Qzone Weblog for Critical Peer Feedback to Improve Business English Writing: a Case of Chinese Undergraduates
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TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – July 2016, volume 15 issue 3 Qzone Weblog for Critical Peer Feedback to Improve Business English Writing: A Case of Chinese Undergraduates Gao Xianwei, PhD Candidate Faculty of Education, University Malaya, Kualu Lumpur, Malaysia [email protected] Moses Samuel, Prof. & PhD Faculty of Education, University Malaya, Kualu Lumpur, Malaysia [email protected] Adelina Asmawi, PhD Faculty of Education, University Malaya, Kualu Lumpur, Malaysia [email protected] ABSTRACT This study explores Qzone weblog for critical peer feedback (CPF) in Business English writing (BEW) among the Chinese undergraduates. A qualitative case study is conducted by Nvivo 8 to analyze the three research data of semi-structured interviews, BEW writing assignments, and CPF artifacts on Qzone weblog. Three research questions are focused to study the case participants’ perception of this study, the strength and weakness of Qzone for critical peer feedback, and online features of Qzone affecting critical peer feedback in Business English writing. The study aims to explore how Qzone weblog affect critical peer feedback in the online environment. The findings indicate that Qzone is a suitable type of weblog for online critical peer feedback, especially, for the Chinese undergraduates. The strength and online features of Qzone are models by Nvivo 8 for description by figures. The six aspects of strength and five online features are coded by Nvivo 8. The only weakness of Qzone is the character number limitation for each blog and feedback. The conclusion of this study will be implied for the use of Qzone weblog and other kinds of weblog for online peer feedback in English writing. Keywords: Qzone weblog, critical peer feedback, Business English writing INTRODUCTION With the development of internet technology (IT) and the application of mobile learning (mLearning), the internet and smart phone have been used in the feedback assessment (Siraj, 2012; DeWitt, Siraj & Alias, 2014). Online feedback is more conveniently applied in the teaching and learning such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and many other internet communicative platforms. Online feedback has many advantages such as flexible idea expression, effective peer feedback, positive performative assessment, muti-media learning and teaching, improving autonomy learning, and the construction of authentic learning and working simulation environments (Yunus et al., 2013). In China, Qzone is one of the most popular weblogs among young generations combined with the instant messaging (IM) software - QQ. Qzone has been widely applied in EFL instruction as a CAI (computer-assisted instruction) platform (Wang, 2009; Xie, 2010; Du, 2013; Zhu, 2013). Qzone weblog and QQ have been explored in instruction which are helpful to guide the positive use of internet among students. Therefore, this study will conduct Qzone weblog for critical peer feedback and study how it affects the peer feedback in Business English Writing among Chinese college students. LITERATURE REVIEW Online Feedback With the development of information communication technology (ICT) and mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), the online teaching and learning has been welcomed by students and teachers. Online feedback has been studied by many online communication platforms such as Web 2.0, SWoRD, Facebook, Blackboard, and weblogs like Sina and Qzone in China (Siraj, 2012; DeWitt, Siraj, & Alias, 2014). From the perspective of L2 learning, Chen (2014) summarizes the advantages of online feedback such as boosting learning motivation, autonomy, positive attitudes, linguistic awareness, content organization, intellectual exchanges, linguistic ownership, self-expressions, and a sense of community. Online feedback also is studied for the synchronous feedback by online chat room or instant communication (IM) software like Skype, Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 131 TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – July 2016, volume 15 issue 3 Wechat and QQ, etc. The online writing could receive asynchronous feedback when internet is available at any time and place. Online feedback enables students to continuously communicate with peers and teachers to reflect on and revise their writing (Yang & Tsai, 2010). Online feedback can increase the willingness of engagement in collaborative learning and self-autonomy. The teachers can monitor the progress of their students assignments, online participation and communication. Teachers can automatically assign students to review more heterogeneous or homogeneous work based on background features such as gender, achievement, and preferences (Lu & Law, 2012). There are disadvantages of online feedback such as time-consuming, lack of supervision and monitor, high-ranked technological requirement, and informal feedback (Lu & Law, 2012). The advantages of online feedback overweight the disadvantages. However, what online features are more helpful in giving online feedback, is not only an IT issue but also a practical question in instruction. It is meaningful to identify the efficient online features and apply to the online feedback. The most commonly used online feedback methods have text, audio, video, image, and hyperlinks, etc. Therefore, with the ample use of internet, computer and smart phone, the online feedback will be one of the most popular way to offer feedback in the future, not only in education but also in other fields. More technique forms of online communication and feedback software or platform will be invented in the near future. There is a research gap to explore the online features in online feedback, to study what kinds of online features will be more helpful for online feedback. Qzone Weblog Weblog, Blackboard, Second Life, etc, are widely used in CAI education. Weblog has been used as a tool for collaboration and self-reflection on course content, peer feedback, and as a resource bank (Dippold, 2009). Weblog or blog application in education has a number of advantages such as a much wider audience of readers and raters, receiving critical feedback, collaborative learning with peers, and showcase for individual artifacts, etc. Qzone is a new kind of weblog combined with instant message (IM) software QQ, developed by Tencent company at 2005, and QQ has about 848 million active users at April 2014.1 QQ and Qzone are the most popular IM in China, which is completely free for users. The English version of QQ is QQ International that the users can download it free from its website (www.imqq.com) for computer and smart phone. After QQ is downloaded, the Qzone can be registered and designed by the users when it is accessing internet service. Characteristics of Qzone Weblog Qzone is different from Facebook and Sina Blog, which has more powerful specific characteristics. From the aspects of technology, the characteristics of Qzone can be concluded as: 1) Integration of IM and Weblog Qzone is combined with IM software - QQ, which is developed by Tencent in China at 2005. The user registers QQ for one time, and the QQ registration number, which will be generate by system for the register, is unique and can be used for other Tencent software services such as Qzone, Wechat, WebQQ, QQ Music, QQ Player, QQ Games, QQ IE, QQ Mail. All Tencent softwares have versions for computer operating systems such as Windows, Lunix and Mac, and smart phone operating systems such as Android, IOS, Window Phone and BlackBerry. With the internationalization of QQ, the users can also use their e-mail address to register a QQ account. Qzone weblog has the function of instant messaging which can notice your QQ friends when you upgrade your Qzone blog instantly. Information upgrading of Qzone can notice your “QQ friends” by the function plates of “instant talk”, “personalized signature”, “instant emotions”, etc, which is different from the traditional blog. The “friend” IM upgrade will notice the “QQ friends” automatically and synchronologically, and will be highlighted at your online devices as long as there is internet connect service. 2) Resource Access and Sharing Needs Permission Qzone is widely connected with other websites for resource sharing such as the social network service (SNS) websites like Sina blog, Tencent blog, Renren, etc, and service websites like Phoenix, Sina, Youku, etc. The blog of Qzone resource sharing and visiting need the permission of the Qzone owner. The visiting authority of Qzone 1 Tencent Company. Retrieved 26, August, 2014 from http://www.tencent.com/zh-cn/ps/sng.shtml. Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 132 TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – July 2016, volume 15 issue 3 is controlled by the Qzone owner who can decide the permission to visit and share your blog information. But other blogs are total open to any reader which is difficult to keep the personal privacy. There are two relationships in the QQ users’ “Contact List”. One is “Friend” and the other is “Stranger”. With the relationship of “Friend”, the contact list numbers can obtain many “friend” information and visit each other’s Qzone. However, with the relationship of “Stranger”, he or she can not visit a tranger’s Qzone weblog which needs to apply the owner’s warranty and permission. The instant communication of Qzone “friends” can be conducted by several methods such as QQ Group, QQ friends, QQ instant discussion (ID) group, and QQ mail. The following chart indicates the visiting and instant