The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Paragraph Writing Skills Among Students at a University in Vietnam

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Paragraph Writing Skills Among Students at a University in Vietnam | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Paragraph Writing Skills Among Students at a University in Vietnam Mai Thi Hien This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6654635/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Artificial Intelligence has increasingly infiltrated and transformed English language teaching, especially in the area of writing instruction. This paper investigates the influence of Artificial Intelligence tools, particularly ChatGPT, on the English paragraph writing skills of students at a university in Vietnam using the Empower B1 textbook at a university in Vietnam. The research focuses on how AI, particularly through applications integrated into the writing curriculum, influences students' ability to write coherent, accurate, and logically structured paragraphs. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including classroom observation, analysis of 100 writing samples, surveys, and group interviews to explore both the benefits and drawbacks of using AI in the writing process. The results indicate that while AI assists students in improving accuracy and coherence in their writing, the majority of students tend to become dependent on this tool. The study also highlights a concerning trend where some students tend to over-rely on AI, using it as a tool to generate content rather than developing their own writing skills and critical thinking. The research emphasizes the need for pedagogical strategies that guide students in using AI as a supportive tool to enhance their writing while ensuring they maintain intellectual independence and critical engagement with the writing process. Artificial Intelligence English Paragraph Writing Academic Writing Vietnamese University Students Critical Thinking Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 1. Introduction The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), especially tools like ChatGPT, is opening up new opportunities in language education, including English learning and teaching. Many recent studies have shown that integrating AI into the learning process can significantly improve learners' motivation, engagement, and learning effectiveness, especially with skills such as writing and speaking (Le et al., 2024; Thai, 2023; Long, 2016). AI tools provide instant feedback, personalize lessons, and help learners practice language skills anytime, anywhere - something that traditional learning methods can hardly meet (Le et al., 2024; Van, 2023). In the context of higher education in Vietnam, where English is a compulsory subject but not the main language, paragraph writing skills at the elementary-intermediate level (B1) play a fundamental role in developing academic writing skills. Integrating AI technology into writing activities is believed to support learners in generating ideas, improving grammar, and consolidating vocabulary (Thai, 2023; Nguyen et al., 2024). Specifically, platforms such as ChatGPT are capable of providing instant feedback, modeling sample texts, and supporting self-learning – contributing to the formation of writing skills in a natural and effective way (Le et al., 2024). However, some concerns have also been raised, such as the risk of learners becoming too dependent on technology, which may impair their ability to think critically or construct their own language (Thai, 2023). This raises an important question: is AI really a supporting tool or can it become a hindrance to students' paragraph writing skills? Addressing this question is necessary to help teachers develop effective pedagogical strategies in the digital age. Teaching paragraph writing in English language teaching plays an important role in developing students' overall language skills. Writing is one of the important skills that helps students demonstrate their ability to think, structure and express their ideas clearly and coherently. The teaching of writing in English is illustrated as follows: Paragraph writing is one of the essential skills in developing logical thinking and expression. An effective paragraph usually has a structure consisting of a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences with a strong connection in content and form (Norris, CB (2016). Teaching paragraph writing requires a combination of clear instruction, personalized feedback, and frequent practice. Artificial intelligence is defined as the field of research and development of systems that are capable of performing tasks that require human intelligence, including learning, reasoning, problem solving, and natural language understanding (Russell & Norvig, 2016). In education, AI is applied to optimize personalized learning experiences, assess student performance, and provide instant support through technologies such as chatbots, adaptive learning systems, and intelligent writing tools. Text generators, such as ChatGPT, are being integrated into many writing activities. According to Hockly (2023), AI can act as a “writing companion,” helping learners improve their grammar, ideas, and presentation logic. AI contributes to innovation in teaching and learning paragraph writing through multiple steps in the teaching and learning paragraph writing process. The model below shows the steps that ChatGPT can participate in the teaching and learning of student paragraph writing. Before ChatGPT, teachers were the primary source of guidance for organizing ideas and writing paragraphs, but this process was often limited by time, student numbers, and timeliness of feedback. ChatGPT and modern AI tools have opened up new opportunities, assisting students in formulating ideas, automatically generating topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences, and providing instant feedback on grammar, vocabulary, structure, and coherence of paragraphs (Kasneci et al., 2023; Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019). In addition to providing feedback, AI also personalizes the learning experience, helping students receive instruction tailored to their individual abilities (Zhai & Ma, 2023). Writing practice previously relied on assignments and limited guidance from teachers, but with ChatGPT, students can practice continuously, receive real-time suggestions and corrections, promoting critical thinking and the ability to self-regulate their writing (Holmes et al., 2022). AI not only acts as a feedback tool but also encourages learners to self-evaluate and develop independent thinking, thereby improving their self-learning ability. However, researchers such as Murphy et al. (2023) also warn that if AI is overused, students may become passive, reducing their creativity and academic thinking. International studies have documented the positive impact of AI in each stage of writing: pre-writing, during writing, and post-writing (Roxana & Playa, 2023; Zou & Huang, 2024). However, most of the current research focuses on advanced students. In Vietnam, there is still a lack of empirical studies on the effectiveness of AI in supporting writing at the B1 level – where learners are just beginning to develop their writing skills. A study at the University of Foreign Languages – Danang University (Le, 2024) showed that third-year English Pedagogy students had positive perceptions of ChatGPT but also had difficulties in practical application. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of AI in improving paragraph writing skills for B1 level students, as well as the level of acceptance of this tool in the learning environment. 2. RESEARCH RESULTS 2.1. Data collection tools and procedures This study used a mixed-methods approach, combining classroom observations, writing analysis, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews. This design aimed to collect comprehensive data to provide an objective assessment of the impact of AI, especially ChatGPT, in teaching paragraph writing skills to B1 level students. 2.1.1. Classroom observation The study involved direct observation in a B1 level English class at a university in Hanoi. The class was observed for 15 writing periods. Observing the class over a long period of time ensured representativeness of classes with a variety of teaching methods and student learning levels. Observations focused on factors such as student engagement, changes in attitudes and writing skills after using ChatGPT, teacher-student interactions during AI application, and the use of AI tools during paragraph writing. 2.1.2. Article analysis Each student wrote two paragraphs, for a total of 100 essays from 50 students. These essays were evaluated on factors such as structure (topic sentences, supporting sentences, concluding sentences), grammar, coherence, and persuasiveness. Analyzing 100 essays from 50 students provided sufficient data to assess the improvement in students' writing skills, while ensuring objectivity and diversity in the analysis results. Comparing essays before and after using ChatGPT helped to accurately identify factors that AI can influence, especially in improving paragraph structure and grammar. The writing is analyzed using criteria such as clarity of topic sentences, logical connection of sentences and ideas, vocabulary variety, and grammatical accuracy. These criteria are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very poor, 5 = very good). 2.1.3. Quantitative survey The survey was distributed to 50 students who participated in the study, corresponding to 5 observed classes. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions, assessing their satisfaction, confidence in using AI, and changes in their perception of their writing ability. With the number of students from 5 classes, the survey collected enough data to analyze the impact of ChatGPT on students in different classes, while ensuring the representativeness of the participants. The questions were designed in the Likert format ( 1 – 5 ), helping to collect clear quantitative data. The survey data were statistically processed, using descriptive analysis and regression analysis methods to determine the relationship between the use of AI and the improvement of students' writing skills. 2.1.4. Qualitative interviews In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 students and 5 teachers. Each interview lasted 20–30 minutes, aiming to collect opinions on the experience of using AI in writing, the advantages and difficulties encountered, as well as the assessment of the effectiveness of ChatGPT. The interviews helped to supplement qualitative information, further explaining the results collected from other methods such as observation and survey. The interview data were coded and analyzed using content analysis, helping to identify key themes related to the acceptance and effectiveness of using AI in teaching writing skills. By combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, this study ensures comprehensive and highly representative data collection. Classroom observations, writing analysis, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews help assess the impact of AI on students' writing skills from various perspectives, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the research results. 2.2. Research object The research subjects in this study were 50 first-year students in an English class at a public university in Vietnam, mostly students from engineering majors. These students often do not have many opportunities to practice writing paragraphs or emails during their high school education because the high school curriculum does not focus much on these practical writing skills. During the 10-week course, students will follow the Empower B1 curriculum, with assignments provided through an integrated learning management system (LMS). The LMS will help teachers assign weekly assignments for 6 lessons (from lesson 1 to lesson 6), and these assignments will follow the curriculum. Students will receive feedback and grades from the system, helping them track their progress. Although the use of ChatGPT is voluntary and not supervised by teachers, students can use the tool to assist in practicing writing skills, grammar, and vocabulary. However, teachers only intervene and teach during class sessions, where students are guided through paragraph writing and email writing in general, aiming to develop practical writing skills. 2.3. Results from research tools The research results show that using ChatGPT in writing learning brings clear benefits, but also exposes some issues related to AI dependence and the impact on students' learning process. The use of ChatGPT in writing paragraphs has become a popular tool among students, with the majority of students reporting that they use AI to help them check grammar, improve sentence structure, and organize their writing. Students acknowledge that AI helps them save time and complete their writing quickly. However, some students only use AI passively, simply “typing the topic into ChatGPT, then editing it a bit and it’s done,” reflecting a reliance on the AI tool without actually engaging in the independent writing process. This shows a high level of AI use, but not all students use AI to improve their writing skills, but rather see it as a supporting tool to achieve quick and effective results. Students had positive attitudes towards using AI, feeling that it made it easier for them to complete their writing and improve their grammar. However, students’ learning behaviors were inconsistent. Some students abused AI to write their papers without actually engaging in the writing process. One student shared that “on days when I’m lazy, I’ll just ask ChatGPT to write it for me to speed up,” suggesting that students’ learning behaviors were sometimes lazy and not proactive in developing independent writing skills. This also reduced the quality of the writing process, as students focused only on getting high grades and ignored the opportunity to develop independent creativity and analysis skills. Students perceived that using AI could help them improve their writing quickly and easily, but they also perceived the shortcomings of not writing themselves. Some students admitted that while they knew they should write themselves, using AI helped them write better and avoid losing marks. This reflects a conflicted perception of using AI – while students knew that writing themselves would help them develop their skills, they still used AI to achieve short-term results without truly engaging in the learning process. Some students also admitted that they felt less confident without AI support, which further increased their reliance on the tool. Teachers expressed concerns about the misuse of AI in learning, as they found it difficult to assess students’ real progress when more writing may be the product of AI than the students. Teachers felt that using AI took away the real meaning of learning, making it impossible to measure students’ progress over time. This reflects one of the major challenges of integrating AI into learning: while AI improves writing quickly, it does not help students develop independent writing skills. A notable finding was that students wanted guidance on how to use AI effectively and ethically, ensuring that it does not replace the learning process but is only a supporting tool. Teachers also recognized the importance of guiding students in the appropriate use of AI, encouraging students to use AI to improve grammar and structure, but still engaging in independent writing. This suggests that the use of AI in learning needs to be monitored and controlled, to ensure that students are not just using AI as a tool to complete assignments quickly, but are also developing real writing skills. 2.4. Discussion There is no denying that using AI in writing lessons brings significant benefits to students, especially those at the B1 level who are not yet confident in grammar and sentence structure. AI, such as ChatGPT, can quickly assist in developing ideas and improving language, helping students overcome the initial barriers when faced with writing tasks. In particular, AI can help students quickly create coherent and grammatically correct sentences, which helps reduce anxiety and increase initial motivation to write. In addition, AI provides a sense of “safety” for weak learners, as they can rely on this tool to check for grammar errors and improve their writing without having to worry too much about making mistakes. This can encourage students to continue learning and gradually improve their writing skills without feeling too much pressure. In particular, for students with low confidence, AI is an effective support tool that helps them be more proactive in improving their English writing skills, especially in the first stage of learning. Despite the many benefits of AI, the study also points to a serious downside: the risk of students “writing instead of learning to write.” The fact that most of the writing is done with AI is a worrying reality, because it shows that students are becoming passive in the writing process. Instead of developing their own ideas, correcting their mistakes, and presenting their own opinions, many students rely on AI to produce their texts. This creates a false sense of achievement, as the final products do not reflect students’ true writing abilities. This also hinders the development of critical thinking in students. By not engaging deeply in the writing process, instead of relying solely on AI to complete the paper, students are less able to analyze and develop their own arguments. This deprives students of the opportunity to learn and improve important skills such as argumentation and critical thinking. In addition, assessing only the final product without considering the process of creating the paper can undermine the role of teachers, as they only grade the final product without assessing the actual progress of the students. As AI becomes more ubiquitous, teachers cannot ban its use, but must play a role in guiding and educating students on how to use it appropriately and ethically. One important solution is to design activities that require writing in a process-based manner, including steps such as brainstorming, drafting, and reflecting. This allows students to fully participate in the writing process, not only producing a final text but also learning how to develop ideas, edit, and improve their writing. Furthermore, teachers need to assess students’ thinking and reasoning abilities rather than just focusing on language. This helps to properly assess students’ real abilities in the learning process, especially their ability to develop and defend their own views. Finally, teachers also need to guide students on how to use AI ethically, avoiding students relying entirely on this tool without engaging in the independent learning process. AI can be a useful support tool, but its use must be properly controlled and guided so as not to detract from the value of the actual writing process. 3. CONCLUSION Although using ChatGPT helps students improve their grammar and writing structure, over-reliance on the tool has led to inconsistent learning behaviors and reduced independent writing skills development. Students feel less confident without AI support, and teachers find it difficult to assess students' progress when the AI tool interferes too much with their writing. To ensure the long-term effectiveness of using AI, students need to be guided on how to use AI appropriately and not abuse the tool, in order to develop independent writing skills and improve their self-learning ability. To optimize the use of AI in writing instruction and avoid the risk of becoming dependent on this tool, the following recommendations can help improve the teaching and learning process: Integrating AI education into academic writing curriculum Instructors should guide students to use AI as a reference tool, not as a substitute for individual creativity. Students should understand that AI can only assist in checking grammar and suggesting sentence structures, but that the actual writing and development of ideas should be done by students themselves. The use of AI should be geared towards developing writing skills and not at the expense of learners’ independence and creativity. Redesigning assignments and assessments There is a need to move from assessing the final product to assessing the entire writing process, including brainstorming, writing drafts, and correcting errors based on feedback from ChatGPT or the teacher. This process will help teachers assess students’ real progress and encourage them to actively participate in the writing process. Formative assessment also helps students see their mistakes and improve step by step, instead of focusing only on the final result. Develop guidelines for the ethical use of AI in academia Universities should have a specific set of rules that help students distinguish between assistance and AI plagiarism. Students should be educated on the ethics of using AI, such as citing sources for AI-suggested content, to avoid abusing the tool to copy text or detract from the learning process. Teachers should emphasize that AI is an assistive tool, but students should complete their own writing and use AI only to enhance the quality of their writing, not to replace independent writing. Encourage reflective writing Having students record their writing process is a useful way to become aware of AI intervention at each step. Students can compare their first draft with the AI-edited version and assess whether AI intervention was really necessary in the writing process. Reflection will help students become more aware of their own learning process and thereby enhance their ability to write independently. Organize non-AI writing sessions (offline or handwritten) To test students’ real writing skills and avoid AI dependency, teachers should organize offline or handwritten writing sessions, requiring students to complete a paper within a certain period of time without using any AI tools. This is an opportunity for students to actually apply their writing skills and helps teachers assess their real progress, especially in terms of creativity and argumentation. In summary, although AI, especially ChatGPT, can effectively assist in improving grammar and writing structure, teachers need to design teaching and assessment methods to ensure that students do not rely solely on AI tools, but still maintain independent development in the writing learning process. Only with the right combination of reasonable AI instruction and comprehensive assessment of the writing learning process can AI become an effective learning support tool instead of hindering the development of students' writing skills. Declarations This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of VNU University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, under Decision No. 302/QĐ-ĐHQGHN dated May 25, 2020. All participants were over 16 years old and provided informed consent to participate voluntarily and anonymously. Author Contribution M.T.H. conceived and designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. The author approved the final version of the manuscript. References Hockly, N. (2023). AI in English language education: friend or foe? English Teaching Professional, (141), 4–7. Holmes, W., Tuomi, I., Kalz, M., Whitelock, D., & Mason, J. (2022). Ethics and Artificial Intelligence in Education: Promises and Implications for Teaching and Learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(2), 287–305. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13163 Kasneci, E., Sessler, K., Küchemann, S., Bannert, M., Dementieva, D., Fischer, F., & Horz, H. (2023). ChatGPT for Good? On Opportunities and Challenges of Large Language Models for Education. Learning and Individual Differences, 103, 102274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2023.102274 Le, MTT, & Tran, K.V. (2024). Vietnamese university students' perceptions of ChatGPT for homework assistance. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 18(15), 190–204. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v18i15.48819 Long, NV (2016). Application of information technology in foreign language teaching: From international experience to Vietnamese practice. VNU Journal of Science: Educational Research, 32(2), 36–47. Murphy, R.S., Wotley, D., & Minn, D. (2023). Integrating ChatGPT into the EFL Classroom: Benefits and Challenges.基盤教育センター紀要= Bulletin/Center for Fundamental Education, (40), 97-166. Nguyen, XH, Le, TT, Do, D. K., Hoang, QN, & Nguyen, TTH (2024). Students' attitudes toward utilizing AI-based technologies to improve their speaking proficiency. HCMUE Journal of Science, 21(5), 957–970. https://doi.org/10.54607/hcmue.js.21.5.4270(2024) Norris, C.B. (2016). Academic writing in English . University of Helsinki. Roxana RF de la V. & Playa A., (2023). Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of AI-Language Learning Tools. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention 10(01):7569-7576, DOI:10.18535/ijsshi/v10i01.02 Russell, S.J., & Norvig, P. (2016). Artificial intelligence: a modern approach. pearson. Thai, TCT (2023). Attitudes and expectations of English language pedagogy students towards ChatGPT: a study at Hanoi National University of Education . Journal of Education, 51-56. Van, HN (2023). The impact of artificial intelligence technology on workers and workload. Journal of Transport Science and Technology, 3(2), 28–37. https://doi.org/10.58845/jstt.utt.2023.vn.3.2.28-37 Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, VI, Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education–where are the educators ?. International journal of educational technology in higher education, 16(1), 1-27. Zhai, N., & Ma, X. (2023). The effectiveness of automated writing evaluation on writing quality: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 61(4), 875-900. Zou, M., & Huang, L. (2024). The impact of ChatGPT on L2 writing and expected responses: Voice from doctoral students. Education and Inform ation Technologies, 29(11), 13201-13219. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6654635","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":456427151,"identity":"e7e1eef2-8a58-4d85-b1bd-b88c078735a8","order_by":0,"name":"Mai Thi Hien","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAvUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACA2YwZQPh8RCvJSGNFC1gMuEwCVrM2ZmPPbr547ycuUQC44O3bQyJ2wlpsWxmSzfOSbhtbDkjgdlwLlDLzgZCDjvMYyYN1JK44UYCmzRvG4OxwQGCWvi/AbWcqwdqYf9NpBYeNqCWAwkGQFuYgVrkiNDCBnRYWrLhzp6HzZJzzkkQoeX84WfSOTZ28ubsyQc/vCmz4SGoBaGXgbEBSEkQq54BFqejYBSMglEwCrAAAKFMOqqhqLAZAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Electric Power University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mai","middleName":"Thi","lastName":"Hien","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-13 10:53:10","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6654635/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6654635/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":82802891,"identity":"397bfce4-fe27-4707-904d-dc5c436afc1e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-15 11:44:41","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":40436,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTeaching English paragraph writing (author's synthesis)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6654635/v1/1dbc609d27bce3593bce9516.png"},{"id":82803277,"identity":"890333d9-61a8-4b4c-85cf-9fb3a3f1d384","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-15 11:52:41","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":47890,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eArtificial intelligence in teaching B1 writing (author's synthesis)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6654635/v1/d65703e87d239431888dc43f.png"},{"id":83069378,"identity":"7541a480-5860-447c-8a55-f15f44bbd18c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-19 16:19:11","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":539638,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6654635/v1/1489268e-78ef-4464-b62c-0eb3613fa500.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Paragraph Writing Skills Among Students at a University in Vietnam","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), especially tools like ChatGPT, is opening up new opportunities in language education, including English learning and teaching. Many recent studies have shown that integrating AI into the learning process can significantly improve learners' motivation, engagement, and learning effectiveness, especially with skills such as writing and speaking (Le et al., 2024; Thai, 2023; Long, 2016). AI tools provide instant feedback, personalize lessons, and help learners practice language skills anytime, anywhere - something that traditional learning methods can hardly meet (Le et al., 2024; Van, 2023).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the context of higher education in Vietnam, where English is a compulsory subject but not the main language, paragraph writing skills at the elementary-intermediate level (B1) play a fundamental role in developing academic writing skills. Integrating AI technology into writing activities is believed to support learners in generating ideas, improving grammar, and consolidating vocabulary (Thai, 2023; Nguyen et al., 2024). Specifically, platforms such as ChatGPT are capable of providing instant feedback, modeling sample texts, and supporting self-learning \u0026ndash; contributing to the formation of writing skills in a natural and effective way (Le et al., 2024).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, some concerns have also been raised, such as the risk of learners becoming too dependent on technology, which may impair their ability to think critically or construct their own language (Thai, 2023). This raises an important question: \u003cem\u003eis AI really a supporting tool or can it become a hindrance to students' paragraph writing skills?\u003c/em\u003e Addressing this question is necessary to help teachers develop effective pedagogical strategies in the digital age.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTeaching paragraph writing in English language teaching plays an important role in developing students' overall language skills. Writing is one of the important skills that helps students demonstrate their ability to think, structure and express their ideas clearly and coherently. The teaching of writing in English is illustrated as follows:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParagraph writing is one of the essential skills in developing logical thinking and expression. An effective paragraph usually has a structure consisting of a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences with a strong connection in content and form (Norris, CB (2016). Teaching paragraph writing requires a combination of clear instruction, personalized feedback, and frequent practice.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eArtificial intelligence is defined as the field of research and development of systems that are capable of performing tasks that require human intelligence, including learning, reasoning, problem solving, and natural language understanding (Russell \u0026amp; Norvig, 2016). In education, AI is applied to optimize personalized learning experiences, assess student performance, and provide instant support through technologies such as chatbots, adaptive learning systems, and intelligent writing tools. Text generators, such as ChatGPT, are being integrated into many writing activities. According to Hockly (2023), AI can act as a \u0026ldquo;writing companion,\u0026rdquo; helping learners improve their grammar, ideas, and presentation logic. AI contributes to innovation in teaching and learning paragraph writing through multiple steps in the teaching and learning paragraph writing process. The model below shows the steps that ChatGPT can participate in the teaching and learning of student paragraph writing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBefore ChatGPT, teachers were the primary source of guidance for organizing ideas and writing paragraphs, but this process was often limited by time, student numbers, and timeliness of feedback. ChatGPT and modern AI tools have opened up new opportunities, assisting students in formulating ideas, automatically generating topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences, and providing instant feedback on grammar, vocabulary, structure, and coherence of paragraphs (Kasneci et al., 2023; Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition to providing feedback, AI also personalizes the learning experience, helping students receive instruction tailored to their individual abilities (Zhai \u0026amp; Ma, 2023). Writing practice previously relied on assignments and limited guidance from teachers, but with ChatGPT, students can practice continuously, receive real-time suggestions and corrections, promoting critical thinking and the ability to self-regulate their writing (Holmes et al., 2022).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAI not only acts as a feedback tool but also encourages learners to self-evaluate and develop independent thinking, thereby improving their self-learning ability. However, researchers such as Murphy et al. (2023) also warn that if AI is overused, students may become passive, reducing their creativity and academic thinking.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInternational studies have documented the positive impact of AI in each stage of writing: pre-writing, during writing, and post-writing (Roxana \u0026amp; Playa, 2023; Zou \u0026amp; Huang, 2024). However, most of the current research focuses on advanced students. In Vietnam, there is still a lack of empirical studies on the effectiveness of AI in supporting writing at the B1 level \u0026ndash; where learners are just beginning to develop their writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA study at the University of Foreign Languages \u0026ndash; Danang University (Le, 2024) showed that third-year English Pedagogy students had positive perceptions of ChatGPT but also had difficulties in practical application. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of AI in improving paragraph writing skills for B1 level students, as well as the level of acceptance of this tool in the learning environment.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. RESEARCH RESULTS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1. Data collection tools and procedures\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study used a mixed-methods approach, combining classroom observations, writing analysis, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews. This design aimed to collect comprehensive data to provide an objective assessment of the impact of AI, especially ChatGPT, in teaching paragraph writing skills to B1 level students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1.1. Classroom observation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study involved direct observation in a B1 level English class at a university in Hanoi. The class was observed for 15 writing periods. Observing the class over a long period of time ensured representativeness of classes with a variety of teaching methods and student learning levels.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eObservations focused on factors such as student engagement, changes in attitudes and writing skills after using ChatGPT, teacher-student interactions during AI application, and the use of AI tools during paragraph writing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1.2. Article analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eEach student wrote two paragraphs, for a total of 100 essays from 50 students. These essays were evaluated on factors such as structure (topic sentences, supporting sentences, concluding sentences), grammar, coherence, and persuasiveness. Analyzing 100 essays from 50 students provided sufficient data to assess the improvement in students' writing skills, while ensuring objectivity and diversity in the analysis results. Comparing essays before and after using ChatGPT helped to accurately identify factors that AI can influence, especially in improving paragraph structure and grammar.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe writing is analyzed using criteria such as clarity of topic sentences, logical connection of sentences and ideas, vocabulary variety, and grammatical accuracy. These criteria are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;very poor, 5\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;very good).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1.3. Quantitative survey\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe survey was distributed to 50 students who participated in the study, corresponding to 5 observed classes. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions, assessing their satisfaction, confidence in using AI, and changes in their perception of their writing ability. With the number of students from 5 classes, the survey collected enough data to analyze the impact of ChatGPT on students in different classes, while ensuring the representativeness of the participants. The questions were designed in the Likert format (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3 CR4\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e), helping to collect clear quantitative data. The survey data were statistically processed, using descriptive analysis and regression analysis methods to determine the relationship between the use of AI and the improvement of students' writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1.4. Qualitative interviews\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn-depth interviews were conducted with 10 students and 5 teachers. Each interview lasted 20\u0026ndash;30 minutes, aiming to collect opinions on the experience of using AI in writing, the advantages and difficulties encountered, as well as the assessment of the effectiveness of ChatGPT. The interviews helped to supplement qualitative information, further explaining the results collected from other methods such as observation and survey. The interview data were coded and analyzed using content analysis, helping to identify key themes related to the acceptance and effectiveness of using AI in teaching writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBy combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, this study ensures comprehensive and highly representative data collection. Classroom observations, writing analysis, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews help assess the impact of AI on students' writing skills from various perspectives, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the research results.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2. Research object\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe research subjects in this study were 50 first-year students in an English class at a public university in Vietnam, mostly students from engineering majors. These students often do not have many opportunities to practice writing paragraphs or emails during their high school education because the high school curriculum does not focus much on these practical writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDuring the 10-week course, students will follow the Empower B1 curriculum, with assignments provided through an integrated learning management system (LMS). The LMS will help teachers assign weekly assignments for 6 lessons (from lesson 1 to lesson 6), and these assignments will follow the curriculum. Students will receive feedback and grades from the system, helping them track their progress.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough the use of ChatGPT is voluntary and not supervised by teachers, students can use the tool to assist in practicing writing skills, grammar, and vocabulary. However, teachers only intervene and teach during class sessions, where students are guided through paragraph writing and email writing in general, aiming to develop practical writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.3. Results from research tools\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe research results show that using ChatGPT in writing learning brings clear benefits, but also exposes some issues related to AI dependence and the impact on students' learning process.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe use of ChatGPT in writing paragraphs has become a popular tool among students, with the majority of students reporting that they use AI to help them check grammar, improve sentence structure, and organize their writing. Students acknowledge that AI helps them save time and complete their writing quickly. However, some students only use AI passively, simply \u0026ldquo;typing the topic into ChatGPT, then editing it a bit and it\u0026rsquo;s done,\u0026rdquo; reflecting a reliance on the AI tool without actually engaging in the independent writing process. This shows a high level of AI use, but not all students use AI to improve their writing skills, but rather see it as a supporting tool to achieve quick and effective results.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudents had positive attitudes towards using AI, feeling that it made it easier for them to complete their writing and improve their grammar. However, students\u0026rsquo; learning behaviors were inconsistent. Some students abused AI to write their papers without actually engaging in the writing process. One student shared that \u0026ldquo;on days when I\u0026rsquo;m lazy, I\u0026rsquo;ll just ask ChatGPT to write it for me to speed up,\u0026rdquo; suggesting that students\u0026rsquo; learning behaviors were sometimes lazy and not proactive in developing independent writing skills. This also reduced the quality of the writing process, as students focused only on getting high grades and ignored the opportunity to develop independent creativity and analysis skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudents perceived that using AI could help them improve their writing quickly and easily, but they also perceived the shortcomings of not writing themselves. Some students admitted that while they knew they should write themselves, using AI helped them write better and avoid losing marks. This reflects a conflicted perception of using AI \u0026ndash; while students knew that writing themselves would help them develop their skills, they still used AI to achieve short-term results without truly engaging in the learning process. Some students also admitted that they felt less confident without AI support, which further increased their reliance on the tool.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTeachers expressed concerns about the misuse of AI in learning, as they found it difficult to assess students\u0026rsquo; real progress when more writing may be the product of AI than the students. Teachers felt that using AI took away the real meaning of learning, making it impossible to measure students\u0026rsquo; progress over time. This reflects one of the major challenges of integrating AI into learning: while AI improves writing quickly, it does not help students develop independent writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA notable finding was that students wanted guidance on how to use AI effectively and ethically, ensuring that it does not replace the learning process but is only a supporting tool. Teachers also recognized the importance of guiding students in the appropriate use of AI, encouraging students to use AI to improve grammar and structure, but still engaging in independent writing. This suggests that the use of AI in learning needs to be monitored and controlled, to ensure that students are not just using AI as a tool to complete assignments quickly, but are also developing real writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.4. Discussion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is no denying that using AI in writing lessons brings significant benefits to students, especially those at the B1 level who are not yet confident in grammar and sentence structure. AI, such as ChatGPT, can quickly assist in developing ideas and improving language, helping students overcome the initial barriers when faced with writing tasks. In particular, AI can help students quickly create coherent and grammatically correct sentences, which helps reduce anxiety and increase initial motivation to write.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, AI provides a sense of \u0026ldquo;safety\u0026rdquo; for weak learners, as they can rely on this tool to check for grammar errors and improve their writing without having to worry too much about making mistakes. This can encourage students to continue learning and gradually improve their writing skills without feeling too much pressure. In particular, for students with low confidence, AI is an effective support tool that helps them be more proactive in improving their English writing skills, especially in the first stage of learning.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite the many benefits of AI, the study also points to a serious downside: the risk of students \u0026ldquo;writing instead of learning to write.\u0026rdquo; The fact that most of the writing is done with AI is a worrying reality, because it shows that students are becoming passive in the writing process. Instead of developing their own ideas, correcting their mistakes, and presenting their own opinions, many students rely on AI to produce their texts. This creates a false sense of achievement, as the final products do not reflect students\u0026rsquo; true writing abilities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis also hinders the development of critical thinking in students. By not engaging deeply in the writing process, instead of relying solely on AI to complete the paper, students are less able to analyze and develop their own arguments. This deprives students of the opportunity to learn and improve important skills such as argumentation and critical thinking. In addition, assessing only the final product without considering the process of creating the paper can undermine the role of teachers, as they only grade the final product without assessing the actual progress of the students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs AI becomes more ubiquitous, teachers cannot ban its use, but must play a role in guiding and educating students on how to use it appropriately and ethically. One important solution is to design activities that require writing in a process-based manner, including steps such as brainstorming, drafting, and reflecting. This allows students to fully participate in the writing process, not only producing a final text but also learning how to develop ideas, edit, and improve their writing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, teachers need to assess students\u0026rsquo; thinking and reasoning abilities rather than just focusing on language. This helps to properly assess students\u0026rsquo; real abilities in the learning process, especially their ability to develop and defend their own views. Finally, teachers also need to guide students on how to use AI ethically, avoiding students relying entirely on this tool without engaging in the independent learning process. AI can be a useful support tool, but its use must be properly controlled and guided so as not to detract from the value of the actual writing process.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. CONCLUSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough using ChatGPT helps students improve their grammar and writing structure, over-reliance on the tool has led to inconsistent learning behaviors and reduced independent writing skills development. Students feel less confident without AI support, and teachers find it difficult to assess students' progress when the AI tool interferes too much with their writing. To ensure the long-term effectiveness of using AI, students need to be guided on how to use AI appropriately and not abuse the tool, in order to develop independent writing skills and improve their self-learning ability.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo optimize the use of AI in writing instruction and avoid the risk of becoming dependent on this tool, the following recommendations can help improve the teaching and learning process:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eIntegrating AI education into academic writing curriculum\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eInstructors should guide students to use AI as a reference tool, not as a substitute for individual creativity. Students should understand that AI can only assist in checking grammar and suggesting sentence structures, but that the actual writing and development of ideas should be done by students themselves. The use of AI should be geared towards developing writing skills and not at the expense of learners\u0026rsquo; independence and creativity.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRedesigning assignments and assessments\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is a need to move from assessing the final product to assessing the entire writing process, including brainstorming, writing drafts, and correcting errors based on feedback from ChatGPT or the teacher. This process will help teachers assess students\u0026rsquo; real progress and encourage them to actively participate in the writing process. Formative assessment also helps students see their mistakes and improve step by step, instead of focusing only on the final result.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDevelop guidelines for the ethical use of AI in academia\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eUniversities should have a specific set of rules that help students distinguish between assistance and AI plagiarism. Students should be educated on the ethics of using AI, such as citing sources for AI-suggested content, to avoid abusing the tool to copy text or detract from the learning process. Teachers should emphasize that AI is an assistive tool, but students should complete their own writing and use AI only to enhance the quality of their writing, not to replace independent writing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEncourage reflective writing\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving students record their writing process is a useful way to become aware of AI intervention at each step. Students can compare their first draft with the AI-edited version and assess whether AI intervention was really necessary in the writing process. Reflection will help students become more aware of their own learning process and thereby enhance their ability to write independently.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eOrganize non-AI writing sessions (offline or handwritten)\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo test students\u0026rsquo; real writing skills and avoid AI dependency, teachers should organize offline or handwritten writing sessions, requiring students to complete a paper within a certain period of time without using any AI tools. This is an opportunity for students to actually apply their writing skills and helps teachers assess their real progress, especially in terms of creativity and argumentation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn summary, although AI, especially ChatGPT, can effectively assist in improving grammar and writing structure, teachers need to design teaching and assessment methods to ensure that students do not rely solely on AI tools, but still maintain independent development in the writing learning process. Only with the right combination of reasonable AI instruction and comprehensive assessment of the writing learning process can AI become an effective learning support tool instead of hindering the development of students' writing skills.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of VNU University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, under Decision No. 302/QĐ-ĐHQGHN dated May 25, 2020. All participants were over 16 years old and provided informed consent to participate voluntarily and anonymously.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eM.T.H. conceived and designed the study, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. The author approved the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHockly, N. (2023). \u003cem\u003eAI in English language education: friend or foe?\u003c/em\u003e English Teaching Professional, (141), 4\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHolmes, W., Tuomi, I., Kalz, M., Whitelock, D., \u0026amp; Mason, J. (2022). \u003cem\u003eEthics and Artificial Intelligence in Education: Promises and Implications for Teaching and Learning.\u003c/em\u003e British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(2), 287\u0026ndash;305. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13163\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKasneci, E., Sessler, K., K\u0026uuml;chemann, S., Bannert, M., Dementieva, D., Fischer, F., \u0026amp; Horz, H. (2023). \u003cem\u003eChatGPT for Good? On Opportunities and Challenges of Large Language Models for Education. Learning and Individual Differences,\u003c/em\u003e 103, 102274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2023.102274\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLe, MTT, \u0026amp; Tran, K.V. (2024). \u003cem\u003eVietnamese university students\u0026apos; perceptions of ChatGPT for homework assistance. \u003c/em\u003eInternational Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 18(15), 190\u0026ndash;204. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v18i15.48819\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLong, NV (2016). \u003cem\u003eApplication of information technology in foreign language teaching: From international experience to Vietnamese practice.\u003c/em\u003e VNU Journal of Science: Educational Research, 32(2), 36\u0026ndash;47.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMurphy, R.S., Wotley, D., \u0026amp; Minn, D. (2023). Integrating ChatGPT into the EFL Classroom: Benefits and Challenges.基盤教育センター紀要= Bulletin/Center for Fundamental Education, (40), 97-166.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNguyen, XH, Le, TT, Do, D. K., Hoang, QN, \u0026amp; Nguyen, TTH (2024). \u003cem\u003eStudents\u0026apos; attitudes toward utilizing AI-based technologies to improve their speaking proficiency. \u003c/em\u003eHCMUE Journal of Science, 21(5), 957\u0026ndash;970. https://doi.org/10.54607/hcmue.js.21.5.4270(2024)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNorris, C.B. (2016). \u003cem\u003eAcademic writing in English \u003c/em\u003e. University of Helsinki.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoxana RF de la V. \u0026amp; Playa A., (2023). Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of AI-Language Learning Tools. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention 10(01):7569-7576, DOI:10.18535/ijsshi/v10i01.02\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRussell, S.J., \u0026amp; Norvig, P. (2016). Artificial intelligence: a modern approach. pearson.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThai, TCT (2023). \u003cem\u003eAttitudes and expectations of English language pedagogy students towards ChatGPT: a study at Hanoi National University of Education \u003c/em\u003e. Journal of Education, 51-56.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVan, HN (2023). \u003cem\u003eThe impact of artificial intelligence technology on workers and workload. \u003c/em\u003eJournal of Transport Science and Technology, 3(2), 28\u0026ndash;37. https://doi.org/10.58845/jstt.utt.2023.vn.3.2.28-37\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZawacki-Richter, O., Mar\u0026iacute;n, VI, Bond, M., \u0026amp; Gouverneur, F. (2019). \u003cem\u003eSystematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education\u0026ndash;where are the educators \u003c/em\u003e?. International journal of educational technology in higher education, 16(1), 1-27.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZhai, N., \u0026amp; Ma, X. (2023). \u003cem\u003eThe effectiveness of automated writing evaluation on writing quality: A meta-analysis. \u003c/em\u003eJournal of Educational Computing Research, 61(4), 875-900.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZou, M., \u0026amp; Huang, L. (2024). \u003cem\u003eThe impact of ChatGPT on L2 writing and expected responses: Voice from doctoral students. \u003c/em\u003eEducation and Inform ation Technologies, 29(11), 13201-13219.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Artificial Intelligence, English Paragraph Writing, Academic Writing, Vietnamese University Students, Critical Thinking","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6654635/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6654635/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eArtificial Intelligence has increasingly infiltrated and transformed English language teaching, especially in the area of writing instruction. This paper investigates the influence of Artificial Intelligence tools, particularly ChatGPT, on the English paragraph writing skills of students at a university in Vietnam using the Empower B1 textbook at a university in Vietnam. The research focuses on how AI, particularly through applications integrated into the writing curriculum, influences students' ability to write coherent, accurate, and logically structured paragraphs. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including classroom observation, analysis of 100 writing samples, surveys, and group interviews to explore both the benefits and drawbacks of using AI in the writing process. The results indicate that while AI assists students in improving accuracy and coherence in their writing, the majority of students tend to become dependent on this tool. The study also highlights a concerning trend where some students tend to over-rely on AI, using it as a tool to generate content rather than developing their own writing skills and critical thinking. The research emphasizes the need for pedagogical strategies that guide students in using AI as a supportive tool to enhance their writing while ensuring they maintain intellectual independence and critical engagement with the writing process.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Paragraph Writing Skills Among Students at a University in Vietnam","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-15 11:44:37","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6654635/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f64971ba-a3ba-4a57-95af-f35e346ee387","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 15th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-05-19T16:11:01+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-15 11:44:37","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6654635","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6654635","identity":"rs-6654635","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}