Grammarly’s Role in Student Achievement with Bryan Libbin

At the core of your academic journey is the power of clear and effective communication, a necessary tool and resource students need to succeed. In line with this ethos, Learning Technology Solutions is excited to announce the pilot of Grammarly, a cutting-edge writing assistance tool. Designed to encourage student achievement and reinforce student writing capabilities, Grammarly represents a significant step forward in our dedication to fostering a student-centered learning environment.

We spoke with Bryan Libbin, the Associate CIO for Academic Technology and Learning Innovation at Technology Solution, to get his take on how Grammarly will integrate into our learning environment and support students in their learning.

Hi Bryan, thank you again for doing this interview with us. Can you elaborate on how Grammarly aligns with our UIC’s student-centered approach to learning and academic success?

The decision to pilot Grammarly was a multifaceted process, shaped by an examination of various factors aimed at optimizing support provided to students. First, we looked into the existing usage of Grammarly among students on campus, uncovering that approximately 1,100 users had already embraced the platform. These users collectively invested around $77,000 annually in utilizing Grammarly’s services. It’s important to underscore that this financial snapshot does not encompass faculty, staff, or students whose Grammarly accounts are associated with non-UIC email addresses. This financial perspective provided a quantitative foundation for understanding the scale of Grammarly’s adoption and its associated economic implications.

A second consideration involved contemplating the unique challenges faced by students who reside off-campus and commute. Recognizing the diverse environments in which students engage with their academic work, Grammarly stood out as a valuable solution by offering continuous 24/7 writing support. Whether students found themselves at home, commuting on public transportation, or present on campus, Grammarly’s accessibility addressed the need for flexible assistance tailored to the prevalent lifestyles of our student body.

Our goal is not to substitute your hard work and critical thinking that you put into your writing. Instead, Grammarly serves as a facilitator for improvement without overshadowing the need for students to actively participate in the learning and writing process. It’s about providing students with an additional layer of support that respects the balance between technological assistance and individual effort.

How will Grammarly improve students’ writing skills and academic performance? Are there any features or functionalities that you’d like to highlight?

I am optimistic about the impact Grammarly can have, functioning as a comprehensive 24/7 writing tutor that extends support across various facets of the writing spectrum. This assistance is not confined to traditional academic papers but encompasses the broader spectrum of written communication, including emails and even discussion boards. The potential for Grammarly to be most influential lies in its ability to pinpoint nuances, particularly in tone—a critical element often overlooked. Grammarly has the capacity to enhance the subtleties of expression and communication, fostering more refined and effective writing.

Beyond mere error identification, Grammarly proves to be a valuable resource for vocabulary expansion and structural refinement. It goes beyond pointing out mistakes; it actively engages with language use, suggesting alternative words, and addressing issues related to sentence structure. Over time, this interactive process contributes to the organic growth of a student’s linguistic proficiency, enabling them to rectify errors and autonomously incorporate stylistic improvements into their writing.

An equally significant benefit of integrating Grammarly into our academic environment is its role in democratizing access to advanced writing assistance. Acquiring Grammarly levels the playing field, ensuring that all students have access to this tool. This inclusivity aligns with principles of equity and access, ensuring that each student has the opportunity to enhance their writing skills and succeed academically, irrespective of economic considerations. We want to break down barriers and ensure that everyone has the chance to excel in written communication.

What strategies or support mechanisms are in place to ensure students make optimal use of Grammarly and leverage it effectively?

Our implementation plan for Grammarly includes a clear and accessible onboarding process, and to facilitate this, we will develop instructions to guide students through the initial steps of using Grammarly. Recognizing the varied learning preferences of our students, we will complement these written instructions with a video tutorial. Additionally, we envision the creation of a supplementary video, focusing specifically on best practices for leveraging Grammarly effectively in the writing process.

Faculty will also be looped in with resources to guide how they can support your use of Grammarly.

How does Grammarly support academic integrity?

Grammarly, as a writing assistance tool, is strategically designed to foster originality while simultaneously aiding students in refining their writing skills. One key aspect is Grammarly’s plagiarism detection feature, which scans texts for similarities within an extensive database of academic and online content. By pinpointing potential instances of plagiarism, Grammarly serves as a valuable resource in helping students rectify unintentional or improper use of external sources. Additionally, the tool provides citation suggestions, guiding students in proper source crediting and mitigating the risk of unintentional plagiarism.

While Grammarly aids in the technical aspects of writing, the responsibility for original thought remains squarely on the student, encouraging clear and authentic expression.

As our campus pilots Grammarly, how will student feedback be gathered, and what is the envisioned timeline for its potential integration across the university?

Our assessment of Grammarly’s impact within our university community during this one-year pilot is centered on three key metrics: adoption rates, usage patterns, and direct feedback from you. Understanding firsthand experiences, challenges faced, and benefits gained from using this application is crucial in shaping our understanding of its efficacy.

Any last thoughts, and how do we sign up to participate?

Look out for instructions on how to activate your Grammarly account in the coming weeks. If you were paying for a Grammarly subscription through your UIC email address, your account will automatically be ported into UIC’s enterprise system, and you will no longer be billed while UIC is piloting the tool.  Please note: If you are paying for a Grammarly subscription through a non-UIC email address and would like to take advantage of UIC’s enterprise paid subscription, you will need to cancel your subscription through your personal account and create a new Grammarly account with your UIC email address.

It is crucial to recognize that Grammarly is a supportive tool among many that our school offers to assist our students in enhancing their writing and communication skills. It is not a flawless application that guarantees perfect writing. Remember, Grammarly is supplementary support, and if as a university we foster a community that encourages and models its effective utilization and instruct students to leverage all available resources to enhance their writing skills, we can make a positive impact on both student support and the overall quality of writing at UIC.

Thank you, Bryan, and thank you for your efforts in bringing this tool to the campus!

The introduction of Grammarly at UIC is a proactive step towards enhancing student achievement and academic success. By providing this state-of-the-art writing tool, we are equipping our students with resources that refine their writing skills, foster autonomy, and promote academic integrity. The Learning Technology Solutions team encourages all students to take an active role in this pilot by incorporating Grammarly into their writing endeavors.

To ensure the success of this initiative, we urge students to:

1. Familiarize themselves with Grammarly by accessing the resources provided by LTS.
2. Encourage students to use Grammarly for various writing tasks and reflect on the feedback it provides.
3. Provide LTS with feedback in upcoming surveys on Grammarly’s impact on student writing.

We invite all UIC students to join us in this endeavor by creating a Grammarly account, details of which will be communicated shortly via official university channels. Together, we can leverage technology to build a stronger foundation for our students’ academic growth and success.