The use of collaborative learning tools for giving feedback to foster the writing skills of EFL learners

This study investigated the language functions students use while giving peer feedback and peer evaluation in depth. It also analyzed the students' perspectives on peer feedback and the Google Docs as a medium of writing assignments. For this purpose, the study employed explanatory mixed-method design as a research design. The study was conducted with 47 University level EFL learners; their proficiency level of English differed from beginner to upper-intermediate, considering CEFR EFL proficiency levels. The students were enrolled in the 2021-2022 Fall Semester English Language Course in Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Tourism Department. The quantitative data was collected from the 20 questions survey, and qualitative data was collected from the recorded feedback sessions, online interviews, and peer feedback score tables. This research was conducted for 6 weeks sequentially. One week the teacher assigned the students a writing assignment; the other week, they gave each other feedback on each other's writing. The students followed a given score table to give each other scores and were taught about the types of feedback before the project started. To understand students' perspective toward peer feedback and evaluation, 5-point Likert Survey with 20 questions were used. Then the survey was analyzed in a Microsoft Excel sheet by calculating the means and standard deviation. The feedback types and scores were analyzed on a Microsoft Excel sheet in terms of frequency, and similar types of feedback were categorized under the same category. The interviews were conducted online, and there were 5 open-ended questions. The interviews were recorded and turned into transcriptions for further detailed analysis. The students' answers to the interview questions were also used to support the survey data. The benefits and limitations of using Google Docs in an EFL classroom were revealed by combining both qualitative and quantitative data from the research. Based on the results, the research provides scholars, practitioners, and L2 learners an insight into using Google Docs as a collaborative writing tool in an EFL classroom.