DIGITAL READING AND COMPREHENSION PLATFORM IN EFL: ENGAGEMENT PATTERNS AND GRAMMAR OUTCOMES

Melisa Bureković, Goran Grubešić

Abstract


This study examines patterns of engagement with a digital reading and comprehension platform among EFL learners at two proficiency levels (B2 and C1) and explores the relationship between platform-based performance indicators and formal grammatical achievement. The participants were 44 university-level EFL students who used the same digital platform over the course of one academic semester. Platform data included the total number of completed quizzes, accumulated knowledge points, quiz success rates, and average platform level, while grammatical achievement was measured using final course grades. The results revealed statistically significant differences between proficiency groups in engagement intensity, with C1 students completing more quizzes and accumulating higher knowledge point totals than B2 students. No significant differences were found in quiz success rates or average platform levels. Correlational analyses showed no statistically significant associations between individual platform variables and grammar grades in either group. However, distinct patterns emerged across proficiency levels. In the B2 group, grammar grades showed weak positive tendencies in relation to measures of task quantity, whereas in the C1 group, relatively stronger tendencies were observed for performance-related indicators such as quiz success rate and average platform level. Multiple regression analyses further indicated that platform engagement variables did not significantly predict grammar course grades when considered simultaneously. Overall, the findings suggest that the relationship between digital platform engagement and grammatical achievement is indirect and mediated by learner proficiency, highlighting the need to distinguish between quantitative and qualitative dimensions of digital engagement in EFL contexts.

Keywords


EFL learners, digital platform engagement, grammar achievement, proficiency levels B2 and C1

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i3.6580

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