From Expansion to Correction: Online Revision Patterns in EFL Writing

Abstract

Writing is one of the most cognitively demanding skills for language learners, and the growing use of online co-editing platforms has reshaped how students draft, revise, and negotiate meaning collaboratively, however, limited research has examined how Saudi language learners specifically engage in this revision process. This study investigates how female university students develop English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing through online revisions. Using the online revision behavior (ORB) framework (adapted from Faigley and Witte's (1981) taxonomy and Storch's (2005) model) three undergraduate students collaborated on a writing task via a co-editing platform. Revision instances were coded as expansion, rephrasing, correction, reorganization, or deletion and analyzed quantitatively. Results showed rephrasing (35.3%) and expansion (30.1%) were most frequent, followed by correction (18.8%) and reorganization (15.8%), while deletion was absent. These patterns suggest that learners prioritized refining their expression and elaborating their ideas, reflecting a constructive, meaning-building approach. The findings highlight how online writing environments foster attention to both linguistic accuracy and rhetorical development. Pedagogically, this study supports integrating co-editing tools with explicit revision training to promote autonomy, reflection, and process-oriented EFL writing instruction.