An investigation of the quality of Thai undergraduate students’ peer feedback, interaction patterns, and written revisions through the incorporation of technology

Abstract

Giving and receiving feedback is an important facet in developing writing. This study aimed to investigate different online interaction patterns during peer feedback activity and to examine how it could lead to students’ writing improvement. The study sample consisted of 30 first-year undergraduate students of Chulalongkorn University who were enrolled in a required foundation English course II. Subjects were classified into three writing proficiency levels using scores from an English writing proficiency test. They were required to use an online platform to provide peer feedback anonymously on two writing assignments. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from students’ online interactions, their written drafts between drafts, an online attitude questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The study findings reveal that students improved their writing significantly. The comparison between drafts further demonstrate a substantial number of participants’ peer and self-initiated revisions, implying both direct and indirect impact of online peer feedback on students’ writing improvement. These findings together support the social learning theory and suggest that the co-construction of knowledge occurs in student dyads who interact collaboratively when exchanging ideas with each other. Finally, students, in general, had a positive attitude toward the intensive training and the online peer feedback activities. Based on the study findings, it could be concluded that online peer feedback could be effectively implemented as a supplement activity to promote students’ writing in an English integrated skills course.