Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of ICT-based writing instructional practices, but they do not show an in-depth analysis of their instructional elements, which could be key to explaining such effectiveness. This study aims to analyze the instructional design of effective ICT-based writing practices according to content and instructional dimensions. An empirical review was performed following the PRISMA statement guidelines with a sample of 22 studies. For the content dimension, learning objectives were coded in terms of target focus, subject-specific knowledge, and learning outcomes. For the instructional dimension, types of learning and instructional activities were coded, identifying their specific elements. Results showed that learning objectives were mostly focused on practice/internalization of high-level processes. Regarding learning activities, ICT was mainly used in practicing/applying, structuring, and observing/noting activities. Regarding instructional activities, application and demonstration principles appeared most frequently in the interventions, with application activities being most frequently performed by ICTs. Product-focused and corrective types of feedback, as well as static and procedural scaffolding types, were the most frequently performed using ICT. In conclusion, this study provides useful information on what writing activities can be performed using ICT and provide the basis for future studies analyzing to what extent these activities contribute to program effectiveness.

The increasing integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education has highlighted their potential to support writing instruction. However, research examining how ICT is used to teach writing, as well as the factors influencing this use across educational stages, remains limited. Accordingly, this study investigates differences in ICT-related training and the use of ICT for writing instruction among language and literature teachers in primary and secondary education, together with the internal and external factors shaping such use. A survey based on an ad hoc questionnaire was completed by 360 Spanish teachers. The results revealed significant differences between educational stages in both ICT-related training and the use of ICT for teaching writing. Primary school teachers tended to focus on low-level writing processes (e.g., spelling), whereas secondary school teachers placed greater emphasis on higher-level writing skills and more advanced ICT-based activities, despite the overall limited use of ICT for instructional purposes. Internal and external factors varied across educational levels and were positively associated with ICT integration; however, self-efficacy emerged as the main significant predictor of ICT use for writing instruction. Overall, the study identifies key barriers to ICT integration and suggests practical strategies to enhance its use in writing instruction, including targeted teacher training in ICT-supported writing practices and professional development initiatives aimed at strengthening teachers’ self-efficacy.

Writing is an essential skill that allows human beings to communicate and learn, and its good development favours academic and work success. Currently, the immersion of new technologies in society has led to the reformulation of writing instruction practices, requiring the knowledge and use of a large number of technological resources in order to be able to write and communicate effectively. As a consequence, many digital resources have been created in recent years to facilitate the acqusition of writing skills. The aim of this study is to review empirical articles in which digital tools designed to improve students' writing skills are used. To this end, an analysis of these articles has been carried out, obtaining information on the samples, the variables evaluated and the results obtained, as well as the limits and gaps in knowledge that will lay the foundations for future lines of research. In conclusion, at an educational level, this review may be useful for teachers to learn about and incorporate different digital tools aimed at improving writing skills in their classes. La escritura es una habilidad esencial que permite al ser humano comunicarse y aprender, por lo que su buen desarrollo favorece el éxito académico y laboral. Actualmente, la inmersión de las nuevas tecnologías en la sociedad ha llevado a la reformulación de las prácticas de instrucción en escritura, siendo necesario el conocimiento y el empleo de un gran número de recursos tecnológicos para poder redactar y comunicarse de manera eficaz. Como consecuencia, durante los últimos años se han creado múltiples recursos digitales para facilitar la adquisición de la competencia escrita. Este estudio tiene como objetivo realizar una revisión de artículos empíricos en los que se utilizan herramientas digitales que han sido diseñadas para mejorar las habilidades de escritura de los estudiantes. Para ello, se ha realizado un análisis de los mismos, obteniendo información sobre las muestras, las variables evaluadas y los resultados obtenidos, así como los límites y lagunas de conocimiento que sentarán las bases para futuras líneas de investigación. Concluyendo, a nivel educativo, la presente revisión puede ser de utilidad para que el profesorado conozca e incorpore en sus clases distintas herramientas digitales destinadas a la mejora de la competencia escrita.