DIGITAL PORTFOLIOS TO ENHANCE ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE WRITING SKILLS: A CASE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN SOUTHERN ECUADOR

This study examined the effectiveness of using digital portfolios to enhance EFL (English as a Foreign Language) writing skills. The participants were 60 students from A1 and A2 levels, according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), who were registered in an English course at a private university in southern Ecuador. The data for this innovative experience was gathered from pre and post-questionnaires, observation sheets, and rubrics. Students used smartphones and laptops to create digital portfolios in Google Drive, which included shared photos, infographics, and reflective essays about academic topics related to the competences of the course. This intervention was carried out for a period of 10 months, in which students received permanent feedback about the products they created. After analyzing the data quantitatively and qualitatively, the results show that digital portfolios constitute an effective learning tool that enhances EFL students' writing skills and motivates them to reflect on their own progress.