Enhancing Academic Writing through Non-Institutional Technologies (GenAI tool): A Case Study

The growing use of AI-powered tools, particularly non-institutional technologies such as Generative AI (GenAI), has transformed how university students approach academic writing. Nowadays, GenAI technologies are used by students in finding relevant online resources, particularly in academic writing learning. However, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the use of non-institutional technologies — such as ChatGPT, Elicit and Lateral — for academic writing learning. Existing studies have largely focused on general AI adoption in education without examining these specific tools or their impact on student engagement. Moreover, it is known that the effectiveness of AI in education is strongly shaped by students’ perceptions and how they interact with the technology. In this study, a case study approach is used, and data were collected from 32 university students in Malaysia. The collected data were analysed using content analysis. The results showed that students using non-institutional-led technologies were superior to those using institutional technologies in facilitating academic writing. The findings highlight that students are becoming more autonomous learners through their use of non-institutional technologies to locate resources, moving beyond traditional methods. The study underscores the role of non-institutional technologies, such as ChatGPT, Elicit and Lateral, in supporting academic writing. These findings have implications on quality education, particularly in academic writing learning. They also suggest future directions for integrating GenAI tools into institutional technologies, aligning with current industry practices where GenAI is increasingly embedded into software systems. Going forward, conducting case studies across various fields could complement these findings and offer deeper insights into real-world applications.