Improving Academic Writing Skills through
Google Classroom and Telegram APPS
Improving Academic Writing Skills through
Google Classroom and Telegram APPS
By
Ali Hussain Ali
Kerbala University
ali.ali@uokerala.edu.iq
الملخص
محصت الدراسة تطور الاداء في تقنيات الكتابة الاكاديمية لدى طلاب اللغة الانكليزية في الجامعة باستخدام التعليم الالكتروني في تطبيقات كوكل كلاسروم ومجاميع النقاشات في التلكرام الى جانب المحاضرات التقليدية في قاعات الدرس . شارك في هذه الدراسة خمس وسبعون طالبا من الدراسات الاولية من قسم اللغة الانكليزية في جامعة كربلاء بعد تقسيمهم الى ثلاث مجاميع متساوية تحوي خمس وعشرون طالبا في كل منها مقسمين على مجاميع التعليم الالكتروني التام باستخدام كوكل كلاسروم ومجموعة نقاشات التلكرام ومجموعة التعليم المدمج باستخدام تطبيقات كوكل كلاس روم وتليكرام الى جانب التعليم الحضوري ومجموعة العينة الضابطة المتمثلة بالتعليم التقليدي الحضور فقط. حضرت مجاميع الكوكل كلاسروم والتليكرام عشر محاضرات صوتية وصورية الكترونية بدون محاضرات في قاعة الدرس بينما حضرت المجموعة الضابطة دروس بنفس العدد من الدروس الحضورية التقليدية بين جدران القاعات الدراسية بينما كانت مجموعة التعليم المدمج تاخذ نصف العدد من المحاضرات الحضورية ونصفها الكترونية . تم اجراء امتحان للطلاب قبل الدراسة لمعرفة مستواهم في الكتابة تبعها اجراء امتحان بعد عشر محاضرات لمعرفة تحسن الاداء في الكتابة الاكاديمية. جمعت المعلومات قبل وبعد اختبار الكتابة الذي اعد لكل المجاميع ,ثم حللت النتائج بواسطة برنامج تحليل الانحراف المعياري (انوفا) الذي حدد الاختلافات في الاجابة بين المجاميع. توصلت الدراسة الى تحديد تحسن ملحوظ في مهارات الكتابة لدى كل العينات مع اختلافات بسيطه في بعض الفقرات . فيما يخص استخدام المرادفات كان من صالح مجموعة التعليم الالكتروني مقارنة بلعينة الضابطة بينما كان هناك تقدم ايجابي في مستوى تركيب الجمل والتماسك وتقسيم الكتابة الى اجزاء واستخدام الاشارات الانتقالية لمجموعة التعليم المدمج, فيما تميزت العينة الضابطة بقابلية الطلاب في تنوع تراكيب الجمل اخيرا اشرت الدراسة بايجابية في توظيف كوكل كلاسروم والتلكرام في الحاسوب المحمول والهواتف الذكية في مجاميع التعليم الالكتروني والمدمج.
ABSTRACT
The study examined the improvements in academic writing for university students with three learning systems, the first was Electronic Education, second integrated Education face to face and electronic Education the third was face to face only or classical classes. The first and the second systems by using computer and smart phones applications such as Google Classroom and Telegram Students Discussion Groups. Seventy-five undergraduates from English department in kerbala University /Iraq, participated in the recent study consists three equal groups twenty- five for each, Google Classroom of Academic Writing (GCAW) group, Telegram Discussion Group (TDG) group and one control group. The experimental groups (Electronic totally) received ten lectures by smart phones, meanwhile the second sample received five lectures electronic and five face to face. They start audio and video teaching and discussions through lectures meanwhile the control group had no treatments except traditional classes requirements. Data were collected through a pre- and post-writing test organized to all groups. Samples T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine the differences among the three groups. The findings related to the pre- and post-tests of all groups indicated a distinct improvement in all writing skills. When considering each of writing components separately- word use, sentence structure, transitional signals, coherence and punctuations; however, the differences between the pre and post- tests uncovered improvement in vocabulary competence of first group who used Google Classroom and Telegram App only and organization skills of control group while the second group –integrated system witnessed improvement in overall writing skills. In addition, the results showed a difference among the three groups regarding writing overall skills. Finally, both electronic and integrated groups who used the electronic applications indicated positive results towards employing smart phones applications in academic writing classes.
Key words: electronic education, integrated learning, Academic Writing, Classroom App, Telegram Discussion Group, Assignments
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Introduction
During and after corona virus era, three education systems appeared. The first system was electronic education2019-2021, the second one is integrated system contained electronic and face to face system between 2020 to 2021 and lastly face to face education. Electronic education depended on using Google classroom and Telegram a hundred percent while integrated education mixed between electronic lectures and traditional lectures; while classical education depends on hall classes or face to face only. Understanding the importance of modern life devices such as computer and smart phones in language learning and the strong relation between it and youths, many studies have found that the use of smart phone technology can improve learners’ performances and motivate them towards learning and encouraging them to use English in real-life communication. Blake (2000:120) Google Classroom is an online application related to e-learning invented in 2014 and has been used by many teachers all over the world. This tool is considered influential in education that can help students in learning academic writing skills. Most of them face great difficulties, especially when English is not their mother tongue. There are many ways to teach English either inside or outside the traditional classroom. With the spreading corona virus epidemic in the past three years, Google Classroom and telegram have been used widely in the field of English language teaching and learning. GC &TA can be used as a means of communication among students and teachers outside the classroom. Kasula (2015:11) “mentioned in his study which he investigated the effectiveness of using GC in teaching, that GC can effectively allow teachers to view the classroom activities, objectives, and assignments in an orderly way that can get students’ attention and interest in the academic language”. GC &TA are also considered as an easy way which make students use documents online and quickly display information.
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Problem and its significance
Considering the increases numbers of students who enter university every year and the strong relation between the youths and technology, especially smart phones in addition to the old problem which was faced by undergraduates with academic writing skills. The last problems can be seen in sentence structure, word-use, coherence, transitional signals addition to the punctuations. Most of Iraqi learners of English face great difficulty when they write their assignments. Writing is one of the four skills that needs attention from both the teacher and the students. So this study aims to show the effect of using GC &TA in integrated teaching in academic writing. The importance of using Google Classroom is not only an effective way of developing English student’ ability in writing but also in writing grammatically correct sentences as well as spelling. Students to promote their insight into the foreign language. Furthermore, this study is of value to both university teachers and students to promote their insight into the foreign language writing system.
1.2. The aim of the Study
The study aims to use GC &TA in electronic system and in integrated system in teaching academic writing to find out: 1. The differences between the students’ improvements in writing assignment by using pencil & paper test and the GC &TA test. 2. The differences between the five scale components.
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Limits of the study
The study is limited to second year English students from College of Education, kerbala university during the academic year 2022-2023. The procedures of the study Google Classroom and Telegram applications that are beneficial for teachers and students. Teachers can do their work without papers, and the applications can be used by students’ lap tops or Smartphones. Universities in Iraq implement the instructions of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research . All universities in Iraq apply these instructions and teaching staff stopped using the applications of GC & TA in their work. The researcher is one of the teaching staff who attended a course in using GC & TA in teaching, he follows the steps in teaching academic writing to his students whose major is English. Hence, they are good at using the computer and smart phones with GC & TA, but they lack the strategy of writing assignment. Ten lectures of writing assignment are given to the three groups of students about how to write a assignment, and kinds of questions are given to students who are exposed to a test in which they were asked to write three paragraphs which have Introduction, body and conclusion of the assignment; this test was done on papers in their real classroom. The researcher implemented the following procedures in conducting the study during the first semester of the academic year 2022-2023: 1. Reviewing the related steps of using the GC &TA application 2. Designing the writing test. 3. Applying the test by assigning the two uncompleted passages through GC &TA and asking the students to complete them. 4. finding the validity and reliability of the test. 5. Analyzing the collected data statistically to reach the conclusions.
Theoretical background
This section is divided into two major parts, the first of which concentrates on integrated education by using Technology and taking into consideration the use of GC & TA and its advantages.
Electronic education is considered as a tool that can support robust education and learning. Teachers must continue developing their teaching methods by using of technology in their teaching. It can also be considered a medium to create a change in the classroom as it is stated by O’shea and Self (1983:59) that “Educational Technology regards computer as a means of equipment that has a significant contribution to assist teaching and learning effectively and can implement the general educational objectives”. Brown (2007:196) mentioned that “Technology could play a significant role in the language teaching classroom”. It can facilitate learning complexity and considered useful for language learning. Wallace (2014:233) stated that “Social networking could make students’ performance effective, help teachers and students to work together, motivate students towards learning, and can help to raise the standard of education”.
GC is an application that is developed by Google for academic purposes and has a major impact on teaching. GCA is straightforward to use, as it is helpful to both students and teachers to be engaged in the lesson and the assignment. This application is effortless to use and can save more time and effort
Telegram application (TA) is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It is super-fast, simple and free. The desktop version was first lunched in the year 2013. Telegram can be used on all devices at the same time, with messages sync seamlessly across any number of your phones, tablets or computers and connects from most remote locations. In most cases, typing texts on cell phones can be cumbersome for some users due to the minute nature of their keyboard and visual challenges, leading to multiple typographical errors which are capable of misleading students in certain educational concepts during virtual lessons.
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Types of writing classroom performance
Brown (2007:399) “states the following a significant types of classroom writing performance. 1. Imitative, or writing down In this type of writing, students will write down English letters, words, or sentences in order to learn how to write. Some types of dictation can be fallen under this type which can involve the following steps: a- The teacher reads the paragraph once or twice regularly. b- The teacher reads the phrases of the paragraph, each phrase followed by a pause. c- During the pause, students will read what they heard. d- The teachers will read the whole paragraph so students will check their writing. e- Scoring scheme can be utilized; always punctuation and spelling errors will not be taken into consideration. 1. Intensive, or controlled writing This type of writing does not allow much activity from the part of the writer. It appears as an intensive written grammar exercise. 1. Self-writing. This type of writing means that the students will write by themselves what they heard from their teachers after taking notes, where students take notes during a lecture to recall later. 2. Display writing. The display is a technique used for all language learners’ students; short answers exercises, essay examinations, and research reports can form the main elements of the display. Writing techniques are considered one of the academic skills that students should master. 3. Real writing. Teaching writing aims to enable students to convey a certain message to the reader and to achieve real communication.
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Methods
This study is a descriptive one since there is no specific treatment only investigating the students’ writing assignment through pencil & paper test and their achievement through GCA&TA test.
2.1. The population and sample of the study
The population of this research paper is (75) undergraduate students at English department/ College of Education/ Kerbala University of the academic year of 2022-2023. Most of the participants are in, the Sample is selected randomly.
2.2. The tool
A test has been designed to observe the differences among students’ performances in writing assignment inside the classroom and on the GCA&TA applications; at the test students were been asked to write three assignments The test was divided into two parts, the first part the assignment is given to the students, and they were asked to finish it by paper and pencil inside the classroom while the second part of the test implemented when students were asked to finish the same assignment who has sent to them by Google Classroom form, and they finished them while they are outside the classroom.
3.3 The Scoring Scheme
Scoring the test has been used by the researcher to diagnose the students weak and strength points in academic writing, the scoring according to five main parts (the sentence structures, vocabulary, transitional signals, coherence, and punctuations) the total mark of the test is (25) marks, (5) marks for each item the marks varied according to achievements of each student.
3.4 The test validity
According to Hughes (2003:33), “for the test to be valid, it measures what it is supposed to measure. The tests have been given to staff members to check validity. They specialized in English language teaching and agreed that the test is suitable to submit to the students.
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Results and discussion
The results of comparing the two tests as follows: The means of the pencil and paper test and Google classroom form tests are (11.08, 12.26), respectively; the standard deviation of the two tests are (2.56, 3.29) respectively with the degree of freedom (34) and level of significance ( 0.05). Since the computed t-test value (1.632) is lower than the tabulated t-test value (1.69), the results show that no significant differences between the students’ performance in writing test with classical class and the using of electronic classes (the Google classroom and telegram with the using of it, while the researcher find remarkable result for integrated education class Paired sample T-test to find out the differences between the two tests.
Electronic(25) |
Integrated(25) |
Control (25) |
df |
mean |
f |
sig |
|
Coherence |
0.41 |
0.33 |
0.45 |
8.57 |
4.28 |
0.39 |
0.677 |
vocabulary |
0.57 |
0.66 |
0.64 |
11.20 |
5.60 |
0.69 |
0.504 |
Sentence structure |
0.59 |
0.67 |
0.63 |
2.40 |
1.40 |
0.18 |
0.836 |
Transitional signals |
0.23 |
046 |
0.55 |
4.44 |
2.22 |
0.19 |
0.827 |
Punctuations |
0.14 |
0.9 |
0.22 |
19.23 |
9.87 |
2.36 |
0.107 |
TABLE(1)
class |
|||||||||
Electronic group |
Pre test-pro test |
7,20 |
7,58 |
1,95 |
7,20 |
11,39 |
3,00 |
3,67 14 |
0,002 |
Integrated group |
Pre test-pro test |
8,46 |
9,42 |
2,43 |
13,68 |
3,24 |
3,47 |
14 |
0,004 |
Control group(classical class) |
Pre test-pro test |
8,46 |
13,20 |
3,40 |
19,44 |
19,44 |
4,82 |
3,56 14 |
0,003 |
TABLE (2)
The ANOVA test measures the second aim as in table (2).Since the computed value of the Google classroom test (14) is lower than the tabulated value (0,004), this shows that there is no significant difference among the four components of the writing scale. Moreover, the computed F value of the pencil and paper test (3,56) is lower than the tabulated value (0,003), this indicates that there are no significant differences among the four components of the writing scale.
After excluding identical answers, the results show that there are no big differences between the performance of the classical and electronic students in writing tests, in both using pencil and paper tests or by using the Google classroom test, meanwhile integrated classes students are capable of using the writing skillfully. This result indicates that continuous training on using of Google classroom and telegram beside hall classes may develop the students’ performance in academic writing. The use of technology can help the students to check the grammar and spelling and give them a chance for peer editing, which are essential components in the writing scale.
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Conclusion
Based on the results and discussion above, it is concluded that the GC &TA applications can give many advantages for students who use them side by side with hall class. The study found that learning academic writing students could be engaging when lecturers can be integrated with teaching strategy and technology. The students enjoyed the class, which led to their improvement in their writing skills. GC &TA are an effective ways of learning academic writing. It can help teachers to make the writing more effective and enjoyable. Moreover, there is no a big difference in the results between the achievements of electronic students who are given assignments by google form and students who completed it in classical class hall.
The researcher recommends teaching staffs at the universities to continue using integrated education mixed between GC &TA and hall class in their teaching to improve students’ skills even corona epidemic ban was ended.
References:
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Blake, R. (2000). Computer medicated communication: a window on l2Spanish inter language. Language learning &Technology, 4(1), 120-136.
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Brown, Douglas, H. (2007) Teaching by Principles,3rd edition, San Franciscostate University.
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Hughes, Arthur (2003). Testing for Language Learners. 2nd editionCambridg UniversityPress.www.cambridge.org.
