A middle school in Los Angeles that implemented the essaypop writing program for the first time, allowed us to survey a group of seventh and eighth-grade students who used essaypop as their primary writing tool. The study took place during the 2020- 2021 school year. It was an unusual and challenging period, interrupted by a pandemic in March of ‘20 that caused, for this district, a complete shutdown and an immediate and unplanned transition to distance learning for the final two-and-a-half months of 2020 and the entirety of 2021. This was a unique context for a case study and an opportunity to obtain student attitudes about a platform that was not only new to them but used in both conventional and unconventional settings.

For this study, we were primarily interested in learning about the experience of students who were using the essaypop platform. We wanted to gain insights into their thoughts regarding specific features such as the frame-writing interface, the interactive Hive environment, and the scaffolded help features embedded within the system. Did they like these features? Were they ambivalent? Did they dislike them or were they unhelpful? We also wanted to understand how writing with essaypop affected their attitudes about their ability to tackle complex, academic writing tasks. Did the platform motivate them to write? Did they view themselves as more proficient writers as a result of using this tool? As much as possible, we wanted to get a glimpse into how these students viewed themselves metacognitively as writers.

At the end of the school year, the teachers distributed an anonymous, digital survey. In all, 592 seventh and eighth-grade students responded. The survey asked them to assess various essaypop features by responding to statements that they agreed with very much (a 5 rating) or didn’t agree with at all (a 1 rating).

The findings from this case study offer valuable insights into the efficacy and student reception of the essaypop writing platform. Despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, which necessitated an abrupt shift to distance learning, the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students highlights essaypop’s potential as an effective educational tool. A significant portion of the 592 surveyed seventh and eighth graders reported improvements in their essay writing abilities, attributing their progress to the unique features of the platform.

The frame-writing interface was particularly appreciated for its ability to help students organize their thoughts better, with many respondents noting that the structure made complex writing tasks more manageable. The interactive Hive environment and collaborative features were also well-received, suggesting that essaypop fosters a more engaging and communal learning experience. This is crucial in a remote learning context, where maintaining student motivation and interaction can be particularly challenging.

Moreover, the scaffolded help features, including sentence builders and help cards, were highlighted as valuable tools that aided in clearer self-expression and provided necessary support. This indicates that essaypop not only enhances students’ writing skills but also builds their confidence as writers by providing accessible and practical resources.

In light of these encouraging results, it is clear that essaypop has a substantial positive impact on students' writing proficiency and engagement. Moving forward, these insights will guide the further development and refinement of the platform, ensuring that it continues to meet the needs of students and educators alike. Here is another study that speaks to the effectiveness of essaypop:

Student Engagement Study