A computer-mediated curriculum in the EFL academic writing class (original) (raw)
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Atlantis Press, 2023
The aim of the research is to discover the challenges regarding computer-mediated collaborative writing (CMCW) EFL learners encounter in academic writing courses and investigate their perceptions about CMCW activities via online applications. The researchers used qualitative and quantitative methods by carrying out questionnaires and interviews with 80 freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors (interviews for 15 students) at the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Van Lang University (VLU) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The findings of the study suggest common difficulties EFL learners face when taking part in CMCW activities to help improve lecturers' teaching writing methods as well as students' writing performance during their learning process.
Technology-based instructional intervention into an EFL writing classroom
Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 2019
The aim of this study is to highlight the role of technology-based instructional intervention in enhancing the composing competence of struggling student writers at Majma’ah University (MU) in Saudi Arabia. Such instructional choice issues from the belief that the students have experiences and stories to share through writing. In the current intervention, a total of 26 participants enrolled in a short essay course offered by the Community College and the College of Education optionally participated in the study. They were equally divided into experimental and control groups, respectively. While the experimental group received both traditional and online instruction, using the MU Learning Management System, the control group received traditional instruction only. The experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-intervention test. Evidence from the quantitative and qualitative data attests to the assumption that instructional technology could significantly enhance lea...
Comparing face-to-face and computer-mediated collaboration when teaching EFL writing skills
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Face-to-face and computer-mediated collaboration have been used extensively in educational practice. However, research on teaching writing skills for English as a foreign language under collaborative conditions has reported mixed or even negative findings. Cognitive load theory can be used to explain many of these contradictory findings. An experiment (n ¼ 60) was conducted to compare the effectiveness of face-to-face and computer-mediated collaborative conditions in fostering learners' acquisition of writing skills. The results indicated that the face-to-face instructional condition benefitted learners' development of writing skills more than the computer-mediated communication condition. Evolutionary educational psychology with its distinction between evolutionary primary and secondary skills was used to explain these results. It was suggested that since we have evolved to collaborate in face-to-face contexts, the associated primary skills could be used to leverage the acquisition of the secondary skills required during foreign language writing.
The impact of computer-based instruction on the development of EFL learners' writing skills
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The present study aimed at finding out whether there were significant differences between EFL freshman students exposed to traditional in-class writing instruction depending on the textbook only, and those exposed to a combination of traditional in-class writing instruction and web-based instruction in their writing achievement. Before instruction, both groups were pre-tested. Both studied the same writing textbook for 12 weeks. In addition, experimental students received online instruction in which they posted their own threads, short paragraphs, stories or poems on the discussion board. They located information related to themes covered in the book from internet sites like "Yahoo movies" and "WebMD". They word-processed their paragraphs and checked their own spelling using MS WORD. At the end of the treatment, both groups were posttested. Results of the paired and independent T-tests and Analysis of Covariance are reported.
Utilizing a web-based technology in blended EFL academic writing classes for university students
https://www.ijicc.net/images/vol\_13/Iss\_2/Part\_2/SC71\_Turmudi\_2020\_E\_R.pdf, 2020
This paper discusses a web-based instruction mixed with off-line learning in a blended EFL academic writing classes for undergraduate students. The concepts are constructed by reviewing selected and related articles based on the current trends of blended instructions with the aid of technology in education. The main ideas taken into account is how to make EFL academic writing practicality, and convenience, yet respecting norms and responsibilities of education principles. It is practical since it is flexible and can be done anywhere and anytime, yet within the consensus. Thus, the concept covers the conceptual framework of blended EFL academic learning mixed with face-to-face and web-based model as a unit of Blended EFL Academic Writing Classes. It is a theoretical description and procedural flow of face to face and web-based. This is hoped to assist any higher education educators in treating the students and contribute to the body knowledge of online learning in the era of information and communication technology (ICT) or currently known as virtual technology era.
The Role of Online Tools in Promoting EFL Writing
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Taking into account the paradigm shift we are witnessing because of the technological revolution, the call for drastic changes in writing instruction has grown louder and stronger in recent years. In this chapter, the potential for incorporating technology into EFL writing instruction is explored. It offers a detailed account of how to incorporate online synchronous and asynchronous communication into writing instruction and mentions the precedence of asynchronous tools in this respect. It then follows a description of possible online activities claimed to promote EFL writing proficiency as well as pitfalls that might be encountered. Clear guidelines are provided for online written communication, and emphasis is on the resulting drastic change in the teacher's role. The chapter ends by explaining how to integrate online asynchronous communication and the process writing approach to enhance EFL written production.
VELES: Voices of English Language Education Society
The level of teacher’s assistance in web-based collaborative writing activities affected students’ collaboration and non-collaboration. Therefore, the teacher’s role in enhancing students’ active learning was inseparable. This study focused on the EFL teacher moves in facilitating groups’ work of writing using web-based tool, Google Docs to support online learning. Conducting collaborative work in writing technology was valuable for promoting students’ participation and collaboration. The participant in this qualitative research case study was an EFL teacher at an Indonesian vocational high school. The data was based on a semi-structured interview and document analysis of students’ worksheet and teacher-students’ written conversation in Google Docs. The findings showed that web-based medium facilitated the teacher assisted the students’ engagement through organisational, socio-cognitive, and socio-affective in collaborative writing environment. Significantly, the teacher favorably c...
The Role of E-mail Activities in EFL Writing Classes
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Technological advances have greatly affected teaching and learning at different levels and consequently CALL is a research area that has received great interest recently. The present study aims at providing an overview of the role of e-mail activities in EFL writing classes. An assumption that is sometimes made by composition instructors is that the incorporation of e-mail writing exercises in curricula will necessarily have beneficial effects on students' academic composition abilities. However, if e-mail creates features of both written and spoken language, it is questionable that the e-mail writing will necessarily improve their academic writing abilities. In order to address this question, this study investigates whether student-produced writing in email and traditional pen-and-paper mood is similar or different with respect to factors like the length of text produced in each medium, and the type of structures used. Forty students majoring in English as foreign language in a...
EFL STUDENTS' EXPERIENCE ON A TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED WRITING CLASS
This paper describes students' experience in a technology-enhanced classroom. Seventeen first-year students in English language teaching program taking basic reading and writing course participated in this study. Prior to the writing sessions, students were demanded to read minimum 5 stories of their interest in their leisure time. Two training sessions on how to use the cartoon story maker software were administered and students were collaboratively required to make 5 cartoon stories using the software. Data were collected from interviews, focus group discussion, observations, and analyses of students' comic stories. Results show that students find the activities engaging and challenging. Their passion for getting involved in a technology-based project that demands creativity and sufficient computer and internet literacy skills has fostered their learning autonomy. However, students find that the most frustrating activity is adapting the available characters in the software and in their stories. New skill that they learn in using software for comic writing is synchronizing stories, images, and language expressions. Further, some pedagogical issues are discussed and some recommendations for integrating technology in a writing class are provided.