AI-assisted Adaptive Feedback for Diploma Students’ Writing Skill Development: A Case Study at City University Malaysia

Abstract

This study focuses on the effect AI-powered adaptive feedback tools have on improving the English writing skills of vocational students in Malaysia. This research was carried out as a case study with 32 diploma students from the Culinary Arts program at City University Malaysia for a period of 8 weeks. Students worked with Grammarly everyday throughout the entire process of intervention for them to get personal feedback about their writing and also had weekly check-in sessions with their teachers to review their progress. They were observed during 3 different stages: before the program started, halfway through it, and after it ended. The focus was mainly on grammar accuracy, vocabulary use, and general flow. Improvements became more noticeable around the fourth week when the data showed an upward trend in students' writing skills. Students' reflection diaries and interviews with the instructor provided insights into how students felt about the fast feedback and exactness of the AI system. They think it helps them find and fix grammar mistakes, and learn new words. In sum, AI-based tools, if combined with teachers’ assistance, could have a positive impact on the development of writing skills in TVET settings. It is also good to evaluate how far we are from the half way point of such intervention so as to understand how the students are learning and what kind of changes need to be made by the educator.