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Pedagogy. Theory & Practice
  • Original research article
  • May 18, 2026
  • Open access

A methodology for academic writing in English for Specific Purposes and digital literacy development in law students through collaborative editing

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop and empirically test a scaffolding‑based methodology (gradual pedagogical support) that integrates professional discourse competence, academic writing, and digital literacy within an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for first‑year law students through a sequence of collaborative editing tasks focusing on legal terminology, source integration, and original text production in a Controlled Digital Learning Environment (CDLE). The article presents a three‑stage scaffolding methodology implemented via a CDLE, which functions not as a mere technical platform but as a deliberately designed pedagogical condition – a secure (externally restricted and pedagogically controlled) space for collaborative text editing in small groups (2-4 students). During an eight‑week design‑based research study involving 50 first‑year law students (English level B1 and above), a mixed‑methods data collection approach was used: rubric‑based assessment, revision log analysis, automated linguistic analysis, and surveys. Within the sequence of gradually fading external support (scaffolding) – editing legal terminology (in adapted encyclopaedic entries), integrating authoritative sources (legal acts, research publications) into the edited text, and creating original sections of a student research paper – the development of students’ professional discourse competence (including terminological accuracy), academic writing skills, and digital literacy (in terms of source handling) was assessed. Scientific novelty of the research lies in the following: (1) a three‑stage scaffolding methodology for law students has been developed and tested, integrating professional discourse competence, academic writing, and digital literacy through collaborative digital editing in a CDLE; (2) within this methodology, a logic of gradual scaffolding withdrawal is proposed – from terminology editing through source integration to original section writing – with mandatory formative assessment at each stage; (3) it is substantiated that the CDLE in this context is not merely a technical tool but a fully‑fledged pedagogical condition that enables the integration of the three competences within an ESP course, in full compliance with the requirements of the Russian Federal State Educational Standard (FSES HE 3++) for universal competences UC‑4 (communication in a foreign language) and UC‑1 (information search, critical analysis, and synthesis). Within the proposed methodology, the CDLE addresses key pedagogical tasks by providing students with a controlled environment for experimenting with linguistic and genre forms, reducing anxiety and fear of public error, and creating conditions for learning through trial actions and subsequent correction based on feedback. Moreover, the collaborative work process in small groups remains transparent: all text revisions are logged, enabling more precise formative assessment at each stage. The sequence of tasks within each of the three stages facilitates a gradual transition from scaffolded work to independent activity over the eight‑week module. The proposed methodology aligns with the FSES HE 3++ requirements for universal competences in professional foreign language communication and information and communication technologies. Findings confirm that professional discourse competence, academic writing, and digital literacy can be effectively developed within this pedagogically structured environment (CDLE). Students demonstrated significant gains in legal terminology accuracy (+3.5 points), formatting of authoritative sources (legal acts, research publications) (+4.4 points), and text structure/style (+2.6 points). Qualitative analysis revealed students’ growing understanding of the genre and stylistic norms of legal discourse. The proposed methodology can be adapted for ESP courses in other disciplines (medicine, engineering, economics) by replacing the disciplinary materials accordingly while preserving the key principles of the methodology. It serves as an example of integrating collaborative digital editing into curricula that comply with national educational standards.

Research materials

  1. UNESCO. Global Education Monitoring Report 2024: Technology in education – Where do we stand? UNESCO, 2024. https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/publication/technology
  2. FSES HE 3++ – Об утверждении федерального государственного образовательного стандарта высшего образования – бакалавриат по направлению подготовки 40.03.01 Юриспруденция: Приказ Министерства науки и высшего образования РФ от 13 августа 2020 г. № 1011. https://fgosvo.ru/news/view/4874

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Author information

Ekaterina Gennadievna Nikulina

PhD

Vyatka State University

Olga Sergeevna Rubleva

PhD

Vyatka State University

About this article

Publication history

  • Received: April 2, 2026.
  • Published: May 18, 2026.

Keywords

  • совместное цифровое редактирование
  • контролируемая цифровая учебная среда (CDLE)
  • английский для специальных целей (ESP)
  • академическое письмо
  • дизайн-исследование
  • педагогический скаффолдинг
  • collaborative digital editing
  • Controlled Digital Learning Environment (CDLE)
  • English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
  • academic writing
  • design-based research
  • pedagogical scaffolding

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)
© 2026 Gramota Publishing, LLC

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)