The Impact of Quillbot as an Automated Writing Evaluation Tool on EFL learners

Abstract

Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) constitutes a machine-based approach employed in the evaluation of learners' writing proficiency. Recently, its widespread implementation has been geared towards enhancing learners' editing competencies. The primary objective of this research was to thoroughly assess QuillBot as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool system, specifically examining its utility for students in the context of paraphrasing and checking grammatical, mechanical and organizational mistakes. QuillBot stands as an online application designed to facilitate the paraphrasing of written content, mitigate the risk of plagiarism, condense lengthy sentences, and enhance grammatical precision to impart a professional appearance. This tool serves as a viable alternative for students confronted with the challenge of rephrasing content when manual efforts prove challenging or when innovative ideas for paraphrasing are not readily available. Employing a pre-post quasi-experimental research design with convenience sampling, the study focused on automated writing of a descriptive paragraph. A total of Turkish 48 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were distributed across two groups, encompassing control group and experimental group. The quasi-experimental design incorporated triangulation with qualitative data derived from retrospective notes and reflective journal notes, while quantitative data underwent analysis via non-parametric tests and SPSS. Findings indicated a positive impact of the Quillbot on experimental group. The qualitative data analysis underscored participants' favourable assessments of both the software and the automated writing experiences.