The effects of Moodle activities on students' writing performance at Tien Giang University

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

----------------------------

VO THI MINH DUE

THE EFFECTS OF MOODLE ACTIVITIES

ON STUDENTS’ WRITING PERFORMANCE

AT TIEN GIANG UNIVERSITY

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

OF MASTER OF ARTS (TESOL)

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2017

i

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that the thesis entitled “The effects of Moodle activities on students’ writing

performance at Tien Giang University” is my original work. All resources used in the

thesis have been documented. The work has not been submitted to Open University or

elsewhere.

Ho Chi Minh, August 8th, 2017

Vo Thi Minh Due

ii

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, Vo Thi Minh Due, being the candidate for the degree of Master of

to the TESOL, accept the requirement of University relating to the retention and use of

the Master’s theses deposited in the University library.

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the

University library should be accessible for the purposes of the studies and research, in

accordance with the normal condition established by the library for care, loan, and

reproduction of thesis.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

During the process of carrying out this research, I have received a lot of contribution and

support from many people. Therefore, I would like to express my special thanks to them.

Firstly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr.

Nguyen Ngoc Vu for his untiring and useful assistance and invaluable advice to me

throughout the process of my writing. He spent his valuable time reading my thesis with

much care and gave me his perceptive comments. His encouragement and approval have

also helped me a lot to overcome troubles in doing the research, without which I am not

able to complete this study well.

Secondly, I am grateful to the Management of Tien Giang University and the Leaders of

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities who provided me with the opportunity to take

this MA course and finish my thesis. I also thank my colleagues, who substituted for me

in my work-place during my absence for this MA course. I also sincerely appreciate all

the students in two classes 0724201 and 0724202 for their cooperation.

Lastly, my special thanks go to all my family and my friends who gave me time and

opportunity to write and do research and encouraged me whenever I got stuck.

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ABSTRACT

Computers and the Internet are important tools for developing autonomy through

activities which help learners to study without assistance from teachers. As an alternative

to traditional face-to-face classroom, ICT provides blended learning, a new learning

environment, in which students participate in both traditional face-to-face classes and

online sessions. This approach of learning has been widely used in many schools.

Through this kind of learning, what students learn online will support what they learn

face-to-face in class, and vice-versa. In fact, “Moodle” has become more and more

popular in the field of education. This study is conducted to investigate the effects of

Moodle activities on students’ perceptions and writing performance. Forty English

majors are selected and divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control

group. Both groups have the same curriculum, course-book, facilities and teaching

method in face-to-face class. The main difference between these groups was that the

experimental group did their writing exercises on Moodle while the control group did

writing exercises on paper. A questionnaire, an interview, a pretest and a post-test are

used as instruments to measure the effects of Moodle activities on students’ writing

performance and perceptions. The findings proved that Moodle activities could enhance

students’ writing performance significantly and their perceptions towards the use of

Moodle activities were positive. The study suggested implications for teaching and

learning writing.

Keywords: Moodle activities, Writing performance, Perceptions, Blended learning

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ABBRIVIATIONS

A: Agree

CALL: Computer-Assisted Language Learning

CG: Control Group

CMC: Computer Mediated Communication

CMS: Classroom Management System

D: Disagree

EFL: English as a Foreign Language

EG: Experimental Group

ITC: Information Communication Technology

L1: First language

LMS: Learning Management System

M: Mean

MOODLE

N: Neutral

S: Student

SA: Strongly Agree

SD: Strongly Disagree

SPSS: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

S.D: Standard Deviation

Sts: Students

VLE: Virtual Learning Environment

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Spectrum of E-learning adapted after Procter (2002) ...................................8

Figure 2.2: Concept of Blended Learning adapted after Heinze and Procter (2004) ......8

Figure 2.3: Progressive convergence of face-to-face and online learning environments

allowing development of blended learning systems (C. J. Bonk & C. R. Graham ,2006)...9

Figure 3.1: Chatroom used in the course .......................................................................37

Figure 3.2: Threads in Moodle forum during the course ...............................................38

Figure 3.3: A workshop from the course .......................................................................39

Figure 3.4: An exercise in journal..................................................................................40

Figure 3.5: Example of Standard Deviation...................................................................49

Figure 4.1 Normal Q-Q plots for the writing pre-test results ........................................56

Figure 4.2 Normal Q-Q plots for the writing pre-test results ........................................60

Figure 4.3 Comparison of means of pretest and posttest scores....................................62

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1: Eight dimensions of blended learning (Sharpe, Benfield et al., 2006).........11

Table 3.1: Summary of the writing course syllabus.......................................................33

Table 3.2: General Information of participants before the treatment ...........................35

Table 3.3: Summary of the treatment for experimental group......................................41

Table 3.4: The summary of the scoring rubric...............................................................44

Table 3.5: The questionnaire structure...........................................................................45

Table 3.6: Summary of data collection instruments ......................................................47

Table 3.7: Schedule for the main stages of data collection............................................47

Table 4.1 Correlation of pretests scores of the CG by two raters..................................53

Table 4.2 Correlation of pretests scores of the EG by two raters ..................................54

Table 4.3 Descriptive statistics of pretests scores..........................................................55

Table 4.4 Independent Sample T-Test of pretests results..............................................57

Table 4.5 Correlation of posttests scores of the CG by two raters ................................58

Table 4.6 Correlation of posttests scores of the EG by two raters.................................58

Table 4.7 Descriptive statistics of posttests scores........................................................59

Table 4.8 Independent Sample t Test of posttests results..............................................61

Table 4.9 Moodle activities influence in writing performance......................................63

Table 4.10 Moodle activities in collaboration and interaction ......................................63

Table 4.11 General perceptions of Moodle activities....................................................64

Table 4.12 Perceptions of enjoyment in discussion in Moodle activities......................64

Table 4.13 Perceptions of motivation in Moodle activities...........................................64

Table 4.14 Moodle activities influence in writing performance....................................65

Table 4.15 Moodle activities in collaboration and interaction ......................................66

Table 4.16 General perceptions of Moodle activities....................................................68

Table 4.17 Perceptions of enjoyment in discussion in Moodle activities......................69

Table 4.18 Perceptions of motivation in Moodle activities...........................................71

Table 4.19 Students’ obstacles in learning with Moodle activities ...............................76

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS................................................................ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................... iii

ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................iv

ABBRIVIATIONS .........................................................................................................v

LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................vi

LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................vii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................1

1.1 Background of the study ............................................................................................1

1.2 Rationale for the study ...............................................................................................1

1.3 Questions of the study................................................................................................2

1.4 Hypotheses of the study .............................................................................................2

1.5 Purpose of the study...................................................................................................2

1.6 Significance of the study............................................................................................3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................................4

2.1 CALL .........................................................................................................................4

2.1.1 Computer-assisted language learning (CALL)................................................4

2.1.2 Writing performance........................................................................................4

2.1.3 Computer-assisted language learning and EFL writing ..................................5

2.2 Blended Learning .......................................................................................................6

2.2.1 What is Blended learning?...............................................................................6

2.2.2 Dimensions of blended learning ....................................................................10

2.2.3 Models of blended learning ...........................................................................13

2.2.4 History of blended learning ...........................................................................14

2.2.5 Blended Learning and Constructivism ..........................................................17

2.3 Moodle .....................................................................................................................19

2.3.1 What is Moodle?............................................................................................19

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2.3.2 Functions of Moodle......................................................................................20

2.3.2.1 Layout ......................................................................................................21

2.3.2.2 Course Management ................................................................................21

2.3.2.3 Quizzes Moodle provides users with various assessment strategies. ......21

2.3.2.4 Cooperative Learning...............................................................................22

2.3.3 Chat, Forum, Journal and Workshop.............................................................22

2.3.3.1 Chat ..........................................................................................................22

2.3.3.2 Forum.......................................................................................................23

2.3.3.3 Journal......................................................................................................24

2.3.3.4 Workshop.................................................................................................25

2.4. Perceptions..............................................................................................................25

2.5. Related studies ........................................................................................................26

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY..............................................................................31

3.1 Research Design.......................................................................................................31

3.2 Research site.............................................................................................................31

3.3 Participants...............................................................................................................35

3.4 Research Instruments...............................................................................................37

3.4.1 Treatment for the Experimental group ..........................................................37

3.4.2 Measurement Instruments..............................................................................42

3.4.2.1 The Pre- and Posttest ...............................................................................42

3.4.2.2 Questionnaires..........................................................................................44

3.4.2.3 Interview ..................................................................................................46

3.4.2.4 Summary of data collection instruments .................................................46

3.5 Data Collection Procedures......................................................................................47

3.6 Analytical framework...............................................................................................48

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3.6.1 Quantitative analysis of the pre-test and post-test.........................................49

3.6.2 Quantitative analysis of the questionnaire.....................................................50

3.6.3 Qualitative analysis of the interview .............................................................51

3.7 Validity and Reliability............................................................................................51

3.8 Chapter summary .....................................................................................................52

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS ...........................................................................................53

4.1 Research question 1: To what extent do Moodle activities (chat, forum, journal, and

workshop) enhance students’ writing performance? .....................................................53

4.1.1 Correlation pretest scores by Rater A and rater B in CG and EG .................53

4.1.2 Independent Sample t Test of pretests results ...............................................54

4.1.3 Correlation of posttest scores by rater A and rater B in CG and EG.............58

4.1.4 Independent Sample T-Test of posttests results............................................59

4.2 Research question 2: What are the students’ perceptions of the use of Moodle

activities in teaching and learning writing? ...................................................................62

4.2.1 Results from questionnaire ............................................................................62

4.2.1.1 Moodle activities influence in writing performance (items 1-5).............65

4.2.1.2 Moodle activities in collaboration and interaction (items 6-9)................66

4.2.1.3 General perceptions of Moodle activities................................................68

4.2.1.4 Perceptions of enjoyment in discussion in Moodle activities..................69

4.2.1.5 Perceptions of motivation in Moodle activities.......................................71

4.2.2 Results from interview...................................................................................73

4.2.2.1 Students’ evaluation of learning writing with Moodle course.................73

4.2.2.2 Students’ favorite activities in Moodle ....................................................74

4.2.2.3 Difficulties students often face when learning with the help of Moodle

activities...............................................................................................................75

4.2.2.4 Students’ performance after learning with Moodle ................................76