Development and usability test of an e-learning tool for engineering graduates to develop academic writing in English: A case study

Chih Chung Lin, Gi Zen Liu, Tzong I. Wang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Many non-native English speaking (NNES) graduates are required to write academic papers in English; consequently, recent research in the past decade has been devoted to investigating the usefulness of genre-based Writing Instructions (GBWI) on learners' writing cultivation. There is little specific guidance, however, on how GBWI can be employed in online learning environments. The study aimed to design an e-learning tool with a Chinese-based interface and to evaluate its perceived usefulness on users' English academic writing development. Needs analysis and GBWI were employed as the main approaches for the system development, for which 32 participants involved in the trail. The results indicate that the participants considered the system useful and helpful while learning English academic writing and extract the design principles derived from the empirical results in the study. The findings provide both learning content developers and e-learning tool designers with developmental insights for graduates to acquire academic writing ability in English. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of GBWI acting on the NNES engineering graduates' development of English academic writing knowledge and skills with the development of e-learning tools.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)148-161
Number of pages14
JournalEducational Technology and Society
Volume20
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Education
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • General Engineering

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