Chatbots and virtual assistants in higher education: supporting academic writing and research

The article aimed to analyze the impact of chatbot-assisted support on the development of academic writing and research competencies of higher education students. The proposed study was implemented using a quasi-experimental mixed design with control and experimental groups (n = 180) and measurements before and after the intervention. The assessment was carried out using the analytical rubric of academic writing, the research competencies index, as well as through AI literacy questionnaires and qualitative analysis of student reflections. The results showed a significant and moderate positive impact of the intervention. In particular, the quality of academic writing, its organization, sentence construction, and logic of argumentation improved. An increase in research competencies was also found in the experimental group of students. Besides, correlation and regression analyses showed that the level of AI literacy is a more important predictor of academic outcomes than the frequency of use of the digital assistant. The conclusion states that chatbots and virtual assistants effectively performed the function of cognitive and methodological support for academic writing and research under conditions of clear pedagogical integration and adherence to the principles of academic integrity.