The effect of web-based peer feedback on students’ writing achievement

Abstract

Peer feedback via CMC modalities has become an alternative to conventional in-class peer feedback due to the rapid rise of educational technology and the widespread use of computer-mediated communication in L2 education. Despite the fact that much research has been published on the benefits of CMC tools for enhancing L2 proficiency, the number of studies on peer feedback provided on online platforms and its effect on L2 writing achievement is limited. Therefore, the current research, with the participation of 42 university preparatory class engineering students, aimed to investigate the effectiveness of web-based peer feedback on L2 writing achievement and their views towards web-based peer feedback. For this study, the purposive sampling method was employed. To collect the data, pre-and post-tests were used and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the experimental group members. The findings have indicated that compared to traditional teacher feedback, web-based peer feedback is found to be more effective in improving students’ L2 writing achievement. Regarding the views of participants, web-based platforms to give feedback has several advantages, including practicality, ease of access, motivation, and continuous learning. The quality of the input, a lack of technological resources, or connectivity problems were regarded as the disadvantages.