Web 2.0 Incorporated Dynamic Assessment to Assess Writing Ability of Iranian EFL Learners

Ahmad Agha Ebrahimiyan; Shiva Seyed Erfani

Authors

Ahmad Agha Ebrahimiyan
Shiva Seyed Erfani

Keywords:

blog, call, dynamic assessment, web 20, writing ability

Abstract

In dynamic assessment which emphasizes the process rather than product learners are provided with corrective feedback in categorized levels. On the other hand, Blog is an on-line and user-value driven technology widely used in language learning. This study was an attempt to investigate the effect of the Web 2.0 on writing ability of Iranian EFL learners through the process of dynamic assessment. To do so, twenty low advanced EFL learners were randomly selected to take part in an eight-session class in advanced writing. The participants were assigned into two control and experimental groups consisting of ten members. Both groups were exposed to dynamic assessment however they differed in that the dynamic assessment of the experimental group was applied online through using a blog and the dynamic assessment of the control group was based on traditional paper-and-pencil method. The quantitative data were analyzed through using a paired t-test and the answers to open-ended questions extracted from distributed questionnaires among the experimental group were analyzed qualitatively. The results indicated that the use of blogs not only improved the writing ability of the learners but also facilitated the procedure of their writing assessment.

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How to Cite

Web 2.0 Incorporated Dynamic Assessment to Assess Writing Ability of Iranian EFL Learners. (2013). Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 13(49), 41-47. https://socialscienceresearch.org/index.php/GJHSS/article/view/

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Author Biographies

Ahmad Agha Ebrahimiyan

Ahmad Agha Ebrahimiyan is a researcher affiliated with the Department of English at Allameh Tabatabei University in Tehran, Iran. His work focuses on the integration of Web 2.0 technologies in dynamic assessments to evaluate the writing ability of Iranian EFL learners. He has published one paper, which has been cited 2 times, and holds an h-index of 1.

Shiva Seyed Erfani

Shiva Seyed Erfani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Iran. She earned her PhD in Applied Linguistics from Allameh Tabataba'i University in 2011. Her research interests lie in language assessment, washback studies, and technology-enhanced language learning. She has investigated the comparative washback effects of IELTS and TOEFL iBT on teaching and learning activities, as well as the integration of Web 2.0 tools such as dynamic assessments, wikis, and e-portfolios to enhance writing skills among Iranian EFL learners. Dr. Erfani is an active member of the International Language Testing Association (ILTA) and the Teaching English Language and Literature Society of Iran (TELLSI). With 11 published works, 73 citations, an h-index of 5, and an i10-index of 4, her contributions continue to shape the field of applied linguistics in Iran.

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