Motivation in Writing Using Automated Writing Evaluation at Higher Education Level in Pakistan

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has permeated every aspect of life, including education, and significant developments in applied linguistics and natural language processing have been major in developing AI-based Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) technology over the past three decades. This experimental study hypothesised that ESL students in the experimental group would be more motivated to use AI AWE technologies to write better essays. This experimental study is significant as it addresses the gap in research on examining the students' motivation in essay writing, utilising the AI-based writing evaluation tool My Access tool. The present study divides undergraduate learners into two groups, experimental and control, employing a purposive sampling strategy. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides a basis for the study. The Academic Writing Motivation Questionnaire (AWMQ), having 37 measures, was modified according to the need and utilised for evaluating the writing motivation of participants. The Likert scale of the questionnaire objectively assessed students' motivation levels prior to and following the intervention. The tool evaluated the five primary constructs: self-efficacy, perceived writing value, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic incentive, and overall writing motivation. A statistical analysis of the pre- and post-tests for both the experimental and control groups was conducted using SPSS software. The findings corroborate the hypothesis that AI technologies enhance students' motivation to compose essays.