Adoption of Digital Writing Tools in Pakistani Universities: A Technology Acceptance Model Perspective

Abstract

This study is set against the backdrop of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which frames how writing instructors perceive and use the digital tools in their teaching. This qualitative study focuses on undergraduate student writing performance in Multan, Pakistan, and examines the changes posed by specific digital input tools. For this purpose, thirteen instructors from four different institutions were involved in the study, using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations as the method of data collection. Participants narrated their experiences of commonly used tools such as Grammarly, Google Docs, and track changes made available by Microsoft Word. They underscored the merits and demerits of using digital tools in writing instruction. An analysis of the data by thematically grouping it showed that the digital tools made them notice the improvement in the students' writing. The instructors agreed that the students, achieving feedback on grammar, spelling, and syntactical errors in real time, made the required amendments on time, which led to a more accurate and refined piece of work. In the context of the study, TAM is shown to be valid in the educational environment, as it illustrates the concept of perceived usefulness and ease of use in the context of the adoption of digital tools. In terms of applied TAM, the findings stress the importance of infrastructure advancement, technology availability for everyone, and specialised support for teachers.  Furthermore, the integration of digital tools within higher-order writing tasks needs to be tailored towards pedagogical goals in order to maximise their long-term effects. Solving these problems will enable universities to take full advantage of the digital input tools and improve students' writing skills, engagement, and learning outcomes as a whole.