Enhancing Educational Technology Research with AI: Investigating the Effectiveness of AI-Enhanced Online Platform for Doctoral Students Research Writing Skills
Initial Research Proposal
Introduction
Previous studies on doctoral experience have shown that doctoral students face a number of problems during their studies (Pyhältö et al., 2012). They experience a variety of stresses and anxiety in different situations of the academic cycle (Bazrafkan et al., 2016). Additionally, Lubbe et al. (2005) pointed out that the obstacles encountered by doctoral students include a lack of comprehension regarding the fundamental nature of doctoral research as well as an initial lack of clarity about research methods. Other research conducted by Hytten et al. (2018) illuminated that the process of writing research, looking for appropriate resources, enhancing needed skills, and handling the thesis writing process could cause stress and anxiety for PhD students. Schmohl et al.’s (2020) study confirmed that university students face difficulties when writing papers. Storey (2023) pointed out that the development of scholarly writing skills is a crucial component of higher education and it is important for finishing a dissertation. However, most doctoral candidates need guidance to become successful and effective thesis authors and the growing number of graduate students consistently results in less individualized guidance during the thesis writing process (Storey, 2023). Schmohl et al. (2020), indicate that the lack of guidance may lead to poor research and decrease student motivation. Furthermore, the doctoral process often lacks opportunities for interaction and communication with peers and mentors, especially in the dissertation stage. The solitary nature of the PhD process may cause feelings of delayed progress, overwhelming pressure, and a lack of peer-based social support for the student (Ali & Kohun, 2006). Additionally, finding the resources to support the research process can also be a challenge for doctoral students. Although there are a massive number of online resources, tools, and materials at the students’ disposal, the resources are fragmented and dispersed across global systems and networks. This lack of organization may result in the inefficient use of time and feelings of frustration.
Even though there were several studies highlighting the difficulties that encounter doctoral students, others showed how AI's capabilities may be used to successfully overcome such challenges (Golan et al., 2023; Churi et al. 2022; Marzuki et al., 2023). As the digital age continues to reshape our world, artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into a lot of aspects of our everyday existence, leading to massive changes across all sectors (Golan et al., 2023). Academic research is an area that is witnessing significant promise for transformation through the utilization of AI. Churi et al. (2022) highlighted that AI technologies contribute to improving the efficiency of researchers in conducting research and writing academic content. According to Fumba (2023), we can determine that the advent of AI-powered instruments has facilitated the progression of scholarly inquiry. Research conducted by Storey (2023) has pointed out that AI can speed up research and writing, make things more accurate and reliable, and encourage creativity and new ideas. AI tools can provide valuable assistance in streamlining research processes and enhancing citation practices, whether one aims to reduce time spent on research or improve citation efficiency. For example, there are some AI-based programs that aim to not only make research writing easier but also improve the quality of critical analysis. There are different AI tools that could be used in academic writing, either to assist authors in the writing process (e.g., Semantic Scholar, Elicit, Jenni AI) or to evaluate and assess the quality and validity of written work (Golan et al., 2023). These tools include grammar checks and writing aids such as Grammarly, QuillBot, Wordtune, and Jenni (Marzuki et al., 2023). In addition, Kakarash (2023) mentioned some of these tools, like the taking notes tools (such as Lateral and ClioVis) or the search engines (such as Consensus and Mendeley).
Within this juncture of challenge and opportunity, the EduTechSphere platform could be the best solution for bridging the gap between the needs of doctoral students and the capabilities of artificial intelligence. The proposed comprehensive online platform aims to address these obstacles and provide a technology-supported solution that enhances the academic writing skills of PhD students in educational technology. This platform gives students access to a wide range of academic resources, research tools, learning modules, discussion forums, expert mentorship tools, and built-in mechanisms for contacting specialized experts and receiving personalized feedback that fits their needs and develops their essential skills. Also, the platform will push the PhD students to learn in an interactive learning community and allow them to collaborate, share, and exchange knowledge and skills, which will improve their productivity, particularly at the dissertation stage. Maher et al. (2013) argued that the engagement of various individuals, including students, recent doctoral recipients, and faculty, in the group writing fostered the establishment of a dynamic intellectual community. It resulted in a significant increase in both the dedication to completing a degree and the intellectual productivity of students and faculty members as well (Maher et al., 2013). This suggested design of the platform aims to address the existing gaps and obstacles, facilitate communication and collaboration, and increase interactivity.
As the platform is enhanced by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and algorithms, its functionality will be further enhanced. There will be two different paths to using AI in the context of this research.Firstly, through the use of AI algorithms, the platform can analyze the writing patterns and preferences of individual users, offer personalized recommendations and feedback, and provide tailored suggestions for improvement. Secondly, some AI tools, applications, and programs that are already available online will be accessible on the platform to assist in automating certain tasks, such as proofreading, grammar checking, citation formatting, literature reviewing, data analysis, referencing, and citations, saving valuable time for PhD students.
Research Goals
The primary goal of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using AI-enhanced online platforms like EduTechSphere for enhancing doctoral students’ research writing skills. The participants for this research will be doctoral students in the educational Learning, Design, and Technology field. Ultimately, this research is designed to provide insights into the influence of AI-based tools and their potential to enhance the research of doctoral students.
Research Questions
This study will explore the following questions:
Research Methods
This study will employ a mixed-methods research design to investigate the effects of the AI-enhanced platform on doctoral students' research productivity, measured by research quality. Additionally, it aims to explore the influence of active participation within the EduTechSphere platform on the development of research writing skills among doctoral students. Focus Group Discussions will be conducted with participants to gain insights into their experiences and perceptions. Moreover, the students will be administered surveys to collect quantitative data on their usage patterns and experiences within the EduTechSphere platform. Also, a predefined set of criteria will be used to assess the research quality of participants and will be used as research quality assessment.
References
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