Chatbots and virtual assistants in higher education: supporting academic writing and research

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2026.20.01.23

Keywords:

academic writing, chatbots, higher education, research competencies, virtual assistants

Abstract

The article aimed to analyze the impact of chatbot-assisted support on the development of academic writing and research competencies of higher education students. The proposed study was implemented using a quasi-experimental mixed design with control and experimental groups (n = 180) and measurements before and after the intervention. The assessment was carried out using the analytical rubric of academic writing, the research competencies index, as well as through AI literacy questionnaires and qualitative analysis of student reflections. The results showed a significant and moderate positive impact of the intervention. In particular, the quality of academic writing, its organization, sentence construction, and logic of argumentation improved. An increase in research competencies was also found in the experimental group of students. Besides, correlation and regression analyses showed that the level of AI literacy is a more important predictor of academic outcomes than the frequency of use of the digital assistant. The conclusion states that chatbots and virtual assistants effectively performed the function of cognitive and methodological support for academic writing and research under conditions of clear pedagogical integration and adherence to the principles of academic integrity.

Author Biographies

Liubov Terletska, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, Kyiv, Ukraine. 

PhD (Pedagogy), Senior Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Methodology Department, Faculty of Pedagogical Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Svitlana Sobolieva, Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD), Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Mariia Hryshchuk, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.

Candidate of biological sciences, Vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical work (international relations), associate professor of the department Human Anatomy, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.

Yuliia Haidenko, National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Kyiv, Ukraine.

PhD (Philology), Associate Professor, Department of English for Humanities, Faculty of Linguistics, National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Yuliia Dankevych, V. I. Vernadsky Taurida National University, Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer and Information Technologies, Educational and Scientific Institute of Municipal Administration and Urban Economy, V. I. Vernadsky Taurida National University, Kyiv, Ukraine. 

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Published

2026-03-30

How to Cite

Terletska, L., Sobolieva, S., Hryshchuk, M., Haidenko, Y., & Dankevych, Y. (2026). Chatbots and virtual assistants in higher education: supporting academic writing and research. Eduweb, 20(1), 382–395. https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2026.20.01.23

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Liubov Terletska, Svitlana Sobolieva, Mariia Hryshchuk, Yuliia Haidenko, Yuliia Dankevych

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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