From “corrector” to “co-author”: How college students’ interaction with AI writing assistants affects academic writing process engagement

Abstract

The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) writing assistants in academic contexts is changing how college students approach and experience the writing process. This study used a grounded theory approach to examine how students’ interactions with AI tools affect their engagement in academic writing. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 undergraduate students from different academic disciplines. The analysis generated a core category called transforming writing engagement: students’ evolving partnership with AI writing assistants. The findings show that students often move from seeing AI as a basic “corrector” to, in some cases, perceiving it as a “co-author-like” assistant. This shift involves ongoing decisions about agency, control and authenticity. Student engagement was found to include behavioural, affective and cognitive aspects. The study presents a theoretical model that explains these changes and offers insights into how students negotiate their writing practices when working with AI. It also emphasises the need to build students’ critical understanding of AI tools, so that these technologies support rather than replace their active thinking and learning during academic writing.

Implications for practice or policy:

• Educators should design reflective writing assignments to help students practise effective prompting and assess AI-generated content to foster critical AI literacy.
• Instructional designers should develop targeted resources to help students balance AI use with personal agency.

Policymakers should establish ethical guidelines for AI use in academic writing.