The effects of Moodle-peer feedback on students' writing performance: Master of TESOL

Abstract

In today's era of computer technology, online peer feedback has become more and more popular in the field of education and plays an essential part in enhancing students’ writing skills. The students’ writing performances’ reality at Ba Ria-Vung Tau University suggests that they still repeat common writing mistakes after their writing products are reviewed carefully by the teachers. Besides, the attainable learning advantages of delivering peer feedback in electronic learning environment have not been studied to such a great extent and especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of this feedback is necessary. The study is managed to research the effectual aspect of Moodle-peer feedback in writing lessons of non-English majors at Ba Ria-Vung Tau University. A total of sixty pre-intermediate non-English majors from two classes selected and split up into two groups. The two groups absorbed the same syllabus and curriculum, textbook, methods of teaching, and educational capacity in the traditional class and performed two different separate tasks, in which the experimental group used Moodle, while the other group use paper to write paragraph. A pretest and a post-test were gathered to assess learners' writing paper while questionnaire and an interview are instruments to evaluate the students’ attitudes. The study points out that the experimental group attained a considerable enhancement in post-test scores as a result of the five-week experiment with Moodle-peer feedback and a large number of them will continue to use it in the future. In addition, the current study provided a new approach for local educators to teaching writing. The outcome demonstrates that Moodle-peer feedback via the forum can be an useful instructional tool. It has the potential to help students improve their writing skills and attitudes regarding Moodle-peer feedback in English writing.