Bringing innovation to EFL writing through a focus on formative e-assessment: ‘Omani post-basic education students’ experiences of and perspectives on automated writing evaluation (AWE)’

Abstract

Oman’s current education system, like several others worldwide, faces challenges in keeping apace with technological advancement and preparing students for the twenty-first century. As the demands of education have grown and evolved, the educational system has witnessed continuous practical and administrative improvements in the assessment (of and for) learning since 1970. The expansion of information technologies has granted schools greater scope for developing a more efficient and user-friendly formative assessment culture that offers opportunities for both teaching and learning. Experts suggest that automated formative assessment can help teachers focus on instruction and grade data objectively with minimal time and effort (Tomasik, Berger, & Moser, 2018). While research and experiments in the tools used for automated writing evaluation have grown rapidly, minimal research has examined the experiences of students using them in English as a foreign language writing for formative purposes, particularly in Oman, where English is taught as a foreign language and tests and examinations are the dominant assessment methods (Zhou & Qin, 2005). This exploratory case study was designed to examine the experiences of student participants engaged in AWE sessions to evaluate their EFL writing formatively. Drawing on theories of socio-constructionism and constructivism and approaching the subject from an interpretivist standpoint, the study reveals how each of the twenty-two participants presented a unique experience. The data for the study were collected using a blend of qualitative and quantitative methods: screen video recording, focus group discussions, analysis of students’ scores, and system-generated error analysis of the participants’ essays. NVivo 12 was used to analyse the qualitative data, while SPSS 25 and Microsoft Excel were used for the quantitative data. The results from both qualitative and quantitative sources were compared to form a complete picture and better understand the participants’ experiences and perspectives with respect to the benefits and challenges of using AWE. The study’s results demonstrated that most of the participants had a positive attitude towards the use of AWE as a formative assessment tool. Their experiences indicated several benefits, including holistic writing enhancement and self-regulated learning skills. The results also revealed challenges such as over-exaggeration of correction and ignorance of crucial errors. Ultimately, the comparison of scores and error analysis between the first and final drafts showed significant changes in the learners’ writing. This study indicates that facilitating student involvement in the assessment of their writing has significant potential. This study also highlights several pedagogical implications of using AWE in EFL writing classrooms. Furthermore, it provides recommendations and considerations for practitioners and policymakers. For example, I recommend the redesign of EFL curricula to match twenty-first-century requirements. I also suggest that the use of AWE in EFL writing may be utilised as a formative assessment e-tool. However, I insist on the importance of coupling it with teachers’ corrective feedback.