Online Discussion: Mission Impossible or Possible for Low-Achieving EFL Students

Ai-Hwa Chen*
Hsiuping University of Science and Technology (HUST), Taichung, Taiwan.
Periodicity:April - June'2021
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.18.1.17730

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of conducting asynchronous online discussion forums on low-achieving EFL students in Taiwan. 124 non-English program students from a technological university participated. Based on a textbook, one to three questions were assigned every other week. An asynchronous learning mode was implemented so students could have more time to transmit their thinking into written form. At the end of the semester, students were given a survey questionnaire to express their perceptions of this activity. The findings reveal that students had completed the mission impossible successfully. Students indicated that they could read their peers' work and learned the writing skills together. They also expected the teacher's feedback each time they finished their written assignment. Despite the teacher having heavy workload in conducting this activity, it can be implied that low-achieving students had the potential to complete the mission successfully. By means of carrying out the discussion in an online forum, students not only could improve their reading comprehension, but they could also learn writing skills which are seldom conducted for the non-English program students.

Keywords

Online Discussion Forum, Writing Skills, Asynchronous e-learning, Teacher's Feedback, Distance Learning.

How to Cite this Article?

Chen, A. (2021). Online Discussion: Mission Impossible or Possible for Low-Achieving EFL Students. i-manager's Journal of Educational Technology, 18(1), 26-37. https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.18.1.17730

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