Teaching scripture in digital times: Trend analysis (2015–2025) in the context of multimodal literacy and generative artificial intelligence

Abstract

This article presents a documentary analysis of scientific literature published between 2015 and 2025 on teaching writing in the digital age. The main objective was to analyse emerging categories and elements to build an integrated understanding of the transformations and challenges in this educational practice. According to Salazar González (2024), teaching writing is conceptualised as a difficult social practice; it is no longer linear, but has become a central ecosystem mediated by technologies, facing a shift towards multimodal composition. The research is framed within a qualitative approach with a documentary analysis design and a hermeneutic perspective, analysing a sample of 48 articles from the Scopus and Science Direct databases. The results were grouped into four main categories: 1) artificial intelligence (AI) intervention in writing, which was the most dominant; 2) digital and multimodal composition; 3) cognitive and affective factors of the learner; and 4) pedagogical design and teaching approaches. Thus, it is confirmed that AI and multimodal composition are constitutive elements of writing instruction. In conclusion, a pedagogical and psychological dilemma is identified: How can technological implementation be designed to foster student autonomy and motivation, overcoming the instrumental view? Future research should focus on the union between human and artificial cognition to cultivate competent and autonomous students, developing critical thinking and higher cognitive skills.