Teaching writing has been challenging for some teachers particularly in the context of teaching English as a Foreign Language. Learners' problems with regard to vocabulary, grammar, organization, and mechanics are among those which can become the sources of the challenge. For that reason, various teaching strategies have been developed to facilitate learners in improving their writing skills among which include Problem-Based Learning (PBL). This paper investigates the effectiveness of Problem-Based writing instruction on students' argumentative writing skills with regard to content, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. It employs a quasi-experimental study by involving the intermediate level students of Lambung Mangkurat University, a state university in Indonesia as the experimental and the control groups. The instrument is a writing test which is statistically proven to be valid and reliable. The findings show that there is a significant difference in the mean scores of argumentative writing skills of students taught using Problem-Based writing instruction compared to those taught using guidedwriting instruction in which the obtained p value is .041 which is less than the α .05 significance level. A significant difference is also found in the components of organization, vocabulary, and grammar. The results confirm that Problem-Based writing instruction can be recommended as an alternative teaching strategy particularly in teaching argumentative essay writing. The study also suggests that further research involves larger samples and the skills in listening, speaking, and reading to establish more conclusive findings on the roles of PBL in English Language Teaching contexts.

This study tried to reveal the potential use of LINE application in developing students’ writing abilities through blended learning. It employed a quasi-experimental design which involved thirty-nine students of the advanced writing course. The experimental group was taught by using process and product approach combined with LINE application with teacher’s and classmates’ feedbacks while the control group was taught by using a conventional method without LINE application. The data were the result of students’ writings collected by using a writing test and scoring rubric as the instruments. The analysis of the students’ scores was carried out by employing the independent sample t-test. The finding showed that there was a significant effect of the use of LINE application on the students’ writing abilities. Furthermore, the differences were found in the components of vocabulary, grammar, organization, content, and mechanics. The study concluded that LINE application was a potential tool to develop students’ abilities in writing provided that it was combined with teachers’ and classmates’ feedback which facilitated students’ writing improvement.

Learning activities that utilize a problem-solving approach are an effort to train students' critical thinking skills. However, to determine the success of learning that develops students' critical thinking skills, teachers should be able to measure the skills using the right instrument. This study is aimed to develop an assessment instrument to measure EFL learners’ critical thinking skills in writing expository problem-solution essays. The participants of the study were advanced students of Academic Writing who participated in the pilot study small and large scales. The analysis found that the scores yielded by the two raters were valid and reliable (r value obtained was .987 and α value for each component was higher than r table .320). Furthermore, the score on each component of assessment namely the depth of analysis was .640, the feasibility of solution was .667, the logic of argument was .795 and the use of evidence was .908. These scores are greater than the R table which means that the scores are valid. This suggests that the test instrument and the scoring rubric can be used in assessing EFL students’ critical thinking skills particularly on the ability to analyze an issue, propose suitable solution, provide logic argument, and use of relevant evidence.

Memiliki pemahaman dan kemampuan yang baik dalam merumuskan tujuan pembelajaran (TP) dan indikator pencapaian kompetensi (IPK) adalah hal penting yang harus dimiliki oleh seorang guru. Tujuan dari kegiatan ini adalah untuk meningkatkan pemahaman guru-guru bahasa Inggris di Kalimantan Selatan terhadap perumusan tujuan pembelajaran dan indikator pencapaian kompetensi. Metode kegiatan ini terdiri dari pemberian konsep pengetahuan tentang kurikulum dan komponennya, penjelasan tentang cara yang benar dalam merumuskan tujuan pembelajaran dan indikator pencapaian kompetensi disertai contoh-contoh, peninjauan terhadap Rencana Pelaksanaan Pembelajaran guru-guru peserta kegiatan, dan perbaikan rumusan TP dan IPK dalam RPP para peserta. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan bahwa para guru: (1) menyadari konsep keliru yang selama ini mereka pegang dalam merumuskan TP dan IPK, (2) memiliki konsep pengetahuan yang benar dalam menyusun TP dan IPK, serta (3) mampu merumuskan TP dan IPK dengan baik dan benar. Rumusan IPK yang dibuat oleh guru setelah mengikuti pelatihan telah mengalami perbaikan terkait: (a) penggunaan kata kerja operasional yang terukur, (b) penggunaan kata kerja yang sesuai dengan karakteristik pembelajaran bahasa, dan (c) memunculkan metode pembelajaran yang akan digunakan untuk membantu siswa mencapai kompetensi dimaksud. Hasil evaluasi menunjukkan bahwa kegiatan ini berjalan dengan baik dan mendapat perhatian dari seluruh peserta hingga kegiatan berakhir. Disarankan agar kegiatan bimbingan dilakukan secara berkelanjutan dengan melibatkan lebih banyak guru-guru bahasa Inggris pemula di wilayah propinsi Kalimantan Selatan agar dapat membantu mereka memahami konsep yang benar tentang kurikulum dan perumusan tujuan pembelajaran serta indikator pencapaian kompetensi. Having a good understanding and ability in formulating learning objectives  and competency achievement indicators are the important things that must be possessed by a teacher The purpose of this activity is to improve English teachers' understanding of the formulation of learning objectives and indicators of competency achievement. The method of this activity consists of providing the concept of knowledge about the curriculum and its components, explaining how to correctly formulate learning objectives and indicators of competency achievement accompanied by examples, reviewing the Lesson Plan of the participating teachers, and improving the learning objectives   and competency achievement indicators formulations in the participants’ Lesson Plans. The results of the activity showed that the teachers: (1) realized the wrong concept they had so far in formulating learning objectives and competency achievement indicators, (2) had the correct concept of knowledge in compiling learning objectives and competency achievement indicators, and (3) were able to formulate learning objectives and competency achievement indicators properly. The competency achievement indicators formulation made by the teachers after attending the training has improved in terms of: (a) the use of measurable operational verbs, (b) the use of verbs that are in accordance with the characteristics of language learning, and (c) the learning methods that will be used to help students achieve the competence referred to. The results of the evaluation show that this activity went well and got the attention of all participants until the activity ended. It is suggested that continuous training activities be carried out by involving more beginner English teachers in the province of South Kalimantan in order to help them understand the correct concept of the curriculum and the formulation of learning objectives and competency achievement indicators.

Imooji is a digital promotional media to introduce products or services from small businesses that are not widely known. The introduction of small businesses to digital promotional media is very important, especially during a pandemic, in order to overcome the constraints of direct promotion which has limited activities. This program aims to provide assistance to a number of small businesses in utilizing Imooji as part of the development of the creative economy. The scope of this program includes 20 small businesses in Banjarmasin. The method of this program is through direct assistance to each place of business with the involvement of lecturers and student groups as companions. This program has an impact on increasing the knowledge of small business actors about Imooji as a form of promotional media. They are also directly assisted in creating Imooji to promote their business digitally. The result of the program is an increase in the skills of small business actors in making Imooji as a digital promotion medium for their business. The digital literacy of the small business actors involved is also increasing and hoped that will help them to promote their business efficiently and effectively.