Integrating Edmodo into Foreign Language Classes as an Assessment Tool

Year 2016, Special Issue 2016-I, 1 - 11, 01.01.2016

Emrah Ekmekçi

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.16.spi.1.1

Cited By: 12

Abstract

Due
to the everlasting and rapid developments in educational technology, teachers
are in search of exploring innovative techniques in order to promote today's
students' involvement in foreign language learning process. The reason for this
is that today's students are regarded as digital-natives who are difficult to
motivate if modern technology they are familiar with is not utilized
effectively in the classes. The absence of recent technology in classes may
turn the learning process into a dull and mediocre activity. When it comes to
the assessment part of this process, the situation may become worse as most of
the students feel unwilling and reluctant to be assessed. Therefore, the
current study is important in that it presents an innovative way of assessing
students' skills they gain during language learning. For assessing students'
language skills, the study introduces Edmodo, which is an educational social
network providing a secure learning platform for learners and educators. It may
be an effective tool with its user-friendly and practical aspects. Being a
web-based online technology, Edmodo allows students and teachers to post
materials, share videos and links, grades, notices, and assignments. With its
practical interface, it resembles to other popular Course Management Systems
(CMS). It enables teachers to work with their learners in real time, and can be
used either in the class or at home. Thanks to a special code assigned for a
particular group, students can interact only with their teachers and each
other, which makes it secure and safe in use. In addition, parents can have
their own codes to check or work together with young learners in particular.
The current study is a descriptive one focusing on how to integrate Edmodo into
foreign language classes as an assessment tool. The main objective of the study
is to introduce the implementation of various assessment applications through
Edmodo and offer some suggestions. To this end, accounts of previous
experiences and some reflections of students are presented.  62 students attending English preparatory
classes in a state university in Turkey participated in various assessment
activities through Edmodo during 2014-2015 academic year.  Reflections of the students regarding the use
of Edmodo as an assessment tool were obtained through semi-structured
interviews conducted by the researcher. The results indicated that most of the students
found Edmodo to be funny, motivating, user-friendly, and practical. They also
stated that Edmodo reduced their test anxiety to a great extent and they would
prefer to be assessed through Edmodo rather than traditional assessment
techniques like pen-and-paper tests

Keywords

assessment, Edmodo, Course management system, foreign language classes

References

• Aldhafri, S., Alkharusi, H., & Al Ismaili, A. (2015). Predicting english test anxiety: how memorization and critical thinking function? Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(6), 1159-1165.
• Al-Said, K. M. (2015). Students' perceptions of edmodo and mobile learning and their real barriers towards them. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 14(2), 167-180.
• Aydın, S. (2013). Factors affecting the level of test anxiety among efl learners at elementary schools. E-international journal of educational research, 4(1), 63-81. Balasubramanian, K., Jaykumar, V., & Fukey, L. N. (2014). A study on “student preference towards the use of edmodo as a learning platform to create responsible learning environment”. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 144(1), 416-422.
• Batsila, M., Tsihouridis, CH., & Vavougios, D. (2014). Entering the Web-2 Edmodo World to Support Learning: Tracing Teachers’ Opinion after Using it in their Classes. iJET, 9(1), 53-60, http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v9i1.3018.
• Cheng, L. and Klinger, D., Fox, J., Doe, C., Jin, Y., & Wu, J. (2014). Motivation and test anxiety in test performance across three testing contexts: The CAEL, CET, and GEPT. TESOL Quarterly, 48(2), 300-328.
• Conradie, P.,Moller, M., & Faleni, T. (2014). The effect of learning management systems’ media richness on 21st century student’s satisfaction: A higher education perspective. 13th European Conference on e-Learning – ECEL 2014.
• Dalton, J. (2009). Teaching and learning through social networks. Retrieved from www.teachingenglish.org.uk.print/5411
• Dogoriti, E., & Pange, J. (2014). Instructional design for a "social" classroom: Edmodo and twitter in the foreign language classroom. ICICTE 2014 Proceedings, 154-165.
• Govender, I., & Grayson, D. J. (2007). Pre‐service and in‐service teachers’ experiences of learning to program in an object-oriented language, Computers & Education, 51(2), 874‐885.
• Horvat, A., Dobrota, M., Krsmanovic, M., & Cudanov, M. (2015). Student perception of Moodle learning management system: a satisfaction and significance analysis, Interactive Learning Environments, 23(4), 515-527, DOI: 10.1080/10494820.2013.788033.
• Huang, H. D., & Hung, S.A. (2013). Comparing the effects of test anxiety on independent and integrated speaking test performance. TESOL Quarterly, 47(2), 244 - 269. Lane, L. (2009). Insidious pedagogy: How course management systems affect teaching First Monday, 14. Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2530/2303.
• Lee, S.P., & Lee, S.H. (2015). Effects of audio-visual aids on foreign language test anxiety, reading and listening comprehension, and retention in EFL learners. Perceptual & Motor Skills: Perception. 120 (2), 576 - 590.
• Naveh, G., Tubin, D., & Pliskin, N. (2010). Student LMS use and satisfaction in academic institutions: The organizational perspective. Internet and Higher Education, 13(3), 127-133.
• Ractham, P., & Chen, C. (2013). Promoting the use of online social technology as a casebased learning tool. Journal of Information Systems Education, 24(4), 291-297.
• Salahi, M., & Marefat, F. (2014). The effects of foreign language anxiety and test anxiety on foreign language test performance. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 4(5), 931 - 940.