EFFECTIVENESS OF A BLOG-BASED ENGLISH PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT ON ENGLISH WRITING PERFORMANCE FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN TAIWAN

• Main Authors: Hung-Ju Ting, 丁鴻儒
• Other Authors: Dr. Ye-ling Chang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17132911987688991953

博士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 101 === Abstract This study aimed at exploring the effect of blog-based portfolio assessment project (PAP) on the writing performance for Taiwanese senior high school students. With regard to English writing performance, the study analyzed and compared tenth graders’ writing performance in respect of macro and micro writing skills before and after PAP. As for English learning responses, the study analyzed the subjects’ responses to (a) English writing competence, (b) the teacher’s assessment in macro skills, (c) the teacher’s assessment in micro skills, (d) the three types of English writing assessments, and (e) English writing instruction. The 65 subjects in the study came from a private senior high school in Taipei, and they were divided into the experimental and the controlled group by class. The subjects were similar in their English proficient level because of the conditions of entrance to the school and their overall academic performance in previous semesters. In data collection and analysis, the EG and the CG subjects’ responses to the questionnaire on the student responses to PAP and to the questionnaire on the student responses to the instructional design of the blog–based platform were analyzed and compared qualitatively. For English writing performances, the mean scores of the pretests and the post-tests in terms of macro skills (content) and micro skills (organizations, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics) were compared quantitatively. Based on the data analyses, the findings of the study are summarized as follows: 1. Both the EG and the CG subjects made a progress in their writing performance after the PAP. But there is significance difference for the EG’s and the CG’s writing performance in the post-test. According to the increased mean score, the EG performed significantly better than the CG in terms of content, organization, and grammar. 2. There is no significance for the EG and the CG in the responses to English writing after the PAP. The mean scores for the EG’s and the CG’s responses to Items 7 to 14 are more than 3.94, which means either the EG or the CG held positive responses to the effect of the PAP on their English writing performance, such as increasing their English competence, and enriching the writing content. 3. There are six significant differences in the EG’s and the CG’s responses to the teacher’s assessment in terms of macro writing skills after the study. To be more specific in the respect of macro writing skills, the EG subjects expressed that they looked forward to reading the teachers’ feedback in a rank: (a) the coherence of content, (b) good organization of structure, (c) the sufficiency of the content, (d) sharing their writing with peers, (e) the structure of the writing, and (f) errors of structure 4. There are three significant difference in the EG’s and the CG’s responses to the teacher’s assessment in terms of micro writing skills after the study. In the respect of micro skills, the EG subjects showed that they wanted to get the teacher’s comment in a rank: (a) grammar, (b) vocabulary, and (c) mechanics of their written works. 5. There is no significant difference for the EG’s and the CG’s responses to the peer assessment and self-assessment. 6. The EG subjects’ responses to the instructional design of the blog-based platform was affirmative. To be specific, they expressed that the blog-based platform allowed them a lot of chances to observe excellent peer works and the teacher’s assessment of other peers’ writing, which is beneficial for them to analyze the strengths and weakness of peer works. In addition, blog-based platform allows them to modify their written works easily and conveniently. Furthermore, online dictionary, concordancer, and hyperlink to immediate writing assessment websites are important to their writing process and their initial self-assessment of their first draft. Based on the study findings, some pedagogical implications for English writing instructions and assessment are provided. First, English writing instruction in Taiwan is suggested incorporating blog platforms to encourage the student to do the convenient and pleasant writing. Next, the teacher may take a two-step assessment of student written works, implicit corrective feedback in the first draft, and explicit corrective feedback in the second. This is to encourage the student to find out the errors, and do self-examination of their errors. On the other hand, the teacher can include peer assessment and self-assessment in the writing assessment in accordance with the student English writing proficient level. By doing so, the students can learn to increase their sensibility of self-improving of their works. Finally, utilizing modern technology in the writing instruction can help the student to do effective self-assessment, increasing their capability of self-examination, which is a very important mean to help students develop successful writing.