Improving writing skills through supplementary computer-assisted activities

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has been an indispensable part of English language learning and teaching recently owing to the rapid developments in computer technology. Today, a great number of institutions, teachers and students take advantage of this technology in their language teaching and learning process.This dissertation concentrates on integrating writing skills with computer-assisted language activities at the intersection of English Language Teaching (ELT). This is an experimental study that aims at exploring the effectiveness of computer-assisted language activities on students? second language writing skills. The data are collected both quantitatively and qualitatively in this study.This study was conducted at the department of ELT, Gazi University throughout a term. Two groups of students in their freshman year were the participants with one of the groups the control group and the other the experimental group. The sampling was of convenience type. This study was incorporated within the Advanced Reading and Writing II course the ELT students had to take in the second term of their first year. The syllabus of this course involves teaching the students to write different kinds of essays, which is an essential component of academic writing skills. An online program to improve students? writing skills was designed in line with the objectives of this course for the present study.At the outset, both groups were given a pre-test with the aim of revealing the participants? level of competence in second language writing skills. In addition, a computer literacy survey was administered to the experimental group to collect data on their computer literacy. Once the subjects started to be instructed about writing different kinds of essays, the online writing program got started. This program, which was delivered with Moodle, a learning management system, provided the subjects with detailed information on each type of essay and essay writing activities. Throughout the term, the subjects logged in the online program and fulfilled the requirements of the online course both at school and outside class, which is a kind of blended learning. The researcher checked the open-ended assignments of the subjects sent by e-mail and gave them detailed feedback via e-mail. The grades of the open-ended assignments assigned by the researcher and the grades of the other activities in the online program assigned by the system itself constituted twenty per cent of the overall grade of the subjects to pass the Advanced Reading and Writing II course.At the end of the treatment, a post-test was conducted to both groups in order to compare their progress at the end of the term. The experimental group was also given a student evaluation form to find out their opinions about the online writing program. Three raters graded the pre-tests and post-tests of both groups using an analytical rubric. The test results were statistically analysed using T tests and ANCOVA. In addition, the answers to the computer literacy survey and student evaluation form were examined using frequency analysis.The results of the study demonstrate that the online writing program has proved to be effective in improving the subjects? writing skills. Furthermore, the answers of the subjects in the student evaluation form reveal that the subjects are generally satisfied with the online program; however, not all of them find the program as motivating and enjoyable as expected by the researcher.