







































English Language Teaching Educational Journal   ISSN 2621-6485 

Vol. 3, No. 3, 2020, pp. 241-253  241 

       10.12928/eltej.v3i3.2402                       http://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/eltej/index                  eltej@pbi.uad.ac.id 

Edmodo use in ESP writing: The perceptions and barriers of 

Sociology students 

Fu’ad Sholikhi  

Universitas Islam Balitar, Jl. Majapahit No.2- 4, Sananwetan, Kec. Sananwetan, Kota Blitar, Jawa Timur 66137, Indonesia 

fuad.sholiki@gmail.com  

 

1. Introduction 

The world of computing is here. Technology plays an essential role in business relations, movies, 
education, and so on. It means that technology in language learning (English learning) is a common 
this day. Technology makes the language easier and simpler (Ahmadi, 2018). Technology-integrated 
classroom systems have turn out to be famous for language learning in current years. Blended 
learning, virtual classroom, and system for learning management are the real applications of 
technology in language learning. Those examples are very useful for the lecturer because those 
things strengthen the learner's engagement and facilitate the instructor’s role in a classroom. The 
benefit of technology for Language Learning is interactive language learning. Technology provides 
language learners with a great number of possibilities and it facilitates language learning to the 
students (Ahmadi, 2018). Information and communication technology (ICT) is commonly used in 
education for successful learning around the globe (Balta & Duran, 2015). Technology is key to 
language learning, so technology allows students to interact with their language courses. Using 
technology makes the student of the university more comfortable and less embarrassed to make 
mistakes.  

In this particular study, the researcher uses Edmodo as blended learning concerning writing at 
Islamic University of Balitar (UNISBA), Blitar. It means that classroom teaching and online training 
are complementary to each other. In this model, The instructor would be able to concentrate on class 

A R T I C L E  I N F O 

 

ABST RACT  

 

 

Article history 

Received  29 June 2020 

Revised 05 September 2020 

Accepted 14 December 2020 

 The teachers are expected to integrate technology into the classroom 
because today is the world of a computer. Edmodo is one of the 
educational websites that can facilitate the specific needs of Sociology 
students in writing. This research aimed to investigate the second-
semester Sociology students perceive the use of Edmodo as a medium in 
writing descriptive text and how Edmodo helps the students in 
developing their writing skills. Qualitative research was used by 
researchers through documentation, observation, and interviews with 
twelve Sociology students as participants at Islamic University of 
Balitar. This study took eight months to complete the analysis which 
included data reduction, display of the data, and analysis of Sociology 
students’ data. The result showed that Edmodo was helpful in ESP class 
(writing class) because Edmodo enhanced Sociology students’ writing, 
developed interaction, communication, and it promoted Sociology 
students’ creativity in solving the writing task. The analysis of the result 
suggested that further researchers research motivation or behavior 
stages because this research only focused on the perception stage. 
Further researchers also suggested that further researchers revise the 
research instruments.  

 

 

This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license. 

    

 

 

Keywords 

blended learning 

Edmodo 

students’ barriers 

students’ perceptions  

writing task 

 

 

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weaknesses rather than simply reciting language rules to the students. In Academic Writing, Writing 
is widely considered as the most challenging skill for students to acquire because students have to 
follow specific guidance from the teacher and the teacher has limited time to give feedback ( Al-
Naibi, Al-Jabari, & Al-Kalbani, 2018). The research shows that there are positive impacts of 
blended learning in language teaching (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2019). Learning media has a role as a 
platform that supports the learning process that teachers can access and use. Digital media is the 
media used by educational institutions to aid students with their learning processes (Tamrin & Basri, 
2020). Learning media has interactive elements that can enhance students' interest in learning and 
playing, as well as real-world projecting, which involves interaction (Elmunsyah et al., 2019). 
Edmodo is a student learning application, which requires the internet as the requirements to achieve 
results (Handayani et al., 2020).  

The Sociology students at UNISBA are less enthusiastic to write. The reason why they want to 
write is only due to classroom-bound activities at UNISBA. And it seems like they do not pay 
attention that they have to socialize their knowledge in verbal and non-verbal communication to the 
society after they have graduated from University. Sari & Aini (2019, p. 1) states that English is to 
communicate effectively and it is necessary for social studies. Sociology students at UNISBA are 
meant to study social relationships. They have to socialize more than another study program because 
Sociology is their DNA. It means that Sociology students are trained to think critically about human 
social life, so they must have interaction with the community to apply their knowledge.  In terms of 
interaction, Sociology students have to master both verbal and non-verbal language to communicate 
clearly, and effectively. Therefore, the lecturer is looking for possible assistance to make Sociology 
students at UNISBA fall in love with writing.  

Edmodo is believed by the researcher to be a problem-solving in this study. Edmodo is important 
for education and teaching (Arifin & Ekayati, 2019, p. 16). Also, few studies show that Edmodo is 
effective blended learning in writing for Sociology students at UNISBA. Edmodo is one of the 
supportive learning delivery methods in writing classes (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2019), and  Edmodo 
facilitates students’ engagement (Purnawarman et al., 2016).  Furthermore, the expectations of 
Sociology students are critical in English language learning, especially in writing because it will 
show their behavior in the classroom. Sociology Students will interpret language learning 
experience differently and the teaching process in schools is a meaningful learning factor. Simply 
put, students perform well when they have a good view of the learning environment in class. 
Sociology student impressions are essential because the experience of the students has a major effect 
on comprehension (Aji, 2017; Al-Kathiri, 2014; Al-Said, 2015).  

Students have different views because they can organize the received information and the phase 
of perception is called as perceptual phase (Altman et al., 2013). Altman et al., (2013) believes that 
students will look and experience the same process differently and the perceptual phase begins with 
a stimulus followed by the selection of stimulus and perception and ends with behavioral responses. 
Altman et al., (2013) states that there is the difference between English learning (writing) and what 
students perceive they need to be successful in English learning as a second language (writing). 
During the teaching and learning process, a teacher needs to know the feelings of the participants to 
assess at the end of the learning (Handayani et al., 2020). Mu’in & Amelia (2018) emphasize that it 
is important to know how education is effective and what kind of teaching methods and techniques 
the teacher uses to facilitate students’ comprehension. 

Some researchers have conducted several studies that explored the students' perceptions of 
Edmodo. Al-Kathiri (2014) investigated the effect of Edmodo in a public school in Riyadh (Saudi 
EFL female students). The participants were twenty-one students in the experimental group and 
twenty-one students in the control group. The focus was on daily English teaching in a public school 
in Riyadh. And the result indicated that there were positive attitudes in the language learning 
classroom (EFL Students) and Edmodo generated more positive attitudes towards English learning. 
The study showed that the application was very helpful in terms of mastering new vocabulary 
(100%), sharing with peers (95%), grammar (85%), spelling (85%), reading (85.7%), and listening 
(76%).  

The second researcher is Al-Said (2015) who researched the undergraduate students' perceptions 
and barriers towards Edmodo by applying. This study adopted the empirical approach with thirty-
two participants involved. Descriptive statistical analysis was also used by the researcher in this 



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study to elaborate on three fields of perceptions scale (Academic Achievement, Mobile 
Communication and Interaction, and Information Access) and barriers scale. Based on three fields of 
perceptions scale and barriers scale in this study, it can be concluded that Edmodo facilitated 
undergraduate students in communication (51.9%), most students disagree that Edmodo does not 
generate an effective learning environment (55.6%), undergraduate students have no difficulties in 
small screen size (67.4%), and they do not feel bored about Edmodo as English course application 
(65%).  

The third researcher is Purnawarman et al., (2016) who researched senior high school students’ 
perception towards the use of Edmodo and used a qualitative research approach with a case study 
design. Seventeen participants (private senior high school students in Cimahi) were involved in this 
study and four instruments were used to collect the data which included observation, document 
analysis, focus group interviews with semi-structured design, and open-ended questionnaire. The 
result showed that Edmodo has made it easier for students to download the material with the Library 
menu, Edmodo encouraged simple contact with its teachers and classmates, Edmodo has given them 
limitless learning time and space. Moreover, the difficulties were also identified when Edmodo was 
being applied in this study such as bandwidth, confusion in using Edmodo, and incompatibility of 
smartphone applications. Aji (2017) demonstrated the application of blended learning in listening 
with twenty-eight students involved in this study. Data collected through the interview (pre- and 
post-class and laboratory activities), Observation, and Questionnaires (sending questionnaires to the 
students). The result showed that Edmodo was able to make the students more active in listening and 
the results also indicated that it provided lecturer teaching listening time productively. 

Then, Al-naibi, AL-Jabari, & Al-Kalbani (2018) stated that Edmodo was a solution to paragraph 
writing. This study utilized class action research with twenty-five EFL students (ten male students 
and fifteen female students) involved. Data collected through planning, action, observation, and 
analyzing with three lesson plans to meet the objective of the study (well-written paragraph), two 
descriptive writing tasks (My University and My Mobile Phone), and sending questionnaires to the 
students to know students’ perceptions and barriers towards using Edmodo. The result showed that 
Edmodo could solve the problem of paragraph writing and the students had very positive 
perceptions towards using Edmodo (the students had user-friendly GUI and friendly in the 
communication). And the last, Nguyen & Nguyen (2019) reports students’ perceptions about 
Edmodo use in writing class with ten Tourism students of Vietnamese University involved in this 
study (age ranges from 19 to 20). This study only focused on semi-structured interview data from 
ESP class and data collected through identifying themes, managing, and analyzing the data. The 
result indicated that Edmodo was appropriate, relevant, feasible, and organized in leaning writing. 
Edmodo was able to change students’ attitudes to maximize their writing.  

Reflecting on the previous elaboration, integrating Edmodo as a supporting tool is beneficial and 
can be used by present-day Sociology students quite easily. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to 
find out about students’ perceptions and barriers in using online media for English learning for 
Sociology students at Balitar Islamic University. The researcher believes that students’ perceptions 
and barriers are related to students’ achievements. To be more precise, this research aimed at the 
answers to questions below: 

1. What is the Sociology students’ perception on the use of Edmodo in writing the descriptive 
text? 

2. What are the Sociology students’ barriers to the use of Edmodo in writing the descriptive 
text? 

3. How does Edmodo help Sociology students in developing their writing skills? 

2. Research Method 

This study used a descriptive qualitative method to explain Sociology students’ perceptions and 
barriers as well as the activities applied in writing class (descriptive text in ESP). Qualitative data 
was in the description and it was a human instrument (Sugiyono, 2008). This particular approach 
was to make a description of a certain procedure in writing class. This study was similar to Nguyen 
& Nguyen's (2019) study, their focus was on interview data that investigated how Tourism students 
interpreted the impact of using Edmodo in their writing learning process. Language barriers mean 



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problems and solutions in using Edmodo in writing class (Daelani, 2018). And there were eighteen 
students in the class, but only twelve students were the participants of this study. The instruments in 
this study followed the Sugiyono’s (2008) perspective about qualitative research and utilized 
methodology triangulation. The instruments about Sociology students’ perceptions and barriers in 
using Edmodo were questionnaires, observation, and interview questions. Creating a research 
concept, creating a research process, and modifying the interview question was done by the 
researcher during the preparation of research. After all planning for the research was measured, the 
writer proceeded to obtain the permission letter from the Balitar Islamic University.  

The schedule in this research was in line with Daelani (2018), which included interviewing the 
lecturers, sending the questionnaire, and conducting the observation. The researcher utilized 
Apriliani’s (2015) procedure in the interview (closed-end and open-ended) and the observation, and 
the questionnaires were adopted and modified from Al-Kathiri's (2014), Al-Said's (2015), 
Apriliani’s (2015), and Nguyen & Nguyen's (2019) studies. This study utilized Sugiyono’s (2008) 
perspective in the technique of analyzing Sociology students’ data and it was in line with Daelani’s 
(2018) study. Therefore, the researcher collected all writing documents (descriptive text), collected 
all instruments data from ESP class (writing), minimized interviews and observations data for in-
depth research, summarized the data and described Edmodo's implementation in writing class, and 
made the initial conclusion in using Edmodo.  

3. Findings and Discussion 

Regarding the discussion in this study, it is important to see what the questions are delivered to 
the Sociology students at UNISBA. The different reasons and the opinions derived from interview 
data make this study interesting. This discussion shows Sociology students’ feelings during 
language learning.  

3.1. Insight into Sociology Students’ Perceptions and Barriers at UNISBA about Edmodo  

Twelve Sociology Students in this study have been reported to have positive impacts on the 
implementation. The implementation is to practice online writing in English for Sociology students. 
The questions and its categories in this study are adopted and modified from Al-Kathiri's (2014), Al-
Said's (2015), Apriliani’s (2015) and Nguyen & Nguyen's (2019) studies about Edmodo as blended 
learning in ESP class. The modification is to accommodate Sociology students’ needs as the subject 
of this study. The detailed information is as follows.  

Table 1.  Sociology Students’ Perceptions and Barriers in Using Edmodo 

No.  The Categories of Questions  The Categories Sociology Students’ Responses 
1 Academic achievement Useful, Students’ score increase  

2 Topics for Sociology Students Motivating, relevant 
3 Design Well-designed, user friendly  

4 Information access Easier to access, less effort to get information 

5 Motivation Feeling confident 

6 Language learning challenges Technical difficulties 

 

 Table 1 indicates the categories of questionaries to answer research problems in this study. 
And it is obvious that this study (the questionnaires) tends to elaborate descriptive text in ESP 
classroom and another study (the questionnaires) tends to elaborate paragraph writing in EFL 
classroom (Al-Naibi, Al-Jabari & Al-Kalbani, 2018). 

 

3.2. Sociology Students’ Perception of Academic Achievement 

This category is about how Edmodo facilitated learning the Balitar Islamic University course and 
how Edmodo generates an effective learning environment. The extracts from the interview data are 
as follows.  



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Table 2.  Students’ Answers of Academic Achievement Categories 

No 
Students’ Name 

(initials) 
Students’ Answer towards the Questions 

1 ES I think Edmodo is helpful. Edmodo helps me to think logically based on 
Lecturer’s instruction. Then, my score in writing increase. 

2 AY I can have immediate feedback from my writing without having go to the class. 

3 AK I think Edmodo is helpful because group discussion is my solution. 

4 RH I like Edmodo. It is handy application and effective. Lecturer and Edmodo leads 
me to think critically 

5 HKAS Edmodo facilitates me in writing without go to classroom. I can do my writing 

task in my bed. However, I do not like to have full online class because I also need 

to see my friend and lecturer face to face.” 
6 SM I am confused about the topic. So, I ask my lecturer about the clarity and ask 

about what should I do next 

7 FY My friends always give me suggestion, especially in my writing 

8 WT My lecturer explains about all features in Edmodo, especially about writing task 
and adds on 

 

From the interview data above, there are positive feedbacks when Sociology students using 
Edmodo in writing class. Edmodo is useful in language learning because the features in Edmodo 
helped the Sociology students to do more. Some previous studies agree that Edmodo enhances 
Sociology students’ ability in writing ( Al-Naibi, Al-Jabari, & Al-Kalbani, 2018; Wahyuni et al., 
2020; Yusuf et al., 2018).  

This application of online writing fits the situation in which it could accommodate the Sociology 
program study in ESP. Nguyen & Nguyen’s (2019) study agree that Edmodo is applicable in ESP 
class (Tourism class), in a study program other than ESP (Aji, 2017; Al-Said, 2015), in senior high 
school students (Purnawarman et al., 2016), and EFL students (Al-Kathiri, 2014;  Al-Naibi, Al-
Jabari, & Al-Kalbani, 2018). Furthermore, Sociology students’ writing task is discussing social 
problems in Blitar and they have a handy application to write and submit their task instantly because 
it was accessible in mobile phones and laptops. Because of its handy operation, it makes Sociology 
student appreciate more historical events in Blitar and eliminate the boredom and lack of interest in 
writing. Positive responses means better learning outcomes (Sobur, 2003). Student performance 
before the intervention is poor, but there is high awareness of writing process after the intervention ( 
Al-Naibi, Al-Jabari, & Al-Kalbani, 2018). And it can be concluded that learning English is 
important for Sociology students’ carrier, and positive responses (in using Edmodo) help them to 
learn English writing. Student mental image influences their understanding (Altman et al., 2013, p. 
90).  

In Edmodo, there is a feature of locking an assignment and a quiz. When the lecturer activates it, 
the Sociology student will learn to organize a time and place for learning. It will also make the 
student learn logically and critically because there is a time limit in an assignment. Edmodo can send 
quizzes and assignments to an individual student or the entire class (Al-Kathiri, 2014). The teacher 
helps his students in using Edmodo, Edmodo helps students in language learning, and Edmodo is a 
handy application are categorized as the implementation of Edmodo in the descriptive text 
(Apriliani, 2015). Edmodo help Sociology students (student number 2, 3, 4, and 8) in developing 
their writing skills (descriptive text) variously. Edmodo helps students to write well and to form 
well-structured sentences ( Al-Naibi, Al-Jabari, & Al-Kalbani, 2018). Edmodo is a communication 
tool and conveys all descriptive text information with ease (Apriliani, 2015). Edmodo is to support 
students’ independent learning and it provides the organization of explanations in report text (Puspa 
et al., 2018).  

Based on the table above, student number six is identified to have support or guidance from the 
teacher. In this study, Edmodo facilitates the students to communicate with ESP lecturer easily by 
utilizing the comment feature, inbox feature, connection across multiple devices, scheduled posts, 
and group discussion. Moreover, Edmodo can make group discussions. It means Sociology students 
can be separated into several small groups. It allows shy students to develop their writing skills 



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through a forum in Edmodo. Shy students will feel more comfortable communicating online (Al-
Kathiri, 2014). In Edmodo, there will be peer correction trough forum and the discussion inside the 
forum give the student comments and suggestion for better English writing (Yusuf et al., 2018). 
Delivering material, delivering exercise, and delivering guidance are the implementation o Edmodo 
in writing class (Daelani, 2018).  

 

3.3. Sociology Students’ Perception of Topics in ESP class (Sociology Class) 

This category refers to Nguyen & Nguyen's  (2019) perspective about ESP class. it means that it 
is a relevant online task to Sociology students at UNISBA. All Sociology students revealed that they 
learned the most recent lessons in Blitar. The extracts from the interview data are as follows. 

 
Table 3.  Students’ answers of topic categories 

No 
Students’ Name 

(initials) 
Students’ Answer towards the Questions 

1 RMH the topics are related to my previous job. And it is fun to express it and share it 

with my friends. 

2 WT the topics is relevant to my program study at UNISBA. And it encourages me to 
learn new vocabulary base on the topic. 

 

The application is relevant for Sociology students at UNISBA. It means that they are learning 
about society 5.0 and revolution industrial 4.0 and Edmodo fits the current situation. Edmodo 
teaches them to use technology in English writing in ESP class. They feel like as part of technology 
advances by using audiovisual in language learning. Moreover, this application affects their 
Sociology students’ creativity. In terms of creativity, using technology or Edmodo in ESP class in 
this study will make the student a unique solution to a problem based on their task. Edmodo is a 
complementary learning (Arifin & Ekayati, 2019, p. 5).  

English writing in Sociology classrooms is different from general English because the materials 
have to relevant to the Sociology program study (Fortanet-gomez & Raisanen, 2008). Students in 
sociology have to closely incorporate what they learn with their studies in the ESP classroom. 
Nguyen & Nguyen’s (2019) study state that there must be relevant online tasks in language learning 
because Edmodo is only a supplementary tool in teaching. Moreover, Sociology students are trained 
to understand a topic. It means that they are trained to highlight a topic sentence and supporting 
detail for a written paragraph in descriptive text. Edmodo allows students and teachers to correct a 
topic (a draft) (Al-Naibi, Al-Jabari, & Al-Kalbani, 2018).  

 

3.4. Sociology Students’ Perception of Design 

Edmodo is utilized by the researcher as blended learning in this study and this category refers to 
a familiar interface.  The familiar interface means following 21th-century online learning layout to 
accommodate teachers’ and students’ experience in language learning. The following are students’ 
perspectives about its design.   

 
Table 4.  Students’ Answers of Design Categories 

No 
Students’ Name 

(initials) 
Students’ Answer towards the Questions 

1 SM Edmodo is like Facebook. I am familiar with Facebook, so it is easy for me to use it. 

2 DO I use Edmodo in mobile apps more often than in my laptop. You know, the menu is 
simple and well-organized. I can search something that I want in Edmodo. I just 

type it, then the results consist of all post, people and so on. It is very helpful.” 

 

Edmodo is an organized application Facebook-style interface. Twelve students in this study say 
that they can look for English writing information clearly because this application has a 
chronological post like Facebook. Edmodo is one of the applications that has scheduled posts or 



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organized designs (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2019). They can look for the information based on the 
writing topics inside. Not only the topics but also students’ comments and lecturers’ comments on a 
certain topic are easy to find by the member of the writing class. Edmodo is a user-friendly 
classroom management system and it is motivating for students (Etfita, 2019). Second-semester 
Sociology students do not find any difficulties in navigation. Edmodo is not all that hard to get 
started with because the application provides offering learning aids. Edmodo has familiar features 
with many social network applications (Wahyuni et al., 2020). 

 

3.5. Sociology Students’ Perception of Information Access 

This category refers to a streamlined application. It means that teachers or Sociology students can 
manage writing class (join, archive, copy), can manage scheduled posts, and can easily access the 
material about writing. Concerning Information access, ten students of twelve Sociology students 
thought that Edmodo is an easy access application. The following extracts below illustrated 
Sociology students’ views.  

 
Table 5.  Students’ Answers of Information Access Categories 

No 
Students’ Name 

(initials) 
Students’ Answer towards the Questions 

1 ES it is effortless while using Edmodo mobile app because I can go to cafeteria and in 

the same time, I can review my task.” 
2 HKAS I use Edmodo to help my writing. It saves me a lot of time. I can get writing 

material quickly. It feels like the technology serve me. And I can focus more on 

drafting.” 

3 RN The information in Edmodo is easier to access. I prefer reading in Edmodo than 
reading in traditional way because I have to adapt the current technology. I believe 

technology will help me a lot in learning.” 

 

Based on the statements above, easier information and easier access mean a lot to Sociology 
Students at UNISBA. Easier access helps the students to get and to review the material with ease. 
So, the students can focus more on the content in writing class. Al-Said (2015) says that easier 
access increases the effectiveness of learning. Students can access class material and assignments 
easily (Al-Kathiri, 2014). Sociology students are learning different in the way now than they used to 
because of the advancement of technology and Edmodo provides easy access to achieve the lesson 
objectives. Insani et al., (2018) categorize downloading material with ease, asking a question via 
Edmodo as a student’s experience of using Edmodo. And students’ experience leads to a better 
understanding (Altman et al., 2013).  

Edmodo is a great tool for distance learning and e-learning. Teachers can deliver quality content 
over the web at a low cost. Edmodo reduces the cost of photocopying and designing a poster for 
language learning (Al-Kathiri, 2014). Edmodo reducing learning cost ( Al-Naibi, Al-Jabari, & Al-
Kalbani, 2018). Many studies say that Edmodo is one of the multi-platform applications (Al-Kathiri, 
2014; Al-Said, 2015; Apriliani, 2015; Daelani, 2018; Wahyuni et al., 2020). Sociology students can 
access it via a web browser, IOS, or Android devices. It is not a flawless cross-platform experience 
but English Second Language students or English First Language students can use tablet app or web 
access on a tablet.  

 

3.6. Sociology Students’ Perception of Motivation 

Edmodo lists motivation as a benefit in language learning. Edmodo was a media to transfer 
knowledge to ESP Students in this study. Based on the interview data, the majority of students 
tended to choose online learning with Edmodo in Sociology class (ESP). It motivated the students to 
learn more about writing.  

 



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Table 6.   Students’ Answers of Motivation Categories 

No 
Students Name 

(initials) 
Students’ Answer towards the Questions 

1 MN For me, I am confident when using Edmodo in writing. It happens because I can 
look for an idea on the internet.” 

2 WT online class using Edmodo makes my writing snappy because discussion and peers 

feedback help my writing a lot.” 

3 SM I do not have hesitation when I express my idea to the lecturer via Edmodo.  The 
lecturer just helps me based on my writing and I just focus on my lecturer’s feedback 

via Edmodo.” 

4 AY my classmates will know my post, and I am confident using Edmodo because it will 

give me time to think a lot before posting something on it.”  
5 MN I am afraid to make mistake in writing. And I am jealous to my friend about his 

writing performance. In Edmodo, I start to involve in group discussion and I start to 

express my idea more often. They do not know my actual face when I express it.” 

 

The data indicate that Edmodo is an application that can make the student confident in writing 
class. The Sociology students interviewed assume that they do not feel threatened in English writing 
while using this application. They are free to voice their opinions in ESP class because it is like 
having a conversation in a chat group with their friends. Besides, they will have a weekly update 
about English writing from the lecturer; It includes the weekly update information and weekly 
tutorial task. Those updates are the topics that they will be discussing it with their friends in a small 
group. The advantage of this small group in Edmodo can make shy students lower their anxieties. 
These findings are in line with Su’adah’s (2015) study about Edmodo. She states that sharing and 
discussion are available features in Edmodo. And most likely, the students use those features in 
language learning. I. F. Sari et al., (2018) support Su’adah’s (2015) perspective that motivation is 
essential for the Sociology students at UNISBA. And feeling comfortable is one of the indicators 
that blended learning is effective media in English language learning. The learning environment 
affects one's attitude to receiving (Sobur, 2003). Motivation and satisfaction are students’ views on 
how to use Edmodo in writing (Apriliani, 2015).  

Second-semester Sociology learners learn better when they are motivated in language learning. 
This happens because there is an interaction between teacher and students and Edmodo facilitate 
their communication through a small group, scheduled post, and quizzes. For example, a small 
group can generate peer feedback. Through group activities, Edmodo supports cooperative learning 
and shy students feel better at communicating online (Al-Kathiri, 2014). The social contribution will 
make students motivated (Adawiyah et al., 2013). 

There are some aspects of Sociology students’ motivation which leads to positive perception in 
blended learning (Edmodo). This happens because Edmodo is considered as social learning. It 
means that Edmodo has a feature to make a virtual group and discussion panel. Titik Nur Hidayati 
(2016) states that Students’ motivations originate from classmates, teachers, and parents. And 
students’ groups can generate motivation (Adawiyah et al., 2013). Adawiyah et al., (2013) states that 
a group can make students motivated in speaking and thinking skills. And teachers have an 
important aspect to stimulate intrinsic motivational growth (Kaylene & Williams, 2011).  

 

3.7. Sociology Students’ Barriers When Using Edmodo 

Concerning language barriers when using Edmodo, twelve students agree that poor internet 
connection makes communication between the students and lecturer difficult. Two students shared 
her view:  

 

 



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Table 7.  Students’ Answers of Language Barriers Categories 

No 
Studentss Name 

(initials) 
Students’ Answer toward the Questions 

1 AK There is a notification about my lecturer post in Edmodo. When I open the 
notification via mobile app, then the application takes for about two minutes to 

respond to it.” 

2 HKAS I have poor connection in my home if I use Edmodo via mobile app. And it is 

different story if I use Edmodo via web page.” 
3 RMH I always ask about my submission. I am afraid that my task is not delivered 

4 DO Sometimes, I forget to preview my task and I just submit it. In the end, I always have 

a lot of corrections. 

 

Besides the positive perception, there are language barriers in this study based on the interview 
data above. Most Sociology students know that they can use a mobile app and a web page 
application to access Edmodo as Blended learning in writing class. Most of the students prefer to use 
a web page application rather than a mobile app because of its better connection (stable internet 
connection). Mostly, they use it to submit a mid-term test and final test of this semester. However, 
all students also have Edmodo in the mobile app even though they have encountered poor internet 
connection while using it. They believe the mobile app is just another supplementary media from a 
web page version. They also believe that there is always a fix of recent bugs in mobile apps via 
recent updates. They use Edmodo via a mobile app to discuss something in group discussion, 
checking inbox, and notification from the lecturer’s post. Al-Khatiri (2014) states in his study that 
47 % students faced poor internet connection and most of his students get frustrated when it 
happened. Lack of internet speed disturbs students’ activities because they cannot connect with 
classmates or teachers (Zain & Kasim, 2018).  

Based on the table above, student number three and number four show some problems in using 
Edmodo. 5W+1H are some problems that may find in learning media (Ahmadi & Uhbiyati, 1991). 
This study is in line with Daelani’s (2018) study that ESP lecturer only faces a problem concerning 
“how”. Daelani (2018) states that registration, submission, error system on Quiz, low signal, the 
content of assignments are common problems found in using Edmodo. Evaluation, checking the 
content, using the internet connection on the campus are some solutions to overcome common 
problems found in using Edmodo (Daelani, 2018).  

Slow Internet connections or limited access can contribute to students falling behind 
academically. However, Edmodo is not a perfect application because Edmodo is only to support 
language learning in ESP class (writing). Edmodo has no intention to replace the face-to-face 
classroom, it is only a supporting tool in language learning (Handayani et al., 2020). Edmodo 
supports students’ learning and it is an effective application for students and teachers in language 
learning (Handayani et al., 2020). Pardede (2019) emphasizes that it provides opportunities for 
teachers to learn and to share ideas anywhere and anytime.  

Based on previous statements, it can be concluded that there are some language barriers in terms 
of technical difficulties but not with financial difficulties. Arifin & Ekayati (2019, p. 7) states that E-
learning (Edmodo) develop Sociology students’ language learning with high flexibility. Sociology 
students can also communicate with their lecturer at any time. So. The lecturer will more focus on 
the material. Meanwhile, the screenshot of Sociology students’ activities is provided by the 
researcher to know how this application works in ESP class. The following are the screenshots. 



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 Fu’ad Sholikhi (Edmodo use in ESP writing) 

 

Fig. 1. Screenshot of Edmodo in Web Page Application 

In Figure 1, it shows the latest activities of the Edmodo in Sociology class. The opening layout is 
very similar to Facebook, so the Sociology students can learn about Edmodo fast. The lecturer and 
the Sociology students can communicate with posts. Even better, the students can give a like and 
comment on them. And this layout design will make the students focus more on the contents rather 
than available pictures inside. Web 2.0 has indeed become one of the necessities in students’ lives 
and social networking is also exploited in various fields such as entertainment and education (Zain 
& Kasim, 2018).  

When the lecturer clicks the “classes” button next to the “home” button in the top-left area, the 
lecturer can start to use class management. Inside, the lecturer can post an announcement, make 
module folders, and make a virtual group (small group). For example, the lecturer can arrange a 
variety of different posts in a “small group” menu, it is very useful to maintain the pace of English 
language learning. On the left screen, Sociology lecturer can see their groups (Etfita, 2019). Edmodo 
has advanced management for language learning and assessment tools, such as small group, group 
settings, managing members, create and join groups, achieve or delete from a group (Etfita, 2019). 

 

 

Fig. 2. Screenshot of Task Submission 



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 Fu’ad Sholikhi (Edmodo use in ESP writing) 

It is interesting to see Figure 2 because the Sociology student can upload a file in Edmodo easily. 
They can also attach the file with a document or a photo. This activity makes student’s writing 
interesting and this “sharing file” feature will remain private, so nobody can see the attachment 
except the lecturer. And based on Figure 2 above, the lecturer can see the previously uploaded file. It 
means that the lecturer can give feedback about the missing task or unsent task. The lecturer also can 
utilize the “comment” or “request resubmission” feature next to that column to make quality 
feedback. Feedback is useful to make them realize their mistakes (Zain & Kasim, 2018).  

4. Conclusion 

Based on findings and discussion in this study, the researcher has found that most Sociology 
students have positive impacts on using Edmodo. It is proven by the result of the data that Sociology 
students at UNISBA are motivated, interested, and satisfied in using Edmodo. Therefore, it enhances 
Sociology students’ writing scores and promotes Sociology students’ creativity in solving the 
writing task. Furthermore, Edmodo is supplementary media to facilitate the needs of second-
semester Sociology students and this study shows that how Sociology students of UNISBA 
perceived the benefits of Edmodo. It facilitates the teacher and students in developing 
communication, easy download access (material), editing and peer feedback, and English learning 
effectively. Besides, Sociology students face common problems in using Edmodo and the major 
problem is related to slow Internet connections or limited access to the internet connection. This 
study has provided an insight into students' perceptions, barriers, and implementation of online 
learning (Edmodo). This study suggests additional researcher research motivation or behavior stages 
because this research only focused on the perception stage. This specific study suggests further 
researchers revise the research instruments and focus on other text types that are taught in higher 
education, such as narrative and recount text. 

 

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