How can peer editing improve student writing? Using the Moodle workshop tool in the tertiary writing classroom

Although the literature generally supports the view that peer feedback activities in ESL writing classes can be a valuable aid to help learners improve their writing skills, many teachers and students seem to doubt its usefulness in their own particular educational context. A recent area of research in this field explores the potential of electronic tools in peer editing. Our study is one of the first to examine the e-learning platform Moodle and its Workshop feature through classroom action research. This tool is designed to enhance the quality of student work by encouraging the learners to “assess the work of their peers and learn from each other”, as stated in the Moodle Workshop settings. This paper first provides an overview of the main tenets of using peer feedback in the ESL writing classroom and then provides insights into our own experiences gathered in two different courses in which the Moodle peer-review tool was used, applying both a quantitative and qualitative approach. Our aim is to shed light on how teachers can enhance writing outcomes through improved peer editing design. We explore the usefulness and applicability of the Moodle Workshop feature from two different perspectives: the view of the teachers and the view of the students. In addition, we make suggestions for the effective use of this tool. It is hoped that the findings of this paper may assist practitioners in designing and implementing online peer feedback activities in their ESL classrooms. Finally, we offer insights for future software development of peer-review activities, from both a user experience and pedagogical perspective.