User-Friendly Digital Tools: Boosting Student Engagement andCreativity in Higher Education [Herramientas Digitales Intuitivas: Impulsando laParticipación y la Creatividad en la Educación Superior]

This study explores the impact of digital storytelling tools on enhancing EFL students’ writing skills in higher education. Through a mixed-methods survey administered to 72 undergraduate students, the research evaluates user satisfaction, perceived creativity enhancement, engagement levels, and usability challenges associated with Storybird, Storyjumper, and Storyboard That. Findings reveal a strong preference for digital storytelling over traditional writing approaches, highlighting increased engagement, collaboration, and perceived learning effectiveness. Despite positive perceptions, usability challenges and limitations in free features were identified. The study provides pedagogical implications for integrating user-friendly digital tools into EFL instruction and contributes to the growing body of research on educational technology in higher education contexts.