Blog-Based Peer Response

for EFL Writing:

A Case Study in Vietnam
Pham Vu Phi Ho
Siriluck Usaha

GROUP 10:

Tn Ti
Thy Vn
Tho Thun
Hong Linh

1
I

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Introduction
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& Literature

II
2

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Methodology
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III
1

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Findings
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& Discussion
Title

2
IV

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Conclusion
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1
I

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Introduction
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& Literature review

1.
1. Introduction
Introduction
Wennerstorm (2006)

Hedge, (2002); Hyland,

(2003); Oshima & Hougue,

approach

Warschauer et al (1996)
Warschauer (2002)

Need to have a way to develop writing

process

(2006)

Hyland & Hyland (2006)

With the emergence of the writing process

Need to have a way to help L2 students become

independent writers

Computer-mediated communication (CMC)

helps students more active and autonomous to
provide feedback.

2.
2. Literature
Literature review
review
2.1. Writing quality in CMC environment
2.2. Comments and Effects of E-peer
Response on revision
2.3. Literature gap in employing CMC for
peer response
2.4. Rationale for the study
2.5. Research questions

2.1.
2.1. Writing
Writing quality
quality on
on CMC
CMC
Researchers
Sullivan and Pratt

Results

(1996)

Braine (1997)
Braine (2001)

Writing quality did

improve

in the

computer-assisted classroom.

Final drafts in traditional classes showed

a slightly mean improvement than in
networked classes

2.2.
2.2. Comments
Comments and
and Effects
Effects of
of
E-peer
E-peer Response
Response on
on revision
revision

Researchers

Rodriguez
(2003)

Tuzi (2004)

Results

when providing feedback, and focused mostly on

content

E-feedback affected L2 writers revisions at a

higher structural level.

Min (2005)

the students were able to provide a greater

amount of feedback on the global features after
training.

2.3.
2.3. Literature
Literature gap
gap in
in employing
employing
CMC
CMC for
for peer
peer response
response
In the world
Researchers
Li (1999)
Rodrigez (2003);
Lightfoot (2006)
Sullivan and Pratt (1996)
Braine (1997 & 2001)
Jones (2006)

Sadler & Liu (2003)

Tools of technologies
Email to assess students
writing and interactions

LAN (Local-Area Networked)

MaxQDA software
MOO (Multi-user Domains
Object-Oriented)

2.3.
2.3. Literature
Literature gap
gap in
in employing
employing
CMC
CMC for
for peer
peer respone
respone
However
Very few studies examined the use of

blogs

to see whether it helps students improve their

writing quality.
No research has been conducted in a
Vietnamese context to apply blog-based peer
response.

2.3.
2.3. Literature
Literature gap
gap in
in employing
employing
CMC
CMC for
for peer
peer respone
respone
According to
Researchers or

Results

organizations
The blog search site

35.5 million blogs in the world

Technorati (2006)

75,000 new blogs every day

Gartner (2007)
Vnexpress (2006)
Tuoitre (2007)
Thanhnien (2005)

1 million Vietnamese using the

blog services of Yahoo!360
Many Vietnamese students
have become bloggers
Many students post writing on
their blogs

2.4.
2.4. Rationale
Rationale for
for the
the study
study
Product-based
Tran, 2000; Nguyen,
Not process-based
2002; Nguyen,
2004; Lien, 2006
Students to write:
on a topic only once
in limited time
Tran (2000)

no opportunities for revise

only one audience (instructor)
not occur in real life

Luu (2006) & Tran

(2006)

Students writers learn by rote with no

chances for creative writing

2.5.
2.5. Research
Research questions
questions

1. What types of comments are most frequently

produced by the students during the peer response
activities?
2. Do the comments affect the students writing
quality?
3. What attitudes do students express on the use of
blog-based peer response?

Methodology
to add Title
1
II Click
Participants & Setting
Procedure

Academic writing
skills

Participants
Participants &
& Settings
Settings

12 second year English major students of HCMC Public

University .

TOEFL paper tests scored from 420 to 507

2 previous semesters of Academic Writing were about

how to write paragraphs of Narration and Description

3 genres of essays: Logical Division of Ideas,

Supporting an Opinion, and Comparison-Contrast
Essay.

Academic writing
skills

Procedures
Procedures
Students

were divided into three different

groups of four each based on TOEFLT test
result. Each group shared ability level

Course

duration: 15 weeks

3 hours in the Computer Lab (compulsory)

3 hours in the Lab (optional) for providing and
receiving comments.

Academic writing
skills

Procedures
Procedures
a. Peer Response training: consisted of two phases:
+ In- class training
+ One- on- one student- teacher conferences
b. Inter- rater training:
+ Rating students essay training
+ Coding comment training

Academic writing
skills

Procedures
Procedures
c. Data collection procedure:
d. Semi-structure interviews:
e. Data analysis
f. Coding procedure

Academic writing
skills

Findings
to add
& Discussion
Title
III
1 Click

Based on 3 research questions

Question
Question 1:
1:
What types of comments are most frequently produced by the
students during the peer response activities?

1
4

2
3

Draft 1

Question
Question 1:
1:

2
3

Draft 2

Question
Question 2:
2:

Comments did affect the students writing quality from the

first - final drafts with the following reasons:
4 common types of comments were considered as specific
and provided lights for revisions.
peers helped one another to improve their writing
revisions.
students
writing
quality
grammar/structure issues.

improved

in

content,

blog-based peer response increase student writing output,

enhances student
motivation, provides an
active
environment.

Question
Question 3:
3:
What attitudes did students express on the use of
blog-based peer response?

Students express positive attitudes when using

the blog-based peer response.
There were possible reasons:
Students experienced working in a
technological environment
Students found that was helpful when
receiving comments
Students found their writing quality improved

Question
Question 3:
3:

There are 2 restrictions:

Internet expense
Time - consuming

Academic writing
skills

IV
1

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Conclusions
to add Title

This case study found that students who took part

in the blog-based peer response and obtained a 6step training procedure employed four most
frequently types of comments:
clarification
suggestion/advice
explanation
alteration

IV
1

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Conclusions
to add Title

These 4 common types of comments did significantly affect

the students writing quality.

Students expressed positive attitudes when applying blogbased peer response

The study highlights a new form of technology- blog-based

peer response- which can be used to help EFL students
become better writers.

IV
1

The

limitation

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Conclusions
to add Title
of

this

study:

small

number

of

participants and the lack of a control group, the

findings could not be generalized to other contexts.

In spite of variety of blogs provide widely on the

Internet, the instructors should select the most
popular blog in order to promote the participation in
the learning process.