The Role of Technology-Mediated Written Corrective Feedback in Improving the Writing Skill: A Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

The present research paper investigated the effectiveness of Technology-Mediated Written Corrective Feedback (TMWCF) in the overall development of undergraduate students’ writing in the Sultanate of Oman. In order to examine students, perceptions and preferences, seventy students, who were enrolled in the general foundation program at Sohar University in the Sultanate of Oman, were interviewed via focus groups. The study also analyzed students’ written work to understand and interpret the instructor’s feedback practices and how students’ perceive that. The findings indicated that students’ valued the utilization of TMWCF and considered it to play a vital role in improving their writing particularly when provided with clarity and systematic structure. They viewed TMWCF as instrumental in enhancing both their writing proficiency and motivational engagement. Additionally, the students preferred indirect strategies represented in coded annotations, textual highlighting and summative comments. Grammar corrections were highly preferred by the students in comparison to other language aspects, reflecting their concerns about the linguistic accuracy of their writings. The findings of the study call for further technology-supported instruction particularly in English as a second language settings and recommends experimenting the role of emerging technologies in enhancing students’ language.