Enhancing EFL Students' Writing Skills through Formative Assessments in a Blended Learning Course

Abstract

This study describes a blended learning course focused on formative assessments to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' writing proficiency. Students' perceptions of the formative assessment activities and the perceived impacts of blended learning were investigated. Participants were 33 English majors enrolled in a freshman writing course. In addition to regular face-to-face learning each week, students were required to complete a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) – English Paragraph Writing – during the semester. The formative assessments in this blended writing course included online quizzes, discussion boards, teacher's evaluation of students' writing, students' self-assessments, and peer assessments. Data were collected from a pre-test and a post-test of students' writing proficiency and a questionnaire to explore their views of formative assessments. The results showed that students improved their writing performance after the blended learning course. Students perceived formative assessment activities to be useful in developing their writing skills. The personalized learning from online videos, instant feedback from online assessments, and guidance from teacher feedback all contributed to students' writing improvement. It is suggested that teachers adopt a blended approach with interactive assessment activities to promote a student-centered learning environment, monitor learning progress, and improve writing achievement.