Grammarly Survey Unveils Widespread Adoption, Positive Impact, and Areas for Improvement
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The tool’s impact is particularly notable among non-native English speakers, with instructors praising it for aligning with UIC’s mission of fostering inclusivity and supporting diverse learners.
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Learning Technology Solution’s fall Grammarly survey shed light on how Grammarly is being used as a writing support tool. With 292 responses — comprising 198 students, 51 instructors, and 43 staff members — the survey underscores Grammarly’s significant role in enhancing writing quality across campus while highlighting areas for refinement.
Grammarly’s Reach and Effectiveness
The survey revealed that Grammarly has become integral to UIC’s academic and professional life. A remarkable 85% of respondents reported using Grammarly daily or weekly, signifying widespread reliance on its features for writing support. 83% of participants deemed its installation and setup user-friendly, making it accessible for individuals with varying levels of technical proficiency.
Respondents overwhelmingly agreed on Grammarly’s benefits:
- Error Reduction: 85% said Grammarly helps reduce writing errors.
- Improved Clarity: 82% indicated that it assists in clearer communication.
- Boost in Confidence: 80% noted a confidence boost in their writing.
- Skill Development: 81% believed Grammarly enhanced their writing skills, and 80% felt it positively influenced their academic or professional performance.
- Assignment Support: 83% stated Grammarly improved their assignments or projects, with many crediting it for identifying mistakes they would have otherwise missed.
The tool’s impact is particularly notable among non-native English speakers, with instructors praising it for aligning with UIC’s mission of fostering inclusivity and supporting diverse learners.
Specific Use Cases Across Campus
The feedback revealed diverse applications of Grammarly:
- Instructors found it especially useful for professional communication, preparing presentations, giving feedback, and academic writing. They highlighted its ability to improve grammar, vocabulary, tone, and sentence structure.
- Staff members relied on Grammarly to maintain high standards of clarity and correctness in departmental communications, often saving significant time on edits and revisions.
- Students appreciated Grammarly’s ability to enhance grammar, vocabulary, and tone while increasing their efficiency in writing. They also noted that its AI features helped overcome writer’s block and facilitated smoother revisions.
Challenges Identified by Users
Despite its benefits, the survey also revealed areas where Grammarly falls short.
- Generative AI Features: Many respondents were neutral or dissatisfied with Grammarly’s generative AI tools, citing ineffective suggestions and a lack of contextual understanding.
- Learning Opportunities: Some users expressed a desire for Grammarly to provide more explanations for corrections, which could enhance its role as an educational tool.
- Customization: Respondents suggested enabling users to disable Grammarly for specific documents or timeframes. Instructors and staff also recommended improved contextual adjustments to better align suggestions with disciplinary norms or professional styles, such as AP formatting.
- Ethical and Developmental Concerns: Students raised ethical concerns regarding Grammarly’s AI-driven features and questioned its impact on their ability to develop a personal writing style. Some also reported that reliance on Grammarly occasionally hindered independent learning.
Suggestions from the Community
UIC community members shared valuable suggestions for enhancing Grammarly’s functionality:
- Enhanced Learning: Reintroducing explanations for grammar corrections to encourage active learning.
- Improved Customization: Allowing UIC to customize Grammarly’s feedback or disable features for specific contexts.
- Greater Accuracy: Enhancing its contextual understanding of the user or an assignment to provide more relevant suggestions.
- Integration of Professional Standards: Including plug-ins for specific style guides like Associated Press (AP) formatting.
A Balanced Perspective
While the majority of feedback was overwhelmingly positive, criticisms highlight a growing need for Grammarly to balance automation with user autonomy. Several students mentioned that Grammarly’s features sometimes felt more like a crutch than an aid, potentially reducing the effectiveness of writing instruction and self-directed learning.
What’s Next?
With 88% of respondents supporting Grammarly’s adoption as a standard tool at UIC, it’s clear that the platform plays a crucial role in fostering strong writing across academic and professional settings. However, as we enter our second year of this pilot, addressing user concerns — particularly around generative AI features, customization, and contextual accuracy — will be essential for maintaining its value to the UIC community. LTS recognizes the importance of creating a web page on our learning.uic.edu website to educate students about the responsible use of Grammarly. This page will inform and caution readers of the ways Grammarly can be used irresponsibly and the potential impact on a student’s grade. It will also emphasize the importance of critically evaluating the suggestions provided by tools like Grammarly and exploring how these tools can enhance the writing experience.
As LTS and UIC continue to prioritize innovative tools that enhance learning and communication, these insights from students, instructors, and staff provide a clear roadmap for future improvements to Grammarly, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of its users.