Integrating E-Assessment into the Evaluation of Learners’ Writing Production: Case of First-Year EFL Students at Tlemcen University

Abstract

The use of ICTs in education has brought about many changes. Likewise, the diversification of assessment methods has become more than necessary and is adapting to a variety of situations. Accordingly, the work undertaken focuses mainly on the integration of e-assessment, via the Moodle platform, into the module of comprehension and written expression taught to first-year EFL students, a source of a considerable failure rate. Using a mixed-method design, that combines a case study and an experimental design, this piece of research highlights the efficiency of the method. Indeed, based on a sample of teachers and students and after a quantitative and qualitative analysis, the proposed evaluation method has led to a significant improvement of students' writing due to its pedagogical, practical, and emotional benefits. Furthermore, it should be stressed that its use has been additional support to the traditional classroom. Henceforth, some Moodle features, which were not exploited in this work, have been suggested to further improve students' writing.