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Prof. Dr. Gabriela Topa
Social and organizational Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia
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Home > Archives > Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Published > Research Articles
ESP-4322

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2026-02-02

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Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Published

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Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Elizabeth Ifeoma Anierobi, Amjad Islam Amjad*, Sarfraz Aslam*, Huda Alshamsi, Abdulnaser Fakhrou, Muhammad Usman Rafique

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Elizabeth Ifeoma Anierobi, Amjad Islam Amjad, Sarfraz Aslam, Huda Alshamsi, Abdulnaser Fakhrou, & Muhammad Usman Rafique. (2026). Artificial intelligence and academic writing in the digital age among university students: Why media literacy matters. Environment and Social Psychology, 11(1), ESP-4322. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i1.4322
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Artificial intelligence and academic writing in the digital age among university students: Why media literacy matters

Elizabeth Ifeoma Anierobi

Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, 420007, Nigeria

Amjad Islam Amjad

Department of Education, The University of Lahore, Lahore, 54600, Pakistan

Sarfraz Aslam

Faculty of Education and Humanities, UNITAR International University, Petaling Jaya, 47300, Malaysia

Huda Alshamsi

Higher Colleges of Technology, Ras Al Khaimah, 4793, United Arab Emirates

Abdulnaser Fakhrou

Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar

Muhammad Usman Rafique

Division of Education, University of Education, Lahore, 54700, Pakistan


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i1.4322


Keywords: artificial intelligence; academic writing; media literacy; university students


Abstract

The study explored the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and academic writing in the digital age among university students, highlighting why media literacy is crucial. The study adopted the descriptive research design and was guided by four research questions. A sample of 310 respondents was selected using a random sampling technique. The data were collected using a questionnaire, the Artificial Intelligence and Academic Writing Questionnaire (AIAWQ). The analysis showed that the utilization of AI for academic writing is prevalent among university students. It was also found that utilizing AI for academic purposes among the students for academic writing has many benefits such as improving quality of students' assignments, creating in them a sense of confidence in writing their assignments/term papers, helping them to beat deadlines in completing and submitting their assignments, improving their academic performance as a result of quality academic writing and helping students to engage more in their studies at their own pace. The study further found that utilizing AI for academic writing poses no challenges for students. Moreover, the study demonstrated that media literacy plays a crucial role in mitigating the challenges posed by AI usage in academic writing. It was recommended, among others, that media literacy on AI ethics should be included in the school curriculum.


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