Scribd
Upload
17 views5 pages

ENGL 1102-01 - AY2025-T4 Assignment Activity Unit 3

The document discusses the author's experience using digital tools to enhance writing productivity, specifically highlighting Grammarly for editing, Zotero for research, and ChatGPT for brainstorming. Each tool is evaluated for its effectiveness and drawbacks, emphasizing the importance of responsible use. The author concludes that while these tools can save time and improve writing, critical thinking and effort are still essential.

Uploaded by

bjumphajumpha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
17 views5 pages

ENGL 1102-01 - AY2025-T4 Assignment Activity Unit 3

The document discusses the author's experience using digital tools to enhance writing productivity, specifically highlighting Grammarly for editing, Zotero for research, and ChatGPT for brainstorming. Each tool is evaluated for its effectiveness and drawbacks, emphasizing the importance of responsible use. The author concludes that while these tools can save time and improve writing, critical thinking and effort are still essential.

Uploaded by

bjumphajumpha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Assignment: Enhancing Writing Productivity Through Digital Tools

University of the People

ENGL 1102-01 - AY2025-T4

Muhammad Safdar (Instructor)

Bernadetta Jumpha

Thursday, 1, May 2025, 11:55 PM

1
As a University of the People student studying more than one course, I have found that digital

tools are essential for writing efficiently. After testing various options, three stand out:

Grammarly for editing, Zotero for research, and ChatGPT for brainstorming. Here is how

they have helped me and how they might help other students, too.

1. Grammarly: My Go-To Writing Coach

Grammarly has been a lifesaver for catching my grammar mistakes before submission.

According to their website, Grammarly uses AI to analyze writing in real time, which aligns

with what I’ve experienced (Grammarly, n.d.).

How I Use It:

Last week, I drafted a discussion post but kept second-guessing my sentence flow.

Grammarly flagged passive voice and wordy phrases, helping me tighten my writing. The

tone detector also reminded me to keep things academic, not casual like a text message.

Downside? The free version doesn’t check for plagiarism, which would’ve been useful for

my last essay (Kaushihk, 2023).

2. Zotero: The Research Time Saver

Research papers used to stress me out until I discovered Zotero. A classmate recommended it,

and I can’t imagine manually formatting citations again. As Zotero’s documentation explains,

it auto-generates references in APA style, something I desperately needed for my ENGL

1102 assignment (Zotero, n.d.).

2
Real Example:

For my recent paper on digital literacy, I saved 15 PDFs with one click. Zotero organized

them and created perfect citations. What normally took hours was done in minutes. However,

it took me an afternoon to learn all the features, not plug-and-play.

3. ChatGPT: My Brainstorming Partner

I was sceptical about AI tools until I tried ChatGPT to brainstorm. As ExpressVPN’s guide

explains, it’s great for overcoming writer’s block if used carefully (Nolita, 2023).

How It Helped Me:

Stuck on my essay introduction, I asked: "Give me 3 hooks for a paper about social media in

education." It suggested statistics, a quote, and a rhetorical question—I expanded the

statistical idea with my own research.

Important note: Our course materials warn against over-reliance (Academic Resource

Center, 2024), so I only use it for ideas, not full paragraphs.

Which Tool Wins?

3
Tool Best For My Rating

Grammarly Last-minute edits 9/10

Zotero Research papers 8/10 (hard to learn)

ChatGPT Beating writer’s 7/10 (must use carefully)

block

Conclusion

This assignment showed me how important digital tools can be. In my case, Grammarly,

Zotero, and ChatGPT saved me hours, though each has its issue, for example, Grammarly

sometimes misses mistakes, Zotero takes time to learn, and ChatGPT can make it tempting to

take shortcuts. Still, I believe that when used responsibly, these tools are game-changers for

busy students like me. My two key takeaways are that no tool can replace critical thinking, I

still have to do the work, and that investing time to learn how to use these tools properly can

make a big difference throughout my academic journey.

4
References

Academic Resource Center. (2024). Writing guidelines. University of the People.

https://www.uopeople.edu

Grammarly. (n.d.). How Grammarly works. https://www.grammarly.com

Kaushihk, N. (2023). 15 Best plagiarism checkers. Geekflare.

https://geekflare.com/plagiarism-checking-tools/

Nolita. (2023). ChatGPT writing guide. ExpressVPN.

https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/chatgpt-writing-guide/

Zotero. (n.d.). Quick start guide. https://www.zotero.org

You might also like