Abstract
The present study sought to investigate the effect of using Edmodo, a Web 2.0 tool, as a supportive blended learning tool in developing EFL Saudi students’ paragraph writing skills at Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz University, KSA. Eighty students majoring in English at the college level one participated in the study. The participants were randomly selected for an experimental group (taught by using Edmodo) and a control group (taught without using Edmodo). Two main tools were devised to collect data: Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and Test of Paragraph Writing Skills (TPWS). The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially by running a t-test, using SPSS 16.0, to calculate the differences between the mean scores of the two groups pre- and post-intervention. The results showed statistically significant differences in the post-test in favor of the experimental group. Integrating Edmodo into the writing class was found to be highly beneficial in developing EFL students’ writing abilities, up to paragraph level. The use of Edmodo also enriched students’ knowledge and increased their motivation to learn.
Highlights
1.1 Teaching and Learning Writing in EFL ContextThe teaching of writing to L2 learners, including EFL students undertaking English courses, has been the subject of investigation by many researchers (e.g. Choi, 2013; Fauziati, 2015; Li, 2012; Olanezhad, 2015), and while they are generally agreed about the complexity of writing and its crucial role in supporting other skills in L2 learning, the teaching of it is not nearly as settled as an issue.Writing must not be thought of as a solely productive skill
Given the significance of writing and the advantages that could be gained by using Edmodo in paragraph writing instruction, the present study aims to examine the effect of using Edmodo in the development of Saudi freshmen EFL undergraduates’ paragraph writing skills
Results of the test indicated that the control group and the experimental group were equivalent in their paragraph writing skills prior to the intervention
Summary
Writing must not be thought of as a solely productive skill It is rather a three-stage discovery process that involves pre-writing, writing, and post-writing (Harmer, 2001). The post-writing stage is where teachers follow up students’ work and provide sufficient feedback on how flourishing their work has been. These stages help students complete the writing task successfully and foster the process of writing. This process approach to teaching writing superseded a traditional approach that considered writing the producing of a product that was the result of a teacher-focused instruction in rules, from the physical act of writing to spelling, grammar, composition, and so on. While the process approach sees writing as a social and collaborative activity, the traditional approach saw it as a silent and solitary activity
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