How Technology Tools Impact Writing Performance, Lexical Complexity, and Perceived Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in EFL Academic Writing: A Comparative Study.

Yangxi Han,Lee-Luan Ng,Shuo Zhao

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.752793

Abstract

Students experience different levels of autonomy based on the mediation of self-regulated learning (SRL), but little is known about the effects of different mediation technologies on students' perceived SRL strategies. This mixed explanatory study compared two technology mediation models, Icourse (a learning management system) and Icourse+Pigai (an automatic writing evaluation system), with a control group that did not use technology. A quasi-experimental design was used, which involved a pre and post-intervention academic writing test, an SRL questionnaire, and one-to-one semi-structured student interviews. The aim was to investigate 280 Chinese undergraduate English as a foreign language (EFL) students' academic writing performance, lexical complexity, and perceptions of self-regulated strategies in academic writing. One-way ANCOVA of writing performance, Kruskal-Wallis test of lexical complexity, ANOVA of the SRL questionnaire, and grounded thematic content analysis revealed that, first, both Icourse and Icourse+Pigai provided significant support for the development of SRL strategies vs. the control group, although there was no significant difference between the two groups. Second, Icourse+Pigai-supported SRL was more helpful for improving students' academic writing performance because it enabled increased writing practice and correction feedback. Third, Icourse+Pigai-supported SRL did not significantly improve students' lexical complexity. In conclusion, we argue that both learning management systems and automated writing evaluation (AWE) platforms may be used to assist students' SRL learning to enhance their writing performance. More effort should be directed toward developing technological tools that increase both lexical accuracy and lexical complexity. We conclude that the technical tools used in this study were positively connected to the use of SRL techniques. However, when creating technologically mediated SRL activities, students' psychological study preferences should be considered.

Highlights

It has been well established that technology-mediated selfregulated learning (SRL) plays an increasingly prominent role in the language learning process (Zhu et al, 2016)
Our results indicate that SRL supported by both the Icourse group and the Icourse+Pigai group affected students’ writing performance in terms of lexical complexity but did not significantly improve on it in the current phase of technological development
Our research results regarding lexical complexity show that technology-supported SRL failed to significantly improve lexical diversity and sophistication. This is possibly because current feedback focuses more on lexical accuracy than on lexical complexity

Summary

Introduction

It has been well established that technology-mediated selfregulated learning (SRL) plays an increasingly prominent role in the language learning process (Zhu et al, 2016). Previous research has indicated that students experience different levels of autonomy based on the mediation they are provided for SRL (Bouwmeester et al, 2019; van Alten et al, 2020). Not enough is known about the effects of different technologies on students perceived self-regulated learning strategies. In turn, need to adapt to changes in their self-learning processes and practices necessitated by different types of technological tools (Cancino and Panes, 2021). Ko (2017) indicated that learners’ working memory load may be influenced by their physical learning environment, which includes different allocations of learning resources and technologies. It is vital to understand the effects of different technologies on students’ SRL processes and practices to better address students’ learning needs

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion