Zheng Feei Ma is Senior Lecturer in Public Health, SSHSW, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol. He specialises in advancing learning and teaching by applying evidence-based approaches to curriculum design, assessment, and student support.
Introduction
Critical thinking is widely recognised as a core attribute of graduate in higher education. However, for many students, particularly international students for whom English is their second language, developing this skill can be challenging. I often meet students who express uncertainty about what critical thinking looks like in practice, how to apply it in their assignments, and how to move beyond descriptive writing to critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis. Therefore, as educators, we have a responsibility to demystify the process by creating a structured, supportive learning environment, which helps students strengthen their critical thinking skills.
One increasingly valuable study support service tool for developing students’ critical thinking and writing skills is Studiosity. It is an AI-driven personalised learning support platform used across many UK universities. Since Studiosity is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, students can upload their assignment drafts anytime to their online interface for feedback, which allows them to improve their assignment drafts. The Studiosity platform reviews their works and provide guidance on grammar, spelling, academic language, structure and referencing. When embedded thoughtfully within the learning and teaching practice, Studiosity provides the developmental and formative feedback that supports students in strengthening their critical thinking and, ultimately, their critical thinking.
Therefore, in this article, I will offer three steps for integrating Studiosity into the development of critical thinking and writing skills in students. In addition, I will share my reflections, along with feedback from students on how educators can use Studiosity effectively to help students build their confidence and achieve academic success.
Step 1: Developing questioning and inquiry skills
Studiosity has two core services, which are: Live Connect and Writing Feedback. Students can use the Live Connect function to interact with online specialists who prompt the students to articulate their reasoning and identify gaps in their arguments. During these sessions, students can pick a subject in the live chat, including “English skills and concepts”, “Essay writing”, “Referencing” and “Report writing”. Students may be asked questions such as “How do these authors agree?”, “Where do they contradict each other?” and “Who provides stronger evidence and why?”. These prompts help students practice metacognitive awareness, which leads to the development of critical thinking skill.
Step 2: Strengthening analytical writing
The Writing Feedback function provides annotated comments on the students’ assignment structure, argument flow, evidence use and their clarity of reasoning. Students receive personalised and concrete feedback on how to improve their analytical depth for their assignments. Examples of such feedback include: “you could show deeper understanding by providing real-world examples of iodine supplement use in health and nutrition” and “you could show deeper understanding by providing specific examples of how certain dietary changes can impact health outcomes”. These kinds of feedback prompts help students to recognise descriptive tendencies and strengthen their analytical voice in their academic writing.
Step 3: Promoting iterative thinking through multiple feedback cycles
To helps students develop critical thinking and writing skills, we need to understand that these skills are developed through the following developmental pathway:
Draft → Feedback → Reflection → Revision → Stronger Thinking → Stronger Writing
Students who use Studiosity across several assignments often demonstrate deeper synthesis and greater independence in their thinking. In addition, it strengthens the feedback ecosystem and encourages students to write more critically and confidently. Therefore, regular use of Studiosity helps students recognise that critical thinking is an ongoing, recursive process that requires revisiting, revising, and justifying ideas over time.
Integrating Studiosity into teaching practice
One example of integrating Studiosity into teaching practice is to encourage students to submit their assignment drafts to Studiosity platform before their assignment submission deadline. In addition, teachers can design some formative activities such as asking students to draft a short critique of a journal article. Students can then upload their draft, receive feedback from Studiosity, and revise it before classroom discussions.
Thoughts for the future
Academic writing is a form of academic practice that includes the development of critical and objective arguments. Studiosity offers a culturally safe and non-judgemental learning environments where students can ask questions privately and without the fear of embarrassment. It is important to emphasise that Studiosity should not been seen as an editing service. When it is framed properly, it can scaffold students towards autonomy. This is particularly beneficial for international students, who often need support in understanding the nuances of academic writing processes, which then helps to develop their academic voice. In conversations with students, many highlighted that obtaining personalised feedback helps to improve their engagement with the module assessments. Also, they value the ability to revisit feedback at their own pace. Consequently, developing critical thinking and writing skills require significant effort, time and support from teachers. Students gradually develop an academic voice, through sustained formative and summative feedback, combined with meaningful learning experiences.
References
- Al-Mughairi H, Bhaskar P (2024) Exploring the factors affecting the affecting the adoption AI techniques in higher education: insights from teachers’ perspectives on ChatGPT. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-09-2023-0129
- Ma ZF, Hill A (2024) Four steps for integrating generative AI in learning and teaching. Times Higher Education (THE) Campus. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/four-steps-integrating-generative-ai-learning-and-teaching