Exploring University Students’ Essays Writing Performance Using Canva-Based Assignments: Insights from a General English Course

Abstract

In recent years, digital platforms have been increasingly integrated into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, but limited attention has been paid to their role in shaping students’ writing performance in higher education, particularly in general English courses. Addressing this gap, the present study investigated university students’ writing performance in Canva-based assignments, with a focus on both overall outcomes and performance across five key components: content, organization, vocabulary, mechanics, and communicative achievement. The study employed a descriptive quantitative design involving 48 students enrolled in a general English course during the 2024/2025 academic year. Students’ essays were assessed by three independent raters using a standardized rubric, and the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics to capture mean scores, standard deviations, and distribution across performance categories. The results showed that most students performed at the good category, with fewer students reaching the Excellent category or falling into the Fair, Poor, and Very Poor categories. Among the five components, vocabulary demonstrated the highest mean score and the lowest variability. In contrast, content and communicative achievement recorded the lowest mean scores and greater variability, indicating challenges in idea development and fulfilling communicative purposes. These findings indicate that Canva supports lexical development in EFL writing but has a limited impact on higher-order skills such as coherence and communicative clarity. In summary, Canva-based assignments can serve as a valuable tool in enhancing certain dimensions of writing performance, but their effectiveness depends on integration with explicit instruction and scaffolding. Limitations of the study include the use of a single institution and a descriptive design, which restricts generalizability.  Overall, the study contributes to digital-assisted EFL writing literature and guides educators in leveraging Canva in higher education.