Analyzing learner profiles in a microlearning app for training language learning peer feedback skills

Abstract

Peer feedback can be described as the act of one learner evaluating the performance of another learner. It has been shown to impact student learning and achievement in language learning contexts positively. It is a skill that can be trained, and there have been calls for research on peer feedback training. Mobile microlearning is a type of technology-enhanced learning which is notable for its short duration and flexibility in the time and place of learning. This study aims to evaluate how an asynchronous microlearning app might improve students’ skills for providing peer feedback on spoken content in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) education. This study used convenience sampling and a quasi-experimental single-group pre-/post- research design. Japanese university students ( n = 87) in an EFL course used the Pebasco asynchronous microlearning app to practice peer feedback skills. The students’ app usage data were used to identify five behavioral profiles. The pattern of profile migration over the course of using Pebasco indicates that many participants improved or maintained desirable patterns of behavior and outcomes, suggesting a positive impact on the quality of peer feedback skills and second-language (L2) skills, as well as the ability to detect L2 errors. The findings also suggest improvements that can be made in future design iterations. This research is novel because of a current lack of research on the use of no-code technology to develop educational apps, particularly in the context of microlearning for improving peer feedback skills in EFL.

Chinese Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Social Media-Based Microlearning for Improving Students’ English-Speaking Abilities

“…Xiaodong (2022) found that integrating microlearning into a hybrid online and offline learning environment for spoken English contributed to college students' English-speaking proficiency. Moreover, in relation to the improvement of English speaking, Gorham et al (2023) found that the utilization of an asynchronous microlearning app called Pebasco contributed to the development of college students' peer feedback skills regarding spoken English content.…”

Rater behaviors in peer evaluation: Patterns and early detection with learner model

“…In peer evaluation, students provide ratings and feedback on each other's work, which is formative and can promote their performance in subsequent tasks (Gorham et al, 2023;Ohland et al, 2012). Research has shown that peer evaluation encourages students to think deeply and critically about their own work and contributes to the development of "internal feedback" skills, where learners reflect on and regulate their own learning processes (Nicol et al, 2014;To & Panadero, 2019).…”

“…Nevertheless, the reliability of unserious peer raters can be improved by proper interventions (Van Zundert et al, 2010). Current studies have made attempts to calibrate scores based on student engagement and previous performance (Piech et al, 2013), afford group awareness information (Strauß & Rummel, 2021), or train evaluation skills during the peer evaluation process (Gorham et al, 2023). These approaches can be too late to nudge timely interventions to the ongoing evaluation activity.…”

A Microlearning ESP Program to Develop University Students’ Vocabulary and Reduce their Cognitive Load

“…The English vocabulary mobile microlearning system should be gradually applied to colleges and universities. Gorham, Majumdar & Ogata (2023) also evaluated how an asynchronous microlearning app might develop students' skills for providing peer feedback on EFL spoken content. This study adopted a quasi-experimental single-group pre-post-research design.…”