Using Padlet as a Technological Tool for Assessment of Students Writing Skills in Online Classroom Settings

Abstract

The lifestyle of humans is constantly changing due to globalisation. The demand for suitable and appropriate technological tools applicable in the teaching and learning processes is therefore increasing. The traditional method of chalk and talk in a classroom setting is slowly being replaced with Web 2.0 due to various implications. However, studies on the implications and effectiveness of these tools towards students' assessment of their learning process are lacking, especially in the writing skill. This study aims to provide a report on the use of an online learning platform for assessing students' writing skills. Padlet is used in this study as an online learning platform. The respondents comprise 70 level two teachers from national primary schools in Sarawak. Level two refers to years 4, 5 and 6 in the Malaysian education context. Survey questionnaires, observation checklists and semi-structured interviews were employed and their results were analyzed through frequency and thematic content analysis. The main findings in this research show that the respondents exhibit positive responses towards Padlet. This study also provides some concerns that arise during the implementation of Padlet in the classroom. Limited Internet connection and lack of Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills amongst the students are the two major issues found during the intervention. The implication of this study is relevant to the new pedagogical tool in writing assessment for the current generation of students. Contribution/Originality:This study contributes to the existing literature on teaching and learning strategy and methodology in language writing assessment relevant to the current generation of students. It aims to analyze and explore the feasibility of an online learning platform, namely Padlet, to be used among primary students for writing assessments. vocabulary, grammar, thinking skill, planning, editing, revising and other elements in writing' (Ien, Yunus, & Embi, 2017). Purwanto (2020) added that students can use their writing skills to express their ideas, feelings and thoughts to other people in a relatively permanent form.Ahangari and Behzady (2011) stated that "the ability to write well is also considered as one of the best ways to assess and keep track of ESL students' learning progress" (as quoted in Ien et al., 2017). Despite being a good assessment for the learning of English language, writing in English is quite a difficult skill to be acquired by

Contribution of the Activities Prepared with Web 2.0 Technologies to the Level of Learning

“…It has been determined that the activities prepared with Web 2.0 technologies contribute to the creation of a more effective learning environment in line with the interests and wishes of the z-generation students and to transform the learning environments into a more equipped and enjoyable one. Similarly, studies have supported that the activities carried out with web 2.0 technologies contribute to the learning level of students (Arslan & Coştu, 2021;Ergül Sönmez & Çakır, 2021;Açıkgül Fırat & Fırat, 2020;Vanichvasin, 2021;Kazazoğlu & Bilir, 2021;Egüz, 2020;Karakaş & Kartal, 2020;Bolliger & Shephard, 2017;Şahin Topelcengiz & Yıldırım, 2020;Juškeviciene & Kurilovas, 2014;Azid, Hasan, Nazarudin & Ali, 2020;Jong & Tan, 2021). With this thought, it is necessary to use in-class and extra-curricular activities prepared with web 2.0 technologies that support educational environments.…”

“…In Batıbay (2019) examined the educational function of the Kahoot application in a Turkish lesson; he determined that the application has a positive effect on the motivation of students by transforming the question-solving action into a game, students are actively involved in the education process, it enables peer learning, and that it offers an effective learning environment suitable for the 21st-century education system understanding. In their study, Jong and Tan (2021) examined the effects of using Padlet, one of the web 2.0 tools, on students' writing skills. They concluded that the Padlet application is suitable for use as an easy, interesting, and practical writing tool in the education process; In Padlet, the writing progress is observable and open to feedback correction; it provides a student-centered learning platform, and has a positive effect on the professional development of teachers.…”

Generic Digital Equity Model in Education: Mobile-Assisted Personalized Learning (MAPL) through e-Modules

“…These guidelines can be convenient when teachers wish to motivate the learners and show more appreciation for them while applying the MAPL approach. Moreover, planning pedagogical tools in various forms via social media or online learning platforms is another way to keep learners motivated [75].…”

Using Padlet as a Pedagogical Tool

“…Padlet is especially useful, as students need not create an account and can participate and ask questions anonymously, which can foster uninhibited critical engagement (Deni and Zainal, 2018). For assessment, Padlet can also be used to assess students' writing skills Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Issue 22: Compendium October 2021 4 (Jong and Tan, 2021) and allows for students to 'grade' one another's posts with a numeric score, which can foster peer assessment (Adachi et al, 2018), A caveat that I would like to emphasise is that I had a maximum of 25 students in each of my two tutorials; thus, using Padlet in my experience was very feasible. This may be more challenging in a larger course.…”