Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence in a College Writing Course: A Review of Major Issues and Recent Advances

In the last decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has indeed made remarkable progress due to several key advancements. The evolution can be attributed to a combination of increased computational power, the availability of vast amounts of data, and breakthroughs in algorithms and models. Incorporating AI into an undergraduate college writing course can enhance student learning, improve writing skills and strategies, hold students accountable for their writing, and prevent plagiarism. Many colleges/universities have implemented digital software detection programs such as Turnitin, Unicheck, Scribbr, Grammarly, and Copyscape, to hold students accountable and to prevent them from plagiarizing. Given this evidence for successful implementation of AI, its use should be adopted and supported in college courses responsibly, not fearfully. This article provides effective strategies to use AI in undergraduate college writing courses or any course that uses a writing component for curriculum and pedagogy.