UAE High School Students’ Attitude towards Computer-mediated Peer Response

Date: 27th April, 2013 Location: Canadian University of Dubai

Muntaha Arini muntaha5@hotmail.com

OutlineResearch QuestionsLiterature ReviewMethodologyData AnalysisConclusion and Implications

Research QuestionsWhat are UAE high school students’ attitudes

toward the idea of written peer response before they experience it and after they have experienced it?

Are there any differences between the students’ attitudes towards the idea of written peer response after they have experienced it? If so, how are their attitudes different?

Literature Review

Definition of Peer ResponseThere is a minimum of five different, but common terms that refer to “peer review”: peer critique, peer evaluation, peer editing, peer response, and peer review.

(Armstrong and Paulson, 2008)

Importance of Peer Response“When students understand that writing is a developmental process, they become more confident in their writing.”

(Sanders, 2000)

Liu and Hansen (2000)

Advantages of Peer Response

enhance their linguistic knowledge

develop students’ communication and

social skills

strengthen their knowledge of writing

students become responsible for

their own learning

(Mi-mi, 2009)

Disadvantages of Peer

Response

Students not having enough knowledge to “detect and correct

errors”

Students “tend[ing] to withhold critical

comments so as to maintain group

harmony”

MethodologyParticipants

Grade 10 public school students 24 students23 students

Pilot Questionnaire

25 Grade 10 students Explanation of peer response 1. Have you ever used peer response in your writing

class?Yes No

Note to enable students to know not only why they should respond to the questionnaire but also to encourage them to respond honestly

Computer skills

InstrumentsPre-study QuestionnairePost-study QuestionnaireInterviews after the Study

Procedure Establishing the Blog Assigning Writing Assigning the groupsTraining

Data Analysis & Findings

Qualitative Data Collected from Close-ended Questions the Open-ended Question in the Pre-study & P0st-study Questionnaires, & the Interviews

Quantitative Analysis of Data Comparing the Percentages of the Pre-study & the Post-study Questionnaires

Table 2: Students’ Attitude towards Computer-mediated Peer Response before the study

Statements

Strongly Agree

&

Agree

UndecidedStrongly Disagree

& Disagree

1. I think will feel comfortable while I am correcting mistakes in my peers’ writing.

10

(44%)

6

(26%)

7

(30%)

2. I think I will comfortable when I received comments from my peers about my writing.

8

(35%)

4

(17%)

11

(48%)

3. I think my peers can give me useful comments on my writing.

11

(48%)

4

(17%)

8

(35%)

4. I think peer response will help me improve my writing ability.

14

(61%)

3

(13%)

6

(26%)

5. I think peer response will make writing more interesting.

11

(48%)

7

(30%)

5

(22%)

6. I think I will integrate some of my peers’ comments in my writing.

11

(48%)

6

(26%)

6

(26%)

Table 4: Students’ Attitude towards Computer-mediated Peer Response after the Study

StatementsStrongly Agree

& Agree

UndecidedStrongly Disagree

& Disagree

1. I was comfortable while I was correcting mistakes in my peers’ writing.

21(91%)

2(9%)

0(0.0%)

2. I was comfortable when I received comments from my peers about my writing.

20(87%)

1(4%)

2(9%)

3. Peers gave me useful comments on my writing.

18(78%)

4(17%)

1(4%)

4. Peer response helped me improve my writing ability.

22(96%)

0(0.0%)

1(4%)

5. Peer response made writing more interesting.

19(83%)

3(13%)

1(4%)

6. I integrated some of my peers’ comments in my writing.

22(96%)

1(4%)

0(0.0%)

7. I have good computer skills. 20(87%)

3(13%)

0(0.0%)

A Comparison between Students’ Attitude Towards Computer-mediated Peer Response

before and after the Study

Q1

(res

pond

ing)

Q2

(rec

eivi

ng)

Q3

(use

fuln

ess)

Q4

(impr

ovem

ent)

Q5

( int

eres

ting)

Q6

(intg

ratin

g)

-60%

-40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Strongly Agree & AgreeUndecidedStrongly Disagree & Disagree

Interviews“I will not repeat my classmates’ mistakes in

my writing.”

“If we had teacher feedback, it would be better.”

Open-ended Question

“I liked writing. I feel eager to write. I look forward to seeing comments from my classmates.”

“It strengthened student-student relationships, and built student independent character.”

Interviews

Another student said, “It increased my learning ability.”

One student commented, “Google translator is a good program, but in the end it depends on me. I have to decide what to follow and what not to follow.”

Pedagogical ImplicationsIt would be a good idea to apply peer

response in writing classes in the UAE. To encourage feeling of audience.

peer response need to be followed by teacher response.

If peer response sessions were formally assigned by the Ministry of Education, students’ worries about finishing the text book would vanish.

Implications for further Researchlongitudinal studies to examine students’

attitude towards the effectiveness of peer response in improving writing in both modes

studies that involve encouraging students to write for audiences outside of their schools, students of other schools

observation of the improvement of students’ writing when students from other schools give peer response on their writing

Conclusions

Peer response in ESL writing classes is worth a try since students have a positive attitude towards it.

Response writer: ___________________Response receiver: ___________________

Does the story have a suitable title?

Did the writer use the pronoun I when writing the story?

Does the topic sentence capture the reader’s attention?

Is the order of events clear?

Did the writer include transitions like as a result, because, or in other words?

Did the writer use details that appeal to the five senses?

Does the story have dialogue?

Does the story have a problem and a solution?

Is the conclusion an end to the narrative?

Pre-study & Post-study

Questionnaire

1. correcting mistakes in

peers’ writing

2. receive comments from

peers

3. useful comments on

writing

4. improve writing ability

5. make writing more interesting

6. integrate peers’ comments into writing

7. Do you have any other comment s or questions about using peer response?

Interview

Questions

1. Usefulness

of responding

to peers

7. Preferred a particular person

5. Corrected

writing carefully

3.Advantages

6. Improvin

g peer response

4.Disadvantages

8. Not to have a

particular person

2.Usefulness of

receiving peer

response