THE EFFECT OF USING DISCUSSION BOARDS ON EFL WRITING CLASSES: AN ACTION RESEARCH CASE STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25007/ajnu.v9n3a773Abstract
Online discussion boards (henceforth DBs) are nowadays widely implemented to guarantee better learning outcomes. DBs are considered a teaching method that provides more opportunities to learn a new language beyond time and physical constraints. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the use of DBs on EFL students’ learning, particularly their achievement in academic writing. The study was carried out in the department of English, College of Basic Education, University of Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The sample of this study involved a total number of 56 male and female undergraduate students divided into two groups, the experimental group involved 28 students and the control group involved 28 students. The experimental group students were enrolled in a blended course to learn academic writing. The students involved were taught using both modes, online DBs and face-to-face sessions. The results indicated that students in the experimental group showed a better degree of improvement in exam scores than those in the control group. The findings showed that the implementation of DBs in addition to face-to face-classes in teaching English is likely to lead students to better achievement.
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