Exploring the impact of online peer-editing using Google Docs on EFL learners’ academic writing skills: a mixed methods study

ABSTRACT

This article reports the results of a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to explore the impact of online peer-editing using Google Docs and peer-editing in a face-to-face classroom on EFL learners’ academic writing skills. As the study adopted a quasi-experimental design, two intact classes, each with ten EFL learners, attending an IELTS course at a language institute in Sanandaj, Iran, were selected as the participants. IELTS academic writing task 1 and task 2 were used to assess the learners’ academic writing skills, and a semi-structured interview was conducted to explore the learners’ perceptions towards the impact of online peer-editing on academic writing skills. A paired-samples t-test, an independent-samples t-test, and a one-way MANCOVA were used to analyse the quantitative data. The results indicated that peer-editing both through using Google Docs and in the face-to-face classroom significantly developed the learners’ academic writing skills, and that the former outperformed the latter both in the short and long term. Moreover, after controlling for the pre-tests, the two groups performed differently on the four areas of academic writing on both the post- and delayed post-tests. Thematic analysis, used to analyse the qualitative data, highlighted the learners’ positive perceptions towards the impact of online peer-editing on academic writing skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Online peer-editing
• Google Docs
• academic writing skills
• EFL learners
• mixed-methods approach

Acknowledgments

We would like to sincerely thank the anonymous reviewers of the CALL journal for their invaluable comments and constructive suggestions, and the editor in chief of the journal for his useful guidance. Moreover, we would like to thank the participants of the study in both groups who sincerely contributed to the findings of the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Saman Ebadi

Saman Ebadi is an assistant professor in Applied Linguistics at Razi University, Iran. His main research interests include CALL, dynamic assessment, qualitative research, sociocultural theory, and discourse analysis. He has published some research articles in his areas of interest in local and international journals and has presented both in and outside the country.

Masoud Rahimi

Masoud Rahimi is a PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics at Razi University, Iran. His main research interests include CALL, higher-order thinking skills, psychology of language education, language teacher education, teaching language skills, research engagement, and mixed-methods research. He has published some research articles in his areas of interest in local and international journals and has presented both in and outside the country.