Digital Literacy and Academic Writing in the Age of AI:
Evidence from Undergraduate Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/ijolte.v10i1.56841Keywords:
Academic writing, AI-mediated learning, Digital literacy, EFL students, Dimension-level analysisAbstract
In today’s AI-mediated educational landscape, digital literacy is a crucial skill for language learners and educators. This study investigates the relationship between digital literacy competence and academic writing performance among EFL undergraduate students. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-method design, the study involved 68 sixth and eighth-semester students who had completed ICT and academic writing courses. Data were collected through a Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) questionnaire, an online academic writing test monitored using AI-based auto-proctoring tools, and follow-up interviews. Results showed that while most participants demonstrated high digital literacy, there was no statistically significant correlation between composite digital literacy scores and academic writing performance. However, dimension-level analysis revealed that three of nine dimensions, Critical Thinking, Character, and Citizenship, yielded weak but significant positive correlations with writing performance (rs = .247, .246, and .269 respectively, p < .05), suggesting that academically proximate competencies, rather than digital literacy as a whole, warrant targeted attention. Interviews revealed students perceived digital tools as useful for access and formatting, but not as direct enhancers of writing quality. These findings highlight a disconnect between general digital fluency and academic writing competence, suggesting technology integration should move beyond access and convenience toward fostering the evaluative and ethical digital competencies most relevant to academic writing. This study contributes to discussions on optimizing digital and AI tools in EFL writing instruction, proposing a more dimension-sensitive approach to digital literacy integration in EFL curricula.
Downloads
References
Amin, H., Malik, M. A., & Akkaya, B. (2022). Development and Validation of Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) and its Implication for Higher Education. International Journal of Distance Education and E-learning, 7(1), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.36261/ijdeel.v7i1.2224
Apriyanti, S. N., & Rahman, R (2021). Gadget-Based Digital Literacy in Learning Writing Skills for Elementary School Students. The 3rd International Conference on Elementary Education, 3(1), 186-193.
Ayhan, B. (2019). Digital Literacy. January 2016. https://doi.org/10.3726/978-3-653-07022-4/10
Bosler, S., Pascau, J., Pleau, J., & Fastrez, P. (2019). From concepts to the field: Digital culture in media literacy and media education. Communication Langages, No 201(3), 41–66. https://doi.org/10.3917/comla1.201.0041
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Collecting qualitative data. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. (4th ed.). Boston, USA: Pearson.
Day, T. (2018). Success in Academic Writing. London: Macmillan Education UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-352-00205-8
Dyson, A. H. (2015). Playing with textual toys: Popular culture and childhood writing. In J. Flood, B. Heath, & D. Lapp (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching literacy through communicative visual arts (Vol. II, pp. 461e470). New York: Routledge. A Project of the International Reading Association.
Ehret, C., & Čiklovan, L. (2020). How speculative designs produce new potentials for education research in digital culture. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 41(5), 708–722. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2020.1774713
Hague, Cassie and Sarah Payton. 2010. Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: a Futurelab Handbook. United Kingdom. Sources: www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/FUTL06/FUTL06.pdf
Hamouma, C., & Menezla, N. (2019b). The impact of digital Literacy proficiency on EFL students’ academic writing performance. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 10(4), 40–55. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijdldc.2019100103 Hossain, M. I. (2015). Teaching productive skills to the students: a secondary level scenario. http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/xmlui/handle/10361/7671
Kellogg, R. T. (1996). A model of working memory in writing. In C. M. Levy and S. Ransdell (Eds.), The science of writing: Theories, methods, individual differences, and applications (pp. 57-71). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Köksal, K. (2001). Teaching literacy. Ankara: Pegem A.
Kotze, T. (2007). Guidelines on Writing a First Quantitative Academic Article. Pretoria, South Africa.
Kurniasih, Mukminatien, N., Affandi Arianto, M., Novita Sari, R., Putri Anggraini, M., & Umamah, A. (2022). Affective Factors in Online Writing Performance: Do They Matter? MEXTESOL Journal, 46(2).
Lin, L. (2020). Perfectionism and Writing Performance of Chinese EFL College Learners. English Language Teaching, 13(8), 35–45.
Lynch, M. (2017). What is Digital Literacy? Retrieved from https://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-is-digital-literacy/
Miles, M. B., Huberman, M. A., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Method Source Book (4th ed.). SAGE Publication.
Negari, G.M. (2011). A Study on Strategy Instruction and EFL Learners‟ Writing Skill. International Journal of English Linguistics, 1(2), 302.
Payton, S., & Hague, C.(2010). Digital literacy in practice: Case studies of primary and secondary classrooms Retrieved from https://www.nfer.ac.uk
Phuapan, P., Viriyavejakul, C., & Pimdee, P. (2016). An Analysis of Digital Literacy Skills among Thai University Seniors. I-jet, 24-31.
Sakti, A. A., Fiftinova, F., & Erlina, E. (2020). The Correlation Between Digital Literacy And English Achievement Of The Students Of Sman 19 Palembang. https://repository.unsri.ac.id/37953/
Sanu, L. O. (2016). Narrative paragraph writing of the second semester student of State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) Samarinda A Syntactic Analysis. Script Journal: Journal of Linguistic and English Teaching, 1(1), 36-45.
Sari, D. M., & Prasetyo, Y. (2021). Project-based-learning on critical reading course to enhance critical thinking skills. Studies in English Language and Education, 8(2), 442-456.
Sharpe, R. (2011). Who are your learners? Paper presented at the JISC Literacy Workshop. Retrieved from http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/file/48152569/DL slides2.pdf
Shopova, T. (2014). Digital literacy of students and its improvement at the university. Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science, 7(2), 26-32. https://doi.org/10.7160/eriesj.2014.070201
Son, J., Park, S., & Park, M. (2017). Digital literacy of language learners in two different contexts. The JALT CALL Journal, 13(2), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v13n2.213.
Troyka. (1987). Definition of writing ability. http://en.teachingenglishonline.net/definition-of-writing-ability accessed on 25 September 202
Valdes, O. (2018). ThoughtCo: An Introduction to Academic Writing. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-academic-writing-1689052
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Language Teaching and Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The Authors submitting a manuscript do so on the understanding that if accepted for publication, copyright of the article shall be assigned to International Journal of Language Teaching and Education (IJoLTe) and Magister Program of English Education Department, Universitas Jambi as publisher of the journal. Copyright encompasses rights to reproduce and deliver the article in all form and media, including reprints, photographs, microfilms, and any other similar reproductions, as well as translations.
IJoLTe keep the rights to articles that have been published. And, the authors are permitted to disseminate published article by sharing the link of IJoLTe' website. Authors are allowed to use their works for any purposes deemed necessary without written permission from IJoLTe with an acknowledgement of initial publication in this journal.
IJoLTe and Magister Program of English Education Department, Universitas Jambi, and the Editors make every effort to ensure that no wrong or misleading data, opinions or statements be published in the journal. In any way, the contents of the articles and advertisements published in IJoLTe are the sole and responsibility of their respective authors and advertisers.
If the article was jointly prepared by more than one author, any authors who submitting the manuscript warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors to be agreed on this copyright and license notice (agreement) on their behalf, and agrees to inform his/her co-authors of the terms of this policy. IJoLTe will not be held liable for anything that may arise due to the author(s) internal dispute. IJoLTe will only communicate with the corresponding author.
By submitting the article/manuscript to this journal, the authors agree with this policy and consciously agree that IJoLTe does not provide royalties or other fees to the authors for their published articles. By agreeing this policy, IJoLTe ensures that published articles are publicly accessible and will be free of charge for the readers. No specific document sign-off is required.
Users of this website will be licensed to use materials from this website following the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Please use the materials accordingly
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
