Personal learning environment-supported group academic writing: Chinese postgraduates' experiences and evaluation

This study addresses the gap between postgraduate students' academic writing proficiency and higher education expectations by evaluating the effectiveness of a Personal Learning Environment-supported Group Academic Writing (PLE-GAW) platform combined with face-to-face teaching. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and collaborative learning theory, the study adopts a mixed-methods design, integrating experimental procedures, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. A total of 99 first-year postgraduate students engaged with the PLE-GAW platform, while 98 students in the control group followed traditional instruction. Thematic analysis and quantitative methods, including independent samples t-tests and the Mann-Whitney U test, revealed significant challenges in literature review, research methods, data analysis, and topic selection. These challenges were mitigated by tailored guidance, knowledge resources, tools, and self-assessment features provided by the PLE-GAW platform. The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher thesis scores compared to the control group, with participants reporting high satisfaction and reduced writing stress. This study highlights the platform's effectiveness in addressing core academic writing challenges and fostering skills, confidence, and collaboration, offering valuable implications for enhancing postgraduate academic writing education.