Digital Transformation in English Writing Instruction for Cross-border E-commerce: A Quasi-experimental Study in Chinese Application-oriented Universities

The rapid growth of the global cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) sector compels a fundamental restructuring of English language pedagogy. This study investigates the efficacy of a Digital Teaching Platform (DTP) in enhancing the English writing proficiency of undergraduate students in Chinese application-oriented universities. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 204 participants- an Experimental Group (N = 103) receiving the DTP intervention and a Control Group (N = 101) receiving conventional instruction. The DTP integrates Virtual Reality (VR) scenario design, Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) prompt engineering, and data analytics literacy. Results indicate that the Experimental Group achieved a mean score of 70.15 (SD = 10.00), significantly outperforming the Control Group's mean score of 63.08 (SD = 10.66), t(202) = 4.89, p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.68. The pass rate (≥60) in the Experimental Group was 86.4%, a substantial improvement over the Control Group's 65.3%. Qualitative analysis reveals that the DTP effectively reduces cognitive load and bridges the gap between academic learning and industrial practice. These findings provide empirical evidence for the DTP as a robust pedagogical model in the digital era. The study further contributes a scalable "Dual-Helix" curriculum model and reflexive thematic evidence that the platform shifts students from writing anxiety to agentic, industry-ready practice.