Integration of “Write and Improve” Awe Tool Into Efl at Higher Educational Establishment: Case Study

Abstract

Dramatic changes in political, economic, cultural, scientific, and technological spheres, which have taken place in recent decades, have caused noticeable alterations in different societal domains, including education. Through the prism of the modern educational paradigm that mainly focuses on meeting the needs of human beings, nowadays, a special place is occupied by ICTs and their integration into the educational process. The present research is devoted to both theoretical evidence and practical implementation of automated writing evaluation (AWE) tool “Write and Improve” into language learning at a higher educational establishment. We use experimental method titled case study, which allows finding out ways to incorporate the software mentioned above into EFL. First and foremost, the author analyses fundamental and contemporary studies in the realm of ICT integration into language teaching, learning, and assessment. Special attention is paid to AWE as cutting-edge software, which utilizes artificial intelligence to assess students’ writing. The data under investigation indicate that using AWE computer-assisted programs facilitates students’ management and increases motivation for writing and revision. The article sets a goal to demonstrate that “Write and Improve” is an example of innovative technology to enhance writing as an essential academic competency. Based on profound theoretical substantiations, the author conducts the experiment to test the research hypothesis in the case study. Within the framework of the article's written tasks, university students who study English as their major subject at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv have been chosen. The attempted investigation proved “Write and Improve” to be highly effective among language learners, thus worth being introduced not only into teaching and learning but also assessment.

Contribution of automated feedback to the English writing competence of distance foreign language learners

“…Researchers point out that when Write and Improve deals with spelling and syntactic accuracy, it helps teachers focus on more complex aspects of learner texts. Similarly, in the study conducted by Karpova (2020) learners found Write and Improve to be highly effective both in teaching and learning processes and in assessment. Kostikova and Miasoiedova (2019) conducted an experimental study in which they presented Write and Improve as an additional extra-class tool for post graduate students.…”

“…With regard to contribution of formative feedback to EFL writing, this study showed parallel findings with the foreign language learning literature (Alharbi, 2016;Purnawarman, 2011). Similarly, automated formative feedback's potential has been emphasized and proven by many studies in the literature (Curry and Riordan, 2021;Huijser and Wali, 2018;Hyland and Hyland, 2006;Karpova, 2020). As one of the language learning theorists Swain (1995) argued in the Output Hypothesis, learners can develop their foreign language skills only when they can transform their inputs into meaningful outputs and test the accuracy of what they produce by receiving feedback on these outputs.…”

“…While there are few studies in the literature in which different automatic feedback tools are employed (Cheng et al, 2016), studies on AF tool Write and Improve, which is the tool used in this study, are quite limited (e.g. Curry and Riordan, 2021; Huijser and Wali, 2018; Karpova, 2020). The study conducted by Curry and Riordan (2021) revealed the contribution of Write and Improve to learner engagement, motivation, improvements in writing practices and written language proficiency.…”

Mapping Undergraduate EFL Students’ Writing Anxiety: Trajectories from Responses, Reasons, and Strategies

“…In other words, peer-works encourage the students to consult with their peers and lecturers to get feedback and guidance. Moreover, regarding the negative evaluation and feedback, the teachers/lecturers may use the automated writing evaluation (AWE) to minimize the human subjective judgement as well as increase students' motivation in writing and revision (Karpova, 2020).…”

Students’ Perceptions and Problems in Implementing Electronic Reflective Portfolio in Writing Class

“…The expanding need for EFL writing expertise among tertiary students is balanced by the support of technology for language learning [1] and [2]. In Indonesian education, it is encouraged to employ technology to support the teaching and learning process.…”