Writing. Contemporary Educational Technology, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14808
Quratulain, Maqbool, S., & Bilal, S. (2025). The Effectiveness of AI-powered Writing Assistants in Enhancing Essay Writing Skills at Undergraduate Level. Journal for Social Science Archives, 3(1), 845–855. https://doi.org/10.59075/jssa.v3i1.166
Shahid, A., Khan, A., & Rao, R. R. (2024). An Exploration of Effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence Tools in English Language Learning at the Undergraduate Level in Pakistan. Human Nature Journal of Social Sciences, 5(2), 347–357. https://doi.org/10.71016/hnjss/vmvan923
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Research in Systematic Reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45
Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O’Brien, K. K., Colquhoun, H., Levac, D., Moher, D., Peters, M. D. J., Horsley, T., Weeks, L., Hempel, S., Akl, E. A., Chang, C., McGowan, J., Stewart, L., Hartling, L., Aldcroft, A., Wilson, M. G., Garritty, C., … Straus, S. E. (2018). PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169(7), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850
Wahyuda, M. I., & Pratiwi, D. (2025). The Accuracy of ProWritingAid Application as the Automated Writing Evaluation Tools. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Analysis, 08(04). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmra/v8-i04-04
Wahyuda, M. I., & Putera, A. A. (2022). The Effectiveness of ProWritingAid Toward Students Writing Skills in Senior High School. English Edu: Journal of English Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.18860/jetl.v1i1.1624
Wahyuningsih, S. (2024). How Artificial Intelligence Supports Undergraduate Students’ Academic Writing: Evidence from Indonesia. Prominent, 7(2), 72–84. https://doi.org/10.24176/pro.v7i2.11444
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
- Author retains the copyright and grants the journal the right of first publication of the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal
- Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book) with the acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Author is permitted and encouraged to post his/her work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of the published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
