This post gives FAQ information about Grammarly in Conestoga courses. The generative AI landscape is evolving, so this post will be updated as needed.
Who has access to Grammarly?
All Conestoga employees and students have access to the Grammarly (Premium) software, which includes an option to use in a web browser and/or download the software onto a device.
What type of AI is Grammarly?
Grammarly analyzes existing written content and suggests ways to improve grammar, word choice, clarity, and more (Grammarly, 2023). Automated writing feedback tools like Grammarly are typically regarded as assistive AI. The table below for examples of assistive and generative AI.
Type
Main Goal
Examples
Assistive AI
Students create content, and the AI improves their content
Office 365, Grammarly
Generative AI
The AI creates content; students may use as is, or adapt
Chatbots like ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing
Types of artificial intelligence (AI).
However, in the past year Grammarly has evolved their software, and now offers three different Grammarly (Basic, Premium, and Go) plans:
Grammarly Basic (Free) – assistive AI
Grammarly Premium (Paid) – assistive AI
GrammarlyGO (Paid) generative AI
Grammarly Go icon
GrammarlyGO is a new generative AI-enhanced version. GrammarlyGO can ideate, compose, rewrite, personalize, and reply to the contexts of written content. GrammarlyGo functions similarly to other text-generating chatbots. When GrammarlyGO is enabled for the user, a green light bulb appears near the Grammarly icon. See the video, How to use Generative AI | GrammarlyGo, for an introduction.
Do students have access to GrammarlyGO as a generative AI tool?
Currently, GrammarlyGO (the generative AI version of Grammarly) is not available to Conestoga employees and students.
Should I prohibit the use of Grammarly for class assignments or quizzes?
The Writing Centre and the Academic Integrity team sanction Grammarly’s use in many teaching and learning contexts since grammar-checking software is widely available, and according to Library Services Grammarly “teaches students how to correct writing errors” (FLH, 2021).
At the same time, course outcomes directly related to evaluating student language acquisition and communication skills should be considered. Permissible use of Grammarly should be outlined in assignment directions and reinforced verbally in class. See the Hub post, AI Statements for Students.
In cases of online test or quiz evaluations (such as in eConestoga), enabling Respondus Lockdown Browser disallows students from accessing the Grammarly page or browser extension.
Should I encourage the use of Grammarly for writing assignments?
Grammarly may be encouraged as an optional tool to support student writing. Grammarly can also be used in learning tasks to build writing skills, embedded in assessment design, and recommended to support student self-reflection on their writing (Calma et al., 2022).
Does Turnitin’s AI detector flag assignments that have been revised with Grammarly?
Turnitin says, “No. Our detector is not tuned to target Grammarly-generated spelling, grammar and punctuation modifications to content” (Turnitin, 2023). However, it is important to note that false positives (i.e., an indication AI has been used when it has not) can and do occur (D’Agostino, 2023).
Writing advisors may provide information for students about Grammarly. Also, a Grammarly workshop may be requested for your course. Contact Writing Services for details.
Elan Paulson, PhD, has been an educator in Ontario's higher education system since 2004. Before joining Conestoga as a Teaching and Learning Consultant, Elan was on the executive team at eCampusOntario. She previously served as Program Director and as an instructor in professional education programs at Western University's Faculty of Education. With a Master's in Educational Technology, Elan specializes in technology-enabled and collaborative learning to support diverse learners. She has also conducted research on faculty participation in communities of practice for professional learning and self-care.
