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:: Volume 20, Issue 2 (9-2017) ::
2017, 20(2): 35-79 Back to browse issues page
Asynchronous Online Discussion Forum: A Key to Enhancing Students’ Writing Ability and Attitudes in Iran
Ali Akbar Jabbari , Mohammad Omid Mohammadi , Ali Mohammad Fazilatfar
Yazd University
Abstract:   (6322 Views)
This paper focuses on the impact of an asynchronous online discussion forum on the development of students’ ability in and attitudes toward writing in English. Two groups of third-year students (N = 60) majoring in English were assigned to two treatment and control groups, each receiving different types of feedback. Students in the treatment group were required to participate in an online learning environment and exchange feedback with their peers, whereas students in the control group received the traditional face-to-face feedback provided by the teacher. The results of a pre-test, a post-test, and a survey revealed that students’ writing in the treatment group significantly improved, both semantically and syntactically, and they expressed more positive attitudes toward writing. The findings also indicated that as a result of engaging in the asynchronous online discussion forum and exchanging feedback with peers, students exhibited more control over their work, involved more effectively with the learning tasks, collaborated more with their classmates, and employed self-assessment strategies to independently revise or rewrite their work. The implications of the study offer guidelines to improve and facilitate writing skill in EFL contexts.
Keywords: Asynchronous online discussion forum, EFL teaching writing, L2 writing in Iran, Feedback provision
Full-Text [PDF 1237 kb]   (1844 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2017/06/2 | Accepted: 2017/07/28 | Published: 2017/08/6
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Jabbari A A, Mohammadi M O, Fazilatfar A M. Asynchronous Online Discussion Forum: A Key to Enhancing Students’ Writing Ability and Attitudes in Iran. Journal title 2017; 20 (2) :35-79
URL: http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2823-en.html


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Volume 20, Issue 2 (9-2017) Back to browse issues page
Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics
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