The Integration of Automated Writing Evaluation Technology to Enhance Students' Writing Skills: The Case of Second Year English as a Foreign Language Students of Setif 2 University
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Date
2025-05-23
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Abstract
The current study scrutinized the effectiveness of integrating Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE)
technology in developing the writing skills of second-year students of English at Mohamed Lamine
Debaghine Sétif 2 University. After interviewing seven teachers of written expression and
administering a preliminary questionnaire to 25 students, the findings confirmed that learners indeed
face challenges in grammar, vocabulary, mechanics, and overall writing organization. Most students
reported receiving little feedback and struggling with self-correction, while teachers noted that
providing corrective feedback was time-consuming. Consequently, the integration of AWE
technology, specifically the Virtual Writing Tutor tool, was suggested as a remedy. Its effectiveness
was investigated through a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest non-equivalent group design, using a
mixed-methods approach as a methodological framework to guide the current investigation. Two
intact groups, an experimental group (N=37) and a control group (N=37), were selected, and their
performance in both pretest and posttest was analyzed across five writing subcomponents: content,
organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics. After receiving the treatment of using AWE for
14 weeks, the experimental group outperformed the control group in the posttest. With a statistical
outcome derived from the independent samples t-test, a significant difference of p<0.05 was
indicated across several subcomponents, especially grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary. These
results prove the positive effects of AWE integration on the participants’ writing performance. In
addition, the post-experimental questionnaire and interviews demonstrated the learners’ positive
perceptions towards using the tool in the classroom, highlighting increased motivation, autonomy,
and willingness to continue using AWE in the future. Therefore, EFL teachers are recommended to
incorporate Automated Writing Evaluation technology into the classroom to enhance the teaching
and learning of writing
Description
Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment for the Requirement of the Degree of Doctorate in Didactics of
English Language
Keywords
Automated Writing Evaluation, Virtual Writing Tutor, EFL students, Sara BOUABDALLAH