DIGITAL LITERACY IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: EXPLORING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH AUTOMATED WRITING EVALUATION (AWE) FEEDBACK

While artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated language education, it is crucial to understand that learners are at the center of education and instructional scaffolding needs to be provided for them to improve their engagement with digital technologies. Situated in the context of second language (L2) writing, the article first reviews two key terms - digital literacy and student engagement, and then focuses on a recent study that integrated digital literacy and student engagement in L2 writing research and proposed an integrated model by synthesizing multiple components of digital literacy and tripartite dimensions of student engagement. It is suggested that digital literacy, characterized by an awareness of the affordances and constraints of digital technologies, an ability to evaluate digital information, and a willingness to use digital technologies for peer collaboration, is key to effective student engagement in language learning in the age of AI.