Writing Class Research Articles

Powtoon as Digital Learning Media in Academic Writing Class: Students’ Perspective and Challenges

Facing the post-Covid-19 pandemic, teachers need to enhance technology in their teaching and learning process, especially in delivering the materials for the students. As digital natives, students are familiar with technology, and it makes them excited in learning English materials. Academic writing materials are complex because it involves expressing ideas carefully elaborated, and well-supported, logically sequenced, rigorously reasoned, and tightly stitched together. Powtoon is one of the solutions to make the materials more interesting and understandable for the students in academic writing class. This study aims to know the students’ perspectives and challenges about the use of Powtoon as digital learning media to improve writing skills. The subjects are 37 students in English Department in one of the state universities in Indonesia. The method is qualitative by using questionnaire, interview, and documentation. It is found that the students have positive perceptions (76.92%) on the use of Powtoon as digital learning media to improve writing skills. Hence, Powtoon is recommended as digital learning media to improve the students’ writing skills. However, the motion of the animation could distract student's concentration in understanding the materials. Apart from that, students still need to ask directly to the teacher if they have not really understood about the materials presented using Powtoon.

The Effects of Genre Based Approach and Process Approach on EFL Writing Class

Indonesian students learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Indonesian students who are second language users (L2 learners) have limited knowledge of frequently used words compared to first language users (L1 learners) and native English speakers. EFL students made more mistakes and errors in EFL writing classes due to limited vocabulary. A frequent word is a single word in the first three frequency levels of the 1000 words. To fill this gap, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a genre-based approach (GBA) and a process approach to writing (PAW) on student writing skills. In this study, a quasi-experimental study design was applied in the form of a pre-test and post-test control group design. As a sample for this study, two classes of 3rd semester undergraduate students from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Sumenep, East Java, Indonesia were randomly selected. Seventy students participated in the study, of which 35 students in the experimental group received the GBA and another 35 students in the control group received the process approach to writing. Data were analysed using independent and dependent (paired) sample t-tests. The resulting findings showed that: 1) There was a significant difference in post-test scores between students taught using a genre-based approach and those taught using a process approach to writing. 2) Adopting a genre-based writing approach or a process approach has had a big impact. This study shows that the genre-based approach contributes more than the writing approach. In conclusion, the GBA or PAW was effective in teaching English writing skills.

EFL Students' Language Learning Strategies at Argumentative Writing Class at UNIROW Tuban

The focus of this research is on EFL students’ language learning strategies used in Argumentative Writing class at UNIROW Tuban. It sought to determine the students’ most frequent language learning strategies and the strategies’ distinctions between students, both male and female. The descriptive qualitative was employed as the design of research for this study. The study's participants are 15 EFL students enrolled in Argumentative Writing class from English Language Education department undergraduate program of UNIROW Tuban. The questionnaire and interview data were qualitatively examined using Oxford's (1990) theories of language learning. It was identified that there were six kinds of language learning strategies used by the students, namely memory strategies, cognitive strategies, compensation strategies, metacognitive strategies, affective strategies, and social strategies. The findings showed that in the Argumentative Writing class, both genders of students most frequently employed cognitive strategies (30,1%). Additionally, it was discovered that female students (23,5%) employed more varied language learning strategies than male students (22,5%). The cognitive strategies appear to be the finest support strategies employed in Argumentative Writing class that can overcome students' writing limitations.

The Use of Grammarly by Tertiary English Language Learners in Their Online Writing Classes

In writing English texts, grammatical errors are a problem that is always faced by writers. Not to mention other writing errors such as typos, punctuation, and capitalization can also be done by writers. Therefore, the Grammarly application was created to overcome this problem. This study aims to find out how Grammarly helps tertiary-level students in their online Writing Classes. The participants of this study were 78 students studying in an English Language Education study program. A questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument by adopting and adapting closed-ended questions from Hakiki's research (2021) and adding open-ended questions to find out the respondent's perceptions about the use of Grammarly in their online Writing activities. The findings of this study show the majority of respondents perceived Grammarly as a very helpful writing tool. Grammarly helps them by providing vocabulary and grammar suggestions to avoid language errors in their writing, providing mechanics corrections to help them revise their writing errors, and providing plagiarism checkers for premium users.

Review of Rhetoric Matters: A Guide to Success in the First Year Writing Class

New students in higher education may come to their university with the expectation that they are already trained to write academically. Their instructors may also have this expectation, but that is often not the case. The authors of Rhetoric Matters have put together a comprehensive textbook for these students which encompasses the entire research and scholarship process, from reading effectively to sources and research to accurately using multiple citations styles.

Pedagogic Exploration Into Adapting Automated Writing Evaluation and Peer Review Integrated Feedback Into Large-Sized University Writing Classes

Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) software has been viewed as a promising tool for assisting writing. This study integrated AWE and its combination with peer review discussion into writing practice in a large college writing class in the Asian context. Adopting a mixed-method approach, this study employed a quantitative questionnaire to investigate how students perceived the integration at different writing stages and a qualitative interview to examine what prompted their quantitative decisions. The results show that the integration of AWE and peer review feedback significantly reinforced the perceived usefulness of AWE at the revision stage, and students with different proficiency levels had notably different attitudes toward AWE. Their writing anxieties intensified as they became increasingly aware of their own weaknesses during the writing process. Therefore, student writing challenges involve not only language proficiency and writing skills but also psychological variables.

Integrating extensive and intensive reading worksheets on digital platforms

This study aims at exploring the strengths of extensive reading and intensive reading (EXIT) integration by involving the use of digital-platform base worksheet in optimizing the students’ reading skill. The foci include revealing the students’ perspectives towards such a hybrid implementation as well as theoretical justifications to the significances of EXIT integration and digital-platform base worksheet in reading activities. This descriptive qualitative study took place in a state university in North Sumatera ad involved 30 students of English education taking Writing class. Questionnaire, interview, and documentation were used to collect the data. The qualitative data were then analyzed to meet triangulation data validity. It was found that the students perceive the significances of EXIT integration and roles of digital-platform base worksheet are oriented to optimize their reading comprehension. Documentation also showed the students’ interests and motivation in EXIT using digital-platform base improved. Exploration to teachers’ perspectives towards the same treatment is suggested to see the significances of each reading technique and reading tool from different point of view.

Integrating Hybrid Learning and Team-Based Project in EFL Writing Class

This study aimed to describe the integration of hybrid learning and team-based projects in learning to write and to explain the effectiveness of implementing hybrid and team-based projects in improving students' writing performances. This research method was mixed with quantitative analysis using quasi-experiments and questionnaires, while qualitative analysis used observations in writing classes. The instruments applied were writing tests, questionnaires, and observations. The results of this study were feasible to be used and tested in a small-scale class in the third semester of English Education at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang. The average result of the validation is more than four scores, so it is in the excellent category. Meanwhile, the results of the analysis of student perspectives on learning through Team-Based Projects are divided into four, namely; student perspectives and motivation regarding the implementation of hybrid learning, student perspectives on the effectiveness of Team-Based Projects, student perceptions of independent learning through team-based projects and hybrid learning, and student perceptions about working in groups. All of the indicators were categorized as excellent. In addition, the integration of hybrid learning and team-based project in the English Language Education Study Program with the participation of seventy-two students with the final grades of all students being in the complete category above seventy so that the integration of hybrid learning and team-based projects is effectively implemented in genre text writing classes. Therefore, the results of this study can make a good contribution because they can motivate students to write texts and improve independent student learning.

INDONESIAN EFL LEARNERS’ ERRORS IN IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS: TEACHERS’ & STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES

<p>In an Indonesian setting, writing proper idiomatic expressions poses significant challenges for the majority of EFL students. Oftentimes, the idiomatic meanings deviate from the literal meanings and students are affected by their own first language and cultural contexts in usage. Therefore, this study explores the erroneous mistakes made by Indonesian EFL students and offers insights into teachers’ and students’ perspectives. This research will primarily examine the factors that influence university-level Academic Writing class students in incorrectly translating idiomatic expressions from the source language to the target language. The data for analysis was retrieved from students of Academic Writing classes from two different universities in West Java and Central Java to provide a comparative context in analyzing their mistakes. A comparative descriptive approach was applied, as this was deemed more appropriate for a study on semantic and translation strategies. The research results revealed that the study participants primarily experienced L1 interference, insufficient linguistic and grammatical knowledge, and a lack of lexical knowledge. Another obstacle was the students’ tendency to not heed cultural aspects in their writing and translating. Consequently, it is essential for EFL learners to be able to properly understand and translate idiomatic expressions in their writing to improve their target-language proficiency. Thus, instructors and students play crucial roles in successfully traversing this linguistic endeavor. Through proper instruction and active engagement, EFL learners can improve their linguistic mastery and cultural fluency, facilitating them to write more naturally in English.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0069/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

A Critical Review of Collaborative Learning in Academic Writing Classes

Writing has long been regarded as one of the most challenging skill in language education, as it requires only lexical resources and grammatical knowledge, but it demands social sensitivity. The emergence of the collaborative writing models has proved its significance in the ability to enhance academic writing performance. Collaborative writing allows learners to exchange ideas and expand the personal language repertoire. Learners are also able to enhance self reflection. However, the success of employing collaborative writing is still limited to certain factors. This paper is a critical review of the merits and reality of using collaborative writing in tertiary education. Certain recommendations are also made in this paper to optimise the effectiveness of collaborative writing in academic writing classes.

직소( Jigsaw) 협동학습을 적용한 자기소개서 교육 방법 및 사례 연구

This study examines the efficacy of an educational plan centered on Jigsaw Cooperative Learning as an effective teaching method for writing self-introductions within a a university-level writing class K University. As writing self-introductions has became necessary for employment, the need for writing self-introduction education in university writing classes began to increase in the mid-2000s. Nevertheless compared to other writing learing the participation rates and achievements in writing self-introduction learing have been low. In reponse to these challenges, this study present Writing Self-Introduction teaching plan by applying Jigsaw Cooperative Learing. Jigsaw Cooperative Learing is a cooperative learning model and a teaching method that fosters knowledge exchange among group peers, thus enabling collaborative and independent learning among students emphasized by Fisher&Frey(2021).
 The application of Jigsaw Cooperative Learning took place over two weeks in the first semester of 2023 at K University’s University Writing Class. The structured sequence encompassed ‘professor description→Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Step1→Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Step2→Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Step3→Individual Practice’. The end of semester survey revealed that 64.5% of participants wanted to learn how to write self-introduction: 69.7% stated that writing self-introductions was particulartly helpful. Additionally 27.8% of the classes were instructor lectures without applying Jigsaw Cooperative Learning. The findings demonstrate that writing self-introduction teaching using Jigsaw Cooperative Learning, which enables learners to learn efficiently on their own by collaborating with colleagues, is more effective than unilateral lecture-style methods. As writing self-introductions for employment is practical and strategic writing with a clear purpose, Jigsaw Cooperative Learning can be used to increase the learning effect through the active participation of learners.

Fostering Students’ Creativity in English Writing Class: Investigating The Impact of Project-Based Learning in Bridging Ideas and Words

The lack of stimulation for students' creativity in English language learning at schools, stemming from a conventional approach that overly focuses on information transfer and offers limited scope for creativity, can be effectively addressed through the implementation of Project-Based Learning as an innovative approach. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze project-based learning as a means to enhance creativity skills in the English writing process of junior high school students. This study adopts a qualitative approach, where data were collected through student and teacher speeches or conversations recorded on video and noted in field journals during observations from the first to the third sessions. The qualitative data analysis follows the structured approach as per the model by Miles et al., (2018). The findings indicate that the application of Project-Based Learning in an Islamic State Junior High School in Kediri is effective in enhancing students' creativity skills in English writing, as reflected in the fulfillment of creativity indicators such as motivation, self-confidence, resilience to mistakes, initiative, humor, and critique. This research offers an innovative solution to overcome challenges in English language learning.

Text Linguistics of “Textuality”: Making a Sequence of Sentences Communicative English Written Texts

Textuality makes a sequence of sentences a communicative English written text. It, nonetheless, hardly becomes a major theme of foreign language learning in the Indonesian English Writing Classes/context nowadays. This study, therefore, aimed at diagnosing the “incorrect/missing uses of the seven elements of the textuality in the students’ cause and effect essay. Qualitatively, Politeknik Negeri Padang was the locus of the study. The 2nd-year ED students (n=32) were the research participants selected through the convenience sampling techniques. The documentation and observation were the techniques of data collection while the 1967 Corder’s Clinical elicitation was exercised as ways of analysing the data. The findings disclosed that the students missed using nominal substitution and lexical cohesion of repetition and synonym along with incorrectly used verbal and clausal substitution, nominal, verbal and clausal ellipsis, anaphoric and cataphoric references, and lexical cohesion of grammatical and lexical collocations. They, however, succeeded in correctly using three different types of conjunctions and coherence though they flopped to utilise the acceptable phrases of drawing a conclusion. Hyponymy, metonymy and antonymy were ignored. In conclusion, the deficiencies made the students’ sequences of sentences flawed and characterless. It, therefore, encourages EFL teacher to place emphasis on teaching textuality in the English Writing Classes.

The Impact of Peer and Teacher Feedback Using Twitter on FFL Writing Class

Feedback is a technique used in the teaching and learning environment to improve the acquisition of knowledge and skills, including writing mastery. This study investigates the impact of incorporating peer and teacher feedback techniques through Twitter on developing writing skills in French as a Foreign Language (FFL) class. The study employed a quantitative experimental approach that adopted a One Group Pre-Test and Post-Test design. A sample of 30 students enrolled in the fourth semester of the French Language Education Study Program at a university in Bandung, Indonesia, participated in the study. This study used two research instruments to gather the data: a writing assessment consisting of a pre-test and post-test and a questionnaire to measure students' perceptions of the studies' treatment. The data test was analyzed using the CEFR A2-level assessment instrument from Tagliante (2005) and then processed statistically using SPSS 26 software. While questionnaire data were analyzed using a Likert scale with five intervals. The statistical analysis results demonstrated a substantial impact, indicating increased scores from the pre-test to the post-test. The observable augmentation in the caliber and efficacy of student writing across all evaluation domains supports this assertion. In conclusion, the implementation of peer and teacher feedback using Twitter in French as a Foreign Language (FFL) writing class significantly enhances students' writing proficiency. Furthermore, it allows students to demonstrate a favorable acceptance and perception of this implementation to improve their French writing skills.

Teacher's Written Feedback in Academic Writing Class: Students' Perceptions

Teacher's written feedback is one crucial thing that influences students' success in writing class. This feedback can benefit students' essays and writing performances in writing class. This study focuses on Academic Writing students' perceptions of teacher's written feedback in Academic Writing class. The purpose of this study is to investigate Academic Writing students' perceptions toward teacher's written feedback for their writing performances in Academic Writing class. This study was conducted in the English Language Education Program (ELEP), the Faculty of Language and Arts, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana. The participants for this study were 31 students who were taking an Academic Writing course in Semester Gasal, 2022/2023 academic year. This study used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to gather the data. The result showed that Academic Writing students had varied perceptions of teacher's written feedback from their lecturers. There were three types of students' perceptions of teacher's written feedback which were positive, mixed, and negative. This study hopefully can contribute valuable suggestions for the Academic Writing teacher in giving good written feedback and reveals the fact that teacher's written feedback can enhance students' writing performance.

Investigating Students’ Voices towards Online Writing Class in Vocational High School Context

Nowadays, online learning that is conducted by students requires them to work harder to carry out the learning process. It is undeniable that students at various levels of education have used online platforms to help the learning process, including vocational high school students. Therefore, it is interesting to investigate students' voices about the implementation of online classes in their schools. In this study, researchers focused on the use of Google Classroom among vocational school students attending online writing classes. This study uses a case study design by selecting eighty students in Bandar Lampung. To collect data, researchers distributed questionnaires through Google Forms and interviewed students. The results showed that students had positive and negative perceptions about the implementation of Google Classroom, namely: (1) There are issues with connecting Google Classroom to the internet; (2) Students do not comprehend the writing materials provided by Google Classroom; and (3) Students' laziness and lack of discipline in carrying out or collecting assignments (5) Students have difficulty expressing themselves and responding in the writing class via Google Classroom. Furthermore, several challenges were discovered for students in online writing classes via Google Classroom, including: (1) Student indiscipline due to being too bored to do online assignments; (2) students' lack of understanding of writing material in class; and (3) Students' lack of interaction with teachers in Google Classroom.

Improving Students' Critical Thinking on Environment Through Creative Writing Class Applying Project-Based Learning Approach

The issue regarding the existing condition of our environment has become more intense to be criticized at any level of society, including scholars. It has become a multidisciplinary topic that is not related to biological students or conservationists only as the entire people worldwide are responsible for this earth's condition. Students in university also grasp an important role in the environment and ignorance is not compromised, no matter what subject they are studying, even for English Literature students. In literature itself, as proof of the importance of environmental and ecological issues, students are acknowledged by the ecocriticism theory which intertwines literature, biology, and the environment in the same state. Even though it has its own obstacles in triggering the issue of the environment for English literature students, it is important and worth trying. Through this study, using a project-based learning approach which lets the researcher help and assist the students to expand and elaborate their way of thinking resulting in the form of creative writings, students are triggered by their own close surroundings, vehicles, and knowledge of how far they could imagine the degradation caused by their own daily acts and how severe the impact really takes. The outcome of this study varies based on the student’s background. Those who are originally from villages and coastal areas could imagine vividly the degradation that happened or the worst that might happen sooner or later, while those who live in the urban areas struggle to find out the severe impact more than pollution in their writings.

The Students’ Writing Anxiety at The Fourth Semester Students in Academic Writing Class

The purpose of this study was to find out how much writing anxiety exists among students, what causes it, and how to deal with it in academic writing courses. This research uses qualitative. This study was done at Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo using fourth-semester students who took an academic writing course as subjects. The findings revealed that the students' writing anxiety was in the high range (67.23). "High frequency of assignment" is a major cause of student writing anxiety in academic writing. The percentage obtained (31%), which was the highest among the components, showed this. Students overcame their writing anxieties by seeking assistance from friends, interacting with instructors, and reviewing journal references. It is possible to deduce that the students who took the academic writing course expressed worry.

STRATEGI UMPAN BALIK LANGSUNG TERHADAP MAHASISWA; POTRET PADA KELAS MENULIS BAHASA ASING

This study reports needs analysis results. It aims to analyze students' needs in an effort of developing the learning strategies of direct corrective feedback in an EFL Writing class context. The initial step is to investigate the needs of students in receiving feedback as well as teacher educators' strategies in providing feedback. 39 students and 3 teacher educators are involved in this study. They are from two private universities. The questionnaire, as the main instrument, is in a form of closed-ended for students and closed along with the open questionnaire for teacher educators. The result of the analysis indicates that feedback plays an important role in overcoming students' problems in writing. It reflects that students thoroughly need feedback, either in oral corrective feedback or written corrective feedback. Thus, it concludes that the need for effective feedback must be balanced by the students' efforts to respond to it as a form of the learning process. Both direct and indirect feedback is helpful for students either in oral or written form.

Application of a Technology-Based Data Collection System for the Writing Class of the IAIN Cirebon Student Da'wah Institute

Effective data management plays a crucial role in optimizing the performance of educational institutions. This study aims to explore the implementation of a technology-based data management system for writing classes in the Student Preaching Institution of the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) Cirebon. The objective is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of data collection, storage, and analysis, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of the writing classes. This research utilizes a mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Firstly, a comprehensive review of the existing data management practices is conducted to identify the limitations and challenges faced by the institution. Secondly, a technology-based data management system is developed, integrating modern tools and techniques to streamline the data collection process. The system is designed to facilitate easy data entry, retrieval, and analysis, ensuring accurate and reliable information for decision-making purposes. The implementation of the technology-based data management system is evaluated through a series of case studies and interviews with relevant stakeholders. The findings reveal several significant benefits, including increased efficiency in data management, improved accuracy in reporting, and enhanced collaboration among the stakeholders involved in the writing classes. Moreover, the system enables the institution to track the progress of individual students, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and provide targeted interventions to support their learning and development. The results of this study contribute to the growing body of literature on the application of technology in educational institutions. The findings highlight the importance of leveraging technology to optimize data management processes, particularly in the context of writing classes in the Student Preaching Institution of IAIN Cirebon. The insights gained from this research can serve as a valuable resource for other educational institutions seeking to enhance their data management practices and improve the overall quality of their programs.