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Electronic learning as an alternative delivery of English writing tutorials for the 

improvement of Capitol University’s students’ writing skills 

 

Evelyn Khanser Montecalvo 

Geldolin Luza Inte 

Capitol University, Philippines 

geldolin_inte@yahoo.com  

 

Abstract 
The study is quasi-experimental which aimed to compare the writing skills of students in the traditional 

face-to-face tutorial using appropriate reference materials (control group) and the students in the online 

CD-ROM tutorial (experimental group) using the module developed by the researcher. It attempted to 

answer the following questions: 1) What are the levels of writing skills of the students in the traditional 

face-to-face tutorials and the CD-ROM tutorials during the pretest and posttest periods? and 2) How do 

the students in the two groups differ in their pretest and posttest mean scores?  

The posttest mean scores showed that the students in the online CD-ROM mode of tutorial yielded 

better results in terms of writing skills achievement than the students in the traditional face-to-face 

tutorial.  

Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the students in the experimental group have 

improved their writing skills from poor level in grammar  to a very good level and from good in 

vocabulary and mechanics to excellent level, after they were exposed to the online CD-ROM Mode of 

tutorial.  

Based on the findings and conclusions, the researcher recommended that: the CD-ROM Module be 

used as remedial lessons; students should be exposed to the use of technologies such as software, 

courseware and word processor focusing on writing skills development; and English professors should 

develop more CD-ROM modules on writing, listening, speaking, reading and study skills that consider 

the needs of the students. 

 

Keywords: Electronic learning, CD-ROM module, English writing tutorial, Writing skills 

 

 

Introduction 

This study aimed to compare the writing skills achievement levels of two groups of subjects: the control and 

experimental groups who were exposed to two different modes of tutorial, namely, the traditional face-to-face 

tutorial using appropriate reference materials and the e-learning CD-ROM tutorial using the module, which 

was designed and developed by the researchers. The respondents of the study were sixty (60) freshman 

college students (30 belonged to the control group and 30 belonged to the experimental group) of Capitol 

University, in Cagayan de Oro City. The study was anchored on the Transformational Model of Rapatan 

(1999), which used the Cognitive Approach. Specifically, it attempted to answer the following questions: 

 

1. What are the levels of writing skills of the students in the traditional face-to-face tutorials and CD-ROM 

tutorials during the pretest and posttest periods, considering the following writing components, to wit: 

 

1.1 relevance and adequacy of content 

1.2 compositional organization and cohesion 

1.3 referential adequacy (vocabulary) 

1.4 grammatical accuracy 

1.5 mechanical accuracy 

mailto:geldolin_inte@yahoo.com


AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) 2013 – Special Issue – AsiaCALL2012 Proceedings, Evelyn K. Montecalvo & Geldolin L. Inte 

 

2. How do the students in the two groups differ in the following: 

 

2.1 Means of the pretest scores of the control and the experimental groups 

2.2 Means of the pretest and posttest scores of the control group 

2.3 Means of the pretest and posttest scores of the experimental group 

2.4 Means of the posttest scores of the control and experimental groups 

 

Hypotheses 

Based on problem number 2, it is hypothesized that: 

 

HO1  There is no significant difference between the means of the pretest scores of the control group and the 

experimental group. 

 

HO2 There is no significant difference between the means of the pretest scores and posttest scores of the 

control group. 

 

HO3 There is significant difference between the means of the pretest scores and posttest scores of the 

experimental group. 

 

HO4 There is significant difference between the means of posttest scores of the control and experimental 

groups in the areas of content, organization and grammar. 

 

Methodology 

This research made use of the Non-equivalent Control Group Design, specifically, the Untreated Control 

Group Design with pretest and posttest. The design was quasi-experimental, where it involved sixty college 

freshman students who were enrolled in English 2A (Writing in the Discipline) in Capitol University. The 

study underwent three stages: the pre-experimental, experimental and post experimental stages. The pre-

experimental stage involved the development of the CD-ROM Module, which was evaluated by English 

professors of the University and experts of the field. Another activity was the administration of the 

standardized pretest in writing to both the control and experimental groups to find out if they have equal initial 

performance. During the experimental stage, each group of students was exposed to different modes of tutorial 

delivery to improve their writing skills. The control group was given tutorial lessons through the traditional 

face-to-face method in the University Writing Laboratory for a total of fifteen hours using appropriate 

reference materials. The experimental group, on the other hand, was tutored through e-learning mode of 

tutorial delivery for a total of fifteen hours in the CISCO Laboratory using the CD-ROM Module. Said 

module served as the experimental treatment of the study. Finally, during the post-experimental stage, the 

researcher administered a posttest, which used the same standardized writing test to find out if there was an 

improvement in the writing skills of the students. The interval between the pretest and the posttest was forty-

five school days. The diagram below illustrated the flow of the study: 

 

 

 

 

 



AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) 2013 – Special Issue – AsiaCALL2012 Proceedings, Evelyn K. Montecalvo & Geldolin L. Inte 

 Pre-experimental     Experimental  Post experimental 

      Stage           Stage           Stage 

 

 

   

            Control 

             Group 

 

 CD-ROM      Pretest            Post test 

   Module     (Writing           (Writing 

 Development   Skills Test)          Skills Test) 

 

 

         Experimental 

             Group 

 

 

 

               Experimental Treatment 

  

 

 

The diagram shows the operational framework of the study. 

 

In the analysis of data, simple percentages, weighted mean averages and t-test were used as statistical tools. 

Specifically, t-test for independent groups was used to determine the difference between the means of the 

pretest and the posttest of the two groups, while t-test for correlated matched groups was used to test the 

difference of the means of the pretest and the posttest between the control and experimental groups. 

 

A standardized achievement test adapted from the book, Communicative Language Testing by Cyril J. Weir 

(1999) was used. The five writing skills components included in the study were content, organization, 

vocabulary, grammar and mechanics. Moreover, the students had to write an essay which was assessed 

according to the relevance and adequacy of content, organization and cohesion, referential adequacy, 

grammatical accuracy, and mechanical accuracy. The criteria were based on English as a Second Language 

(ESL) Composition Profile. The table below showed the composition scoring profile: 

 

 

Writing Skill 

Component 

Mean 

Score 

Level Criteria Comments 

Relevance 

and 

Adequacy of 

Content 

20-17 

 

 

 

16.99-

Excellent 

 

 

 

Very 

Very knowledgeable; substantive; and excellent 

development of thesis. Very relevant to assigned 

topic 

 

Knowledgeable; substantive; thorough development 

 



AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) 2013 – Special Issue – AsiaCALL2012 Proceedings, Evelyn K. Montecalvo & Geldolin L. Inte 

13 

 

12.99-9 

 

 

 

good 

 

Good 

 

 

 

of thesis; relevant to assigned topic 

 

Some knowledge of subject; adequate range; limited 

development of thesis; mostly relevant to topic but 

lacks detail 

 

Writing Skill 

Component 

Mean 

Score 

Level Criteria Comments 

 8.99-5 

 

 

4.99-1 

Poor 

 

 

Very 

Poor 

Limited knowledge of subject; little substance; 

inadequate development of topic 

 

Does not show knowledge of subject; non-

substantive ; irrelevant and inadequate; not enough 

to evaluate 

 

 

Organization 

and Cohesion 

20-17 

 

 

 

 

16.99-

13 

 

12.99-9 

 

 

 

8.99-5 

 

 

4.99-1 

Excellent 

 

 

 

 

Very 

good 

 

Good 

 

 

 

Poor 

 

 

Very 

Poor 

Very fluent expression, ideas so appropriately and 

clearly stated and supported; very succinct, 

effectively organized, very logical sequencing, very 

cohesive 

 

Fluent expression, ideas clearly stated, well-

organized; logical sequencing; cohesive 

 

Somewhat choppy, loosely organized but main ideas 

stand out, limited support; logical but incomplete 

sequencing 

 

Non-fluent, ideas confused or disconnected, lacks 

logical sequencing and development 

 

Does not communicate, no organization or not 

enough to evaluate 

 

 

Referential 

Adequacy 

20-17 

 

 

16.99-

13 

 

12.99-9 

 

 

8.99-5 

 

Excellent 

 

 

Very 

good 

 

Good 

 

 

Poor 

 

Very sophisticated range of vocabulary. Has a 

thorough mastery of appropriate and concise English 

 

Very adequate range, effective word/idiom choice 

and usage, word from mastery, appropriate register 

 

Just adequate range, occasional errors of word/ 

idiom choice and usage, but meaning not obscured 

 

Limited range, frequent errors of word/idiom form, 

choice, usage, meaning confused or obscured 

 



AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) 2013 – Special Issue – AsiaCALL2012 Proceedings, Evelyn K. Montecalvo & Geldolin L. Inte 

 

4.99-1 

 

Very 

Poor 

 

Essentially a translation, little knowledge of English 

vocabulary, idiom word and form, or not enough to 

evaluate 

 

Grammatical 

Accuracy 

25-21 

 

 

 

 

20.99-

16 

Excellent 

 

 

 

 

Very 

good 

Very effective complex constructions; no errors of 

agreement, tense, number, word order, function/ 

articles, pronouns, prepositions; conveys bilingual 

competence 

 

Effective simple constructions, few errors of 

agreement, tense, number, word order, functions,  

 

Writing Skill 

Component 

Mean 

Score 

Level Criteria Comments 

  

 

15.99-

11 

 

 

 

10.99-6 

 

 

 

 

5.99-1 

 

 

Good 

 

 

 

 

Poor 

 

 

 

 

Very 

Poor 

article, pronouns, prepositions 

 

Simple constructions; several errors of agreement in 

tense, number, word order/function, articles, 

pronouns, prepositions but meaning seldom 

obscured 

 

Major problems in simple/complex construction, 

agreement, tense, number, word/order/function, 

articles, pronouns, prepositions and/or fragments, 

run-ons deletions, meaning confused or obscured 

 

Virtually no mastery of sentence construction rules, 

dominated by errors, does not communicate, or not 

enough to evaluate 

 

 



AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) 2013 – Special Issue – AsiaCALL2012 Proceedings, Evelyn K. Montecalvo & Geldolin L. Inte 

Mechanical 

Accuracy 

15 – 13 

 

 

12.99-

10 

 

9.99-7 

 

 

 

6.99-4 

 

 

 

3.99-1 

Excellent 

 

 

Very 

good 

 

Good 

 

 

 

Poor 

 

 

 

Very 

Poor 

Demonstrates effective mastery of convention; no 

error in spelling, punctuation, capitalization 

 

Mastery of convention, very few errors of spelling, 

punctuation, capitalization, paraphrasing 

 

Occasional errors of spelling, punctuation, 

capitalization, paraphrasing but meaning not 

obscured 

 

Frequent errors of spelling, punctuation, 

capitalization, paraphrasing, poor handwriting, 

meaning confused or obscured 

 

No mastery of conventions, dominated by errors of 

spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paraphrasing, 

handwriting illegible, or not enough to evaluate 

 

 

 

Summary of Findings 

1.1 On the Levels of Writing Skills of the Control Group During the Pretest 

The pretest mean scores of the students in the control group (traditional face-to-face tutorial) described them 

to be “poor” in the areas of content, organization, vocabulary and grammar; and “good” in mechanics. On the 

whole, the control group was described to be “poor” in their writing skills. 

 

1.2 On the Levels of Writing Skills of the Experimental Group During the Pretest 

The pretest mean scores of the students in the experimental group (CD-ROM Mode of tutorial) described 

them to be “poor” in the areas of content, organization and grammar; and “good” in vocabulary and 

mechanics. On the whole, the experimental group was described to be “poor” in their writing skills. 

 

1.3 On the Levels of Writing Skills of the Control group During the Posttest 

The posttest mean scores of the students in the control group described them to be “very good” in the areas of 

content, organization, vocabulary and grammar; and “excellent” in mechanics. 

 

1.4 On the Levels of Writing Skills of the Experimental Group During the Posttest 

The posttest mean scores of the experimental group described them to be “very good” in grammar and 

“excellent” in content, organization, vocabulary and mechanics. 

 

2.1 On the Significant Difference Between the Pretest Means of the Control and experimental Groups 

When the means of the pretest scores in the areas of content, organization, vocabulary, and mechanics of the 

two groups were  compared, the difference was “not significant”; but when the means of  the two 

groups in the area of grammar was compared, the difference was significant”. On the whole, there was “no 

significant difference” between the means of the pretest scores of the control and the experimental groups. 

 



AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) 2013 – Special Issue – AsiaCALL2012 Proceedings, Evelyn K. Montecalvo & Geldolin L. Inte 

2.2 On the Difference Between the Means of the Pretest and Posttest of The Control Group 

When the means of the pretest and posttest scores in the five writing skill areas of the control group were 

compared, the difference was “significant”. 

 

2.3 On the Difference between the Means of the Pretest and Posttest Scores of the Experimental Group 

When the means of the pretest and posttest scores in the five Writing skill components of the experimental 

group were compared, the difference was significant.” 

 

2.4 On the Difference Between the Posttest means of the Control and Experimental Groups 

When the means of the posttest scores in the areas of vocabulary and Mechanics of the two groups were 

compared; the difference was “not significant”; but when the means of the two groups in the areas of content, 

organization and grammar were compared, the difference was “significant”. 

 

On the Effect of the CD-ROM Module on the Students’ Writing Skills 

The CD-ROM Module was instrumental in the improvement of the students’ writing skills, most specifically 

in the areas of content, organization and grammar. 

 

Conclusion 

1. The online CD-ROM Module is a good alternative mode of delivering English writing tutorial lessons to 

students for it helps in the improvement of students’ writing skills, considering the five writing 

components, most specifically in the areas of content, organization and grammar. 

 

2. The students in the control group have improved their writing skills from poor in the areas of content, 

organization, vocabulary and grammar to very good level; and from a good level in mechanics to 

excellent level, after they were exposed to the traditional face-to-face mode of tutorials. 

 

3. The students in the experimental group have improved in their writing skills from poor level in grammar 

to a very good level, and from a poor level in content and organization to excellent level, and from good 

level in vocabulary and mechanics to excellent level after they were exposed to the online CD-ROM mode 

of tutorial. 

 

4. The online CD-ROM mode of tutorial using the module developed by the researcher yielded better results 

in terms of writing skills achievement than the traditional face-to-face mode of tutorials using any 

appropriate reference materials, based on the posttest mean scores of the students in the five writing skill 

components. 

 

Recommendations 

1. Since the findings show the effectiveness of the use of the e-learning CD-ROM Module for the 

improvement of students’ writing skills, it is recommended that it be used by the Writing Laboratory staff 

of Capitol University as remedial lessons to students who need assistance in the improvement of their 

writing skills. 

 

2. The Capitol University Administration should provide more computers with CD-ROM in the Writing 

Laboratory to give opportunity to students to access the module and learn writing skills concepts. 

 

3. Students should be exposed to the use of technologies such as software, courseware and word processors 

focusing on writing skills development. 



AsiaCall Online Journal (ISSN 1936-9859) 2013 – Special Issue – AsiaCALL2012 Proceedings, Evelyn K. Montecalvo & Geldolin L. Inte 

 

4. Professors should serve as role models on the use of technology in instruction to encourage and motivate 

students to do the same. 

 

5. Professors should be trained on how to design and develop self-instructional materials like CD-ROM 

modules that consider the needs of the students, as well as the culture of the community. 

 

6. English professors should design and develop more CD-ROM modules, not only on writing skills but also 

on the other basic areas of communication skills such as listening, speaking and reading as well as study 

skills. 

 

7. Considering that there is also a significant increase in writing skills of students who were exposed to the 

traditional face-to-face method of tutorials, staffs and tutors of Capitol University Writing Laboratory may 

use a judicious blend of the CD-ROM mode of tutorial and face-to-face tutorial delivery when necessary. 

 

8. Other researchers can look into another empirical research focusing on pure online writing tutorials. 

 

9. Researchers of other disciplines using online mode of tutorial delivery can also conduct similar studies. 

 

 

 

References 

Campbell, G. (1990). Contemporary Issues in American Distance Education. New York: Pergamon Press. 

Carague, O. M. (1998). Reinventing of Education through Information Technology. Quezon City, Philippines: 

Katha Publishing Co., Inc. 

Davie, L. (1989). Facilitation Techniques for the Online Tutor. Midweave Communication, Computers and 

Distance Education. New York: Pergamon Press. 

Foster, R. M. (1999). Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass 

Publishers. 

Gauntlett, D. (1996). Video Critical. Luton: University of Luton Press. 

Khanser, M. A. (2002). E-Class: A Journey into the World of Virtual Learning. Davao City, Philippines: 

Khanser Publishing House. 

Lane, J. et. al. (2002). Writing Clearly, 2
nd

 ed. USA: Heinle and Heinle Publishers. 

Rapatan, M. (1999). The State of Selected Philippine Graduate School Research on the Use of Educational 

Multimedia in Various Content Areas. New Technologies, Old Pedagogues. Asia-Pacific Education 

Research. 

Weir, C. J. (1990). Communicative Language Testing. New York: Prentice Hall. 

____________. English as a Second Language Composition Profile 

 


