The Effects of Computer-Assisted Writing on Written Language Production in Students with Specific Learning Difficulties: Implications for Sustainable Digital Education

This study investigated the effects of computer-assisted writing on the written language production of secondary school students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD), particularly dyslexia. Writing is a complex cognitive process requiring the coordination of spelling, lexical retrieval, syntactic organization, transcription, and revision, areas in which students with SLD often experience persistent difficulties. The study compared handwritten and computer-based texts produced by 40 students with SLD and 20 students without learning difficulties using a counterbalanced design, with an interval of approximately two weeks between the two writing sessions. In the handwriting condition, students used printed reference materials, whereas in the computer-based condition they had access to general-purpose digital tools, including spell-checkers, electronic dictionaries, online resources, and word-processing software. Written texts were evaluated using the Spelling Accuracy Index and holistic scores assigned by independent raters. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests). The findings revealed statistically significant improvements in favor of computer-based writing for both groups, with particularly strong gains among students with SLD. Computer-written texts demonstrated higher spelling accuracy and received higher evaluation scores, indicating improved performance in the assessed writing outcomes. The findings suggest that computer-assisted writing may support written language production in secondary school students with SLD, particularly in relation to spelling accuracy and overall text evaluation, and may offer a useful avenue for more inclusive writing instruction.