Effectivity of an online platform for training language teachers on providing quality feedback in writing activities

摘要

Writing demands quality feedback from teachers and tutors, however, producing quality feedback is a skill that requires training for it to be mastered. As writing didactics is rarely included in teachers’ curricula, there is a need for training in a complex scenario of overloaded professionals. This study reports on the effects of an intervention, based on the use of an online platform to support student writing, aimed to train teachers on providing quality feedback while demanding no extra effort from them. Writing as a process and quality feedback production were the focus of the training, which was implemented for 12 schools, randomly assigned to control or experimental groups. Instruments and the platform were adjusted during the first year, and the intervention took place in the second year. Results showed that teachers in the experimental group effectively incorporated the methodology and produced better quality feedback. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these changes may also have a long-term effect.