Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Western Governors University Selects AI Writing Assistance Partner

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/22/24

Online university Western Governors University recently announced a partnership with AI writing assistance provider Grammarly, according to a news release. The university will provide access to Grammarly’s real-time writing support services—and new Writing Score API—to all faculty and students. The goal of the collaboration is to empower the university’s working adult and remote students to build critical communication skills.

The Writing Score API provides real-time quality checks on documents to provide feedback and suggestions that ensure correct, clear, and engaging writing, the news release reports. The service will be deployed to WGU students over the summer and to the education market at large later in 2024.

“Even in the generative AI–connected workforce, writing is as essential as ever, with knowledge workers spending 19 hours per week on written communication,” said Jenny Maxwell, Head of Grammarly for Education. “To ensure students are prepared to succeed in today’s workplace, they must learn effective writing and editing skills. Grammarly’s partnership with WGU will empower students to improve their writing skills, increase the likelihood of earning a degree, and ultimately maximize their career opportunities.”

The service will allow students to submit written assignments with a minimum of 30 words and receive a writing score on a 1–100 scale. The score reflects potential improvements to grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence clarity, word choice variety, and tone, according to the news release. The Writing Score API expands existing writing score technology to a wider variety of its applications.

“WGU is thrilled to partner with Grammarly and pilot the Writing Score API at scale,” said WGU Senior Vice President of Academic Delivery Debbie Fowler. “WGU makes higher education and professional career advancement attainable for everyone by identifying system-wide barriers and investing in solutions to eliminate them. We are excited to embed this in-the-moment feedback into how we teach while our instructors remain student-centric. By incorporating this AI technology, we can provide truly personalized learning and meet students where they are.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.