An Action Research of Writing Composition for 7th Grade Students Using Peer-Evaluation via Web Blogs

• Main Authors: Su-E Cheng, 陳淑娥
• Other Authors: Ya-ping Huange
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/85392604797187005512

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 教育科技學系碩士在職專班 === 97 === This action research explores and analyzes the effects of online peer-evaluation and feedback on 7th grade students’ attitudes towards writing and their performance in composition. Based on the cognitive model, a writer’s entire writing process is monitored by his meta-cognition, thus the development of mega-cognition helps improve one’s writing ability. On the other hand, the social-interaction model emphasizes the process in context of the environmental and social-interaction related to writing. Literature shows, peer-evaluation and feedback help students learn and improve their writing ability through reading and giving opinions about each other’s works. As they engage in writing, students are conscious of readers while developing their own mega-cognition as a writer. This results in the improvement of their writing ability. Peer-evaluation and feedback used to take place by exchanging written works on paper, and now the same can be provided online. Yet, their effects on teaching writing in Chinese remain unclear as few researches are conducted. This research studies the effects of online peer-evaluation and feedback on students’ attitudes towards writing and their performance in composition by means of Web blogs, which have become popular as they are free and users friendly. This research is based on qualitative and quantitative analysis. Subjects of this study are a group of 7th students in the school where the researcher teaches. During the period of one semester, each student published four essays on their Web-blogs, and then proceeding peer-evaluation and feedback. Before and after the experiment, students were tested by an inventory of writing motive. Besides, they wrote an essay by hand writing on paper. The inventory of writing grades the changes in their attitudes towards writing and performance in composition. The result of this research shows no obvious changes in students’ attitudes towards writing. With regard to their performance in composition, however, other than selection of materials and topics, it is noted that students make great progress in structures and phrasing while less errors are found in their word choices