Model-based feedback in digital writing: effects on young EFL learners’ writing processes and text features

This study examined the effects of model texts on the writing processes and written products of young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in a digital environment. Writing processes were operationalized in terms of noticing and pausing behavior, while text features were evaluated using a five-point holistic rubric. Eighteen fifth-grade Spanish learners participated in a three-stage writing procedure: (i) an initial writing task (tracked with Inputlog); (ii) a noticing stage, where one group compared their texts to a model while a second group engaged in self-editing without models; and (iii) rewriting. Results showed that access to model texts increased participants’ awareness of language features and encouraged purposeful revisions. However, engagement with model texts was associated with a decrease in writing fluency, suggesting an additional processing load during composition.