Mediated Learning of the Writing Skill via Zoom by EFL Students

Abstract

Zoom has been widely used in teaching and learning English for its functions that allow students to work independently yet share their thoughts through interaction via online group discussions [16, 18]. Other features of Zoom such as annotation devices, breakout rooms and screenshare are reported to promote communication through the use of authentic language in synchronous classes [9]. In teaching and learning the writing skill, the application of Zoom is found to develop students' metacognitive strategies in the writing process [15]. Zoom, in sociocultural theory developed by [19] and his colleagues, is considered to be a digital artifact [12] which can mediate the learning process among EFL learners. However, how Zoom as a digital tool mediates EFL students' writing in English and which aspects of English writing EFL students report to learn via Zoom are the questions to be explored. This study was set out to investigate these two topics related to mediated learning of the writing skill via Zoom. The results from quantitative data collected from EFL university students who have experienced learning English writing via Zoom indicate that interaction with peers in breakout rooms mediated the students' thinking process in forming ideas and organizing their papers. Through screenshare of teachers' slides and instructions, students were able to learn essay structures as well as language expressions for different kinds of academic writing. From the findings of the study, implications are put forward for the use of Zoom in teaching and learning the writing skill in English.