Miftahul.... 128 Creation is distributed under the Creative Commons License Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Published in: http://ejournal.stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id/index.php/smart Jurnal SMART : Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. GOOGLE CLASSROOM ON STUDENTS’ WRITING LEARNING PROCESS Miftahul Janah 1), Fatma Yuniarti 2) English Department, STKIP Muhammadiyah Pringsewu Lampung 1) miftahul@stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id 2) fatma@stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id Abstract This study is Mix-Method Research applying exploratory design which aims to 1) know that the use of Google Classroom in Writing learning process can arouse students’ learning interest and motivation; 2) know that Google Classroom can be used to improve student’s writing ability. The participants were the forth semester students of STKIP Muhammadiyah Pringsewu Lampung in academic year 2018/2019. Questionnaire, documentation, and test had been used to collect the data which was then analyzed using phased qualitative—quantitative analysis. The result showed that Google Classroom could encourage students to write, and help them to improve their writing ability. Keywords: Google Classroom, Writing Learning Process. 1. INTRODUCTION The development of education today is entering the digital era. An educator in digital age must understand that their students are currently students from the net generation. In this generation, Viridi (2017) says that the learning is no longer centralized on teachers, so it needs to change centralized approach to the students more. The learning that was previously done offline now must be done online or in blended learning, included an English learning. Google classroom is one of the ways that educator can do to do an online learning process. Google classroom had been said by Iftakhar (2016), it is a learning platform devoted to every scope of education which is intended to find a way of the difficulties in making paperless assignments. This study is about the use of Google Classroom on writing learning process to the fourth semester students of English Department of STKIP Muhammadiyah Jurnal SMART , Volume 5, No 2 (2019), Page. 128- 138 ISSN Cetak : 2356-2048 ISSN Online : 2356-203X DOI: 10.26638/js.951.203X mailto:miftahul@stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id Google classroom... 129 Pringsewu in academic year 2018/ 2019. Writing is one of the English skills that must be comprehended by students, beside listening, speaking, and reading. It is a compulsory subject in STKIP Muhammadiyah Pringsewu that still becomes a challenge for the lecturer to teach meaningfully. Gumrowi (in Sohibun&Filza: 2017) mentions the causes of low learning outcomes are inappropriate selection of methods and learning media by teachers, and also the management of learning activities that still cannot generate students’ learning motivation optimally. This statement shows that it is important to conduct this research. By using Google Classroom as an English internet-based learning media, students are expected to improve new desires, interests, motivation, stimulation of students’ learning activities, and of course it is expected to improve their writing ability. The utilization of internet technology in learning The availability of teaching technology creates two learning transformations. First, the shift of teacher-centered learning becomes leaner- centered learning. Second, the changes of learning methods from simply absorbing and remembering information to interpreting and creating new material (Gupta, in Sari: 2017). Therefore, Sujoko (2013) says that teacher’s creativity has an important role in developing the learning models which is adapted to the students’ condition and the existing facilities. So, teachers should be able to utilize the latest technology, like internet technology, as learning media because internet can provide great benefit to an educator. The use of well-designed e-learning system, according to Hwa (2016) can provide benefits such as targeted access to library resources, up-to-date learning subject, quick access to a wider library of resources, cost effective, interactive and collaborative, learner-centered learning, etc. However, these benefits will not be optimal if the learner does not want to adopt the system. Google Classroom as an internet-based learning media The results of previous research studies found that Google Classroom is a multiplatform which can be used by users. It is like Iftakhar (2016) who said on Miftahul.... 130 his research that Google Classroom had been indicated as the best platform to expand the teacher’s workflow. Google classroom provides a powerful set of features that make it an ideal aid to use together with students. This platform helps the teacher saving time, keeping the class organized, and improving the communication to the students. Google Classroom development in the early stages of 2014—2016 is not intended to all people but to school that collaborate to Google. Then, on March 2017 Google Classroom can be accessed by everyone using a personal Google account. Although its existence has just been developed, it was mentioned by Iftakhar (2016) that this platform has many benefits, such as: 1) Google Classroom has potential to streamline communication and students’ workflow by providing a single access point to the core of discussion and assigned work. 2) Google Classroom helps students to keep files more organized because all their work can be stored without paper in one program. 3) Teacher can identify students who are struggling to submit assignments more quickly because of the tracking mechanism associated with the assigned tasks. 4) The assessment process can be simplified because the appraisal features are directly related to the students’ submissions. This usefulness is certainly very beneficial for an educator to be able to improve the quality of learning. Google Classroom on writing learning process According to Warnock (in Akmar: 2017), it is important to teach online writing because students can be guided to reflect themselves by using their own words. Besides, an online environment gives opportunity to the teachers interact with students outside the school and of course he can also motivate students to connect socially and professionally to others. Stockwell (in Noriega: 2016) identified that teaching foreign language using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Mobile-Assisted Learning (MALL) are an example of new communication technology can be used to achieve learning goals. For example, in traditional classes, Ferdousy (in Zafrin: 2018) mentioned, “Written comments” as a feedback are less well received by students. Sometimes, comments written in students’ writing are not motivating Google classroom... 131 because they are authoritative. But, in a virtual classroom, like Google Classroom, Ferdousy (in Zafrin: 2018) adds that there is no authoritative directly. This digital environment produces a positive attitude because there is no pressure on students. So, the teacher can create students’ motivation to learn writing. Writing skill is a special ability that helps students pour the idea or mind to a meaning word or convey the message to readers (Harmer: 2009). From four language skills, Akmar (2017) mentions that writing is a productive skill and is considered as an important constituent of second language learning. Writing ability is the most complex ability because some processes in making writing, like Harmer (2009) who says that there are five steps on writing process; planning— plan what you want to say, drafting—conceptualize or make an outline about what you want to convey, revising—review what be delivered, editing—correct the writing that will be delivered to readers so the final version can be enjoyed well. Hence this writing skill is not obtained automatically but must be consciously learned through independent or guided exercises. Even a native language speaker may find it difficult to write especially a foreign language speaker. To write in a foreign language, the problem must be more complicated (prihantoro: 2016), so students are not motivated enough to do it. Moreover they do not get enough opportunity to practice writing in class. Therefore, it is important to conduct this research as an innovation to help students arousing their interest and motivation, and also improving their writing ability. This study aims to 1) know that the use of Google Classroom in Writing learning process can arouse students’ learning interest and motivation; and 2) know that Google Classroom can be used to improve student’s writing ability. 2. RESEARCH METHOD This research is about Mixed-Method Research which involves the use of qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods can be used to identify important variables of this study where those variables can be quantified in an instrument (i.e. questionnaire), then given an assessment on each research correspondent (Fraenkel: 2012). According to Mertens (2010), mixed-method research is a research where the researcher collects and analyzes the data, integrate findings, and draw Miftahul.... 132 inferential conclusions using two qualitative and quantitative approaches in one study. This research applies exploratory design. Fraenkel (2012) mentions that in this design the researcher first used qualitative methods to find important variables that underlie an interesting phenomenon and then inform them using quantitative methods. In exploratory design, qualitative results provide direction to quantitative methods, and the quantitative results are used to validate qualitative findings. Below is design of exploratory. The participants of this study were the forth semester students of STKIP Muhammadiyah Pringsewu Lampung in academic year 2018/ 2019 which has 38 students. Questionnaire, documentation, and test were used to collect the data. Questionnaire is used to get the data of students’ motivation on learning writing using Google Classroom and also to get students’ perception on using Google Classroom in writing learning process. Documentation is used to get students’ written text, and test was used to know the students’ improvement on writing ability before and after the treatment. Data analysis of this study used phased qualitative-quantitative analysis—the analysis was carried out on qualitative data and then followed by quantitative data analysis. 3. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The data analysis on students’ motivation and students’ perception to the use of Google Classroom on learning writing showed that students had high learning interest. It can be seen from the tendency of students who remain in attention and remember some activities. Besides, the enthusiasm of students towards learning activities, as well as their full attention to what was instructed by lecturer to always conduct a self-evaluation proved that students had high motivation also in learning writing. Google classroom... 133 highly motivated sufficiently motivated Chart 1 The Percentage of Students’ Motivation on Writing The chart shows that there are two qualifications obtained; sufficiently motivated and highly motivated. From 38 students, eight students got ‘sufficiently motivated’ qualifications by percentage 51%—75% and 30 students got ‘highly motivated’ by percentage 76%—100%. It can be said that 79% students had high learning interest and motivation to learn writing using Google Classroom. Then, the chart below displays how many students agree or disagree that Google Classroom helps them in learning writing. Chart 2 The Percentage of Students’ Perception on Google Classroom The chart represents the data of 12 students (32%) have perception that Google Classroom is enough to help them in the process of learning to write, one student (2%) thinks that Google Classroom does not help her in the learning process of writing, and 25 students (66%) assume that Google Classroom helps them so much in learning writing. Pre-test Pre-test was administered on Thursday, April 18th 2019. This test was aimed to measure the students’ writing ability before getting the treatments using Google Classroom. The test was an essay form where students were asked to write a text about recount text (their own experience). The pre-test result showed that the forth semester students’ ability on writing was still below 50%. The following chart displays the percentage of students’ value acquisition on pre-test. Miftahul.... 134 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% students' grade … Graphic 1 The Percentage of Students’ Score on Pre-test Students’ writing was dominated by errors on mechanics (punctuation, paragraphing, and capitalization), and language use (structure and grammar), but overall the content of their text was enough to be evaluated. Nevertheless, there were some students whose the writing had obscured meaning and did not communicate occasionally, like those who got score on range 35—41. As for the example of one of the texts that they composed are as follows: Picture 2 The Example of Students’ Text on Pre-test The text above cannot be evaluated actually, because the meaning of the sentences were obscured or confused. Besides, the tenses used in the text are totally wrong. Therefore, this text belong to the class interval of 35—41. Google classroom... 135 Then, the following is one of the examples of the text whose the score was on class interval of 70—76: Picture 3 The Example of Students’ Text on Pre-test The text shows that there are a little error on using tenses, some errors on prepositions and capitalization, but the meaning do not obscured. Therefore, this text was belong the class interval of 70—76. Post-test Post-test was administered on Friday, May 31st 2019, and the data shows that students’ writing ability had improved although it was not too significant. The following chart displays the percentage of students’ score on post-test. Graphic 2 The Percentage of Students’ Score on Post-test In post-test, the lowest score was 54. Most of the content of the students’ writing had limited knowledge of subject. Then, they had also a loosely organized but the main ideas stand out. And for language use, they still made errors on tense but the meaning seldom obscured. Below is one of the examples of the text whose score was stand on class interval 54-58: 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 54-58 59-63 64-68 69-73 74-78 79-83 students' grade … Miftahul.... 136 Picture 4 The Example of Students’ Text on Post-test And next is an example of the text which stands on class interval 79—83: Picture 5 The Example of Students’ Text on Post-test Then, the following is table analysis of differences between pre-test and post- test data: Google classroom... 137 Table 1 The Data Analysis of Pre-Test and Post-test Data Description Scores Pre-test Post-test Number of Subjects (N) 38 38 Mean (M) 59.73 66.26 Standard of Deviation 10.64 7.61 Ranges 41 29 Maximum Scores 76 83 Minimum Scores 35 54 The table above is about the students’ achievement in writing skill. From the table, it can be seen what is the minimum and maximum score in pre-test and post-test, and also the comparison of mean values. Refer to the findings, it can be said that students’ writing ability had improved, but not significantly. Nevertheless, the students’ interest and motivation in learning writing, and also their perception to Google Classroom are very positive. So, this research has succeeded in achieving its objectives. 4. CONCLUSION Having analyzed the data obtained, it can be concluded that students had motivated to learn writing using Google Classroom. It can be seen by 38 students, there were 8 students who got motivated enough qualification with the percentage 51%—75%, and 30 students got high motivated qualification with the percentage 76%—100%. Besides, they also assumed that Google Classroom could encourage them to write, and help them to improve their writing ability. It can be proven by the students’ minimum score of pre-test was 35 with mean 59.73 and in post-test was 54 with mean 65.21. 5. REFERENCES Akmar, Farahidatul, Rafidah, dan Nurul Huda. (2017). 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