IEEE Paper Template in A4 (V1) Sri Lestari LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal ||Volume||7||Issue||1||Pages||1-16||2017|| |P-ISSN: 20869606 ; E-ISSN: 25492454| IMPLEMENTING PADLET APPLICATION TO IMPROVE WRITING ABILITY IN ENGLISH WRITING SKILL FOR NON ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS Sri Lestari lestari_sri1986@yahoo.co.id Universitas PGRI Madiun Article History: Received: Accepted: Abstract Using padlet application has function to encourage students to share and colaborate in writing and speaking. This study is aimed to know: teaching learning process in writing by using padlet application for Primary Education Department’s students, there is improvement of students writing English skill by using that application. Subject of this research was third semester students of Primary Education Department. This is Classroom Action. In collecting the data used some techniques: observed, interviewed, compiled the data in each cycle, and writing test. The data were analyzed by quantitative and qualitative. Result of this research were: those application can be implemented as online writing practices every time that made students ability improve, the situation of wall in padlet can stimulate students to explore idea because they could upload video, recording, or picture suitable with topic that can support their writing. Students improvement in writing can be seen from postest score in every cycles. Based on the results above, it can be concluded that implementing padlet application can improve students Non English Department’ writing skill Corresponding Author: Tel.: .............................. KEYWORDS Writing; Padlet; Lino. INTRODUCTION Available online at: jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php/let mailto:lestari_sri1986@yahoo.co.id P a g e | 2 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 The most problems in English class especially for Primary Education Department is writing skill. Most students feel difficult in writing paragraph. Students understanding in writing is still less related with content, using appropriate grammar, mechanics, vocabulary, and organization. Indeed, students must have ability in writing paragraph; writing by composing complete organization, coherent and unity in content, using appropriate grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics that can be used to write appropriately for their daily need. Heaton (1975: 135) states a view that the writing skills are complex and sometimes difficult to teach, requiring mastery not only of grammatical and rhetorical devices but also of conceptual and judgmental elements. The varied skills are grouped into five general components main areas. They are: 1) Language use: the ability to write correct and appropriate sentences; 2) Mechanical skills: the ability to use correctly those conventions peculiar to the written language, e.g. punctuation, spelling; 3) Treatment of content: the ability to think creatively and develop thoughts, excluding all irrelevant information; 4) Stylistic skills: the ability to manipulate sentences and paragraphs, and use language effectively; 5) Judgment skills: the ability to write in an appropriate manner for a particular purpose with a particular audiences in mind, together with an ability to select, organize and order relevant information. According to Nunan (2001: 35) the most difficult of macro skills for all language users whether it is for first, second or foreign language learner is learning to write fluently and expressively. Thus, writing is considered as a difficult skill to be mastered in which it requires special skills in the production of a written form. Nunan (2001: 37) also adds that getting success in writing involves: mastering the mechanics of letter formation, mastering and obeying conventions of spelling and punctuation, using the grammatical system to convey one’s intended meaning, organising content at the level of the paragraph and the complete text to reflect given/new information and topic/comment structures, polishing and revising one’s initial efforts and selecting an appropriate style for one’s audience. P a g e | 3 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 Hyland in Richard (2001: 21) states that writing involves composing skills and knowledge about text, contexts, and readers. Writers not only need realistic strategies for drafting and revising but also a clear understanding of genre to be able to structure their writing according to context. It means that, we not only focus in grammatical and mechanic, but also give attention in meaningful particular context. Based on the explanantion above , it can be concluded that aspects in writing are: abilty in explore state idea clearly in unity and coherence paragraph, arrange organization of paragraph, use appropriate grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary that can support essay quality. Language ability, especially writing cannot just studying in classrom without practicing. Students writing ability will not improve if they do not try to practice regularly both at home or at classroom. But, if we do practice at class, it will need much time. As we know there are some process or stages in producing an essay or paragraph, they are: prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, and evaluating. Thus, students need other media and more flexible time in writing. One of innovation that can be implemented in writing class is by using application/ technology, they are: padlet and lino application. Padlet and lino is application whether students can write, comunicate, share, and collaborate their paragraph or essay with friends in a class. By using these application, lecturer directly can see, review, and evaluate students’ posting and then lecturer will give evaluation and explanation. Padlet and lino are online media whether students can arrannge and collaborate idea by posting their paragraph, coment, opinion, short essay, picture, recording, and video then it is shared and read by other students in that member of class. Then each incividual can check, evaluate, and review the result of their peer. Padlet (www.padlet.com) is an online media that can be used to make effective learning which has limit time at class. Padlet and lino are kinds of sticky notes where students can write their ideas related with topic and both lecturer adn students also can give comment, suggestions, and evaluate students’ post. According Fuchs (2014: 7) padlet is an application where studenrs can collaborate and share their writing. Here, they can post video, picture, and short essay related http://www.padlet.com/ P a g e | 4 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 with the topic or theme. Based on the Fuchs research result in 2014, by using padlet students can participate in discussion and activities in asking some questions adn give comments, so it will make them not bored and it can apply everywhere. Next, Septina (2015) stated that recently people like everything about gadget and technology. Thus, teaching learning process is more enjoyable and effective by using technology application. Beside it is effective in using time, it is also effective in giving scoring. Based on the result of Septina’s research, there was some benefits by using this aplication both for teacher and students. For teacher, are: interaction with students are not only at class, can check, evaluate, review, scoring, students post easily. While the benefits for students are: can do assignments everywhere, simple, efective, paperless, motivate them to do the task because they can see their friends’ post. To access padlet and lino, just open www.padlet.com and htp://linoit.com. Both of them have same characteristics where students can post everything, share and colaborate. Thus, by using this aplication, it can help students ability in writing English. METHOD Design of this research is a Classrom Action research from Kemmis and Taggart in Arikunto, 2002: 83) which the design is spiral consist of some cycles in an action. Each cycle consists of: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. This research held since August to October 2016. The location for this research was in IKIP PGRI MADIUN, for Primary Education Department students (class 3I). In collecting the data, there were some techniques: observation, students writing practice and postest in each cycles and interview. Whereas for analyzing the data used quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data came from students’ writing test and compared students writing from pre cycle, cycle I, and cycle II, by doing some stages: analyzed students writing score, counted the mean score of each cycle, made result. While qualitative data anlayzed by using Constant Comparative Method consist of: described procedure and implementation of teaching learning process by using padlet and lino, analyzed observation result in http://www.padlet.com/ P a g e | 5 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 teaching learning process, analyzed interview result, analyzed strengthen and weaknesses of using padlet and lino’s application in writing class FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS Findings Pre Cycle Action Subject of this research is students of 3I class of Primary Education Department. English subject is one of subject that must mastered by students. Students learn English integrated that there are four skills in english: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The purpose of learning English is students can apply their knowledge in English for daily activity, then they can interact and communicate oral or written in English. This research was focus on teaching writing because most of students still lack ability in writing. Fro several meeting, students still had dificulty in writing paragraf and essay. The problems involved five aspects in writing, they are: a. Content, when students writing short essay about” everything about myself”. Some sentences were not in unity and cohereence. There were some choopy sentences and the content was not express one idea that suitable with the topic; b. Organization, most of paragraph were still simple paragraph that consist of short and simple sentences, and unfortunately students couldn define topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences, so at one paragraph sometime researcher didin find TS, SS, or CS. Sometimes the pargaraph just has the supporting sentences, without main idea or TS; c. Grammar, grammar was aso most common found in students’ paragraph. Most of them did not know the appropriate structure for specific paragraph, for example: “I lives in Madiun. My hobby is watching TV and listening Music. d. Vocabulary, most of students still lack of vocabulary. They hust used common vocabulary, and sometimes certain words did not match with the P a g e | 6 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 sentences and context, so it will influenced the quality of paragraph, for example: “I live in big home” e. Mechanics (Capital Letter, Apostrophe, Fullstop, Comma, spelling), Indeedresearcher found many mistakes in mechanics. It happened because they did not edit again and some of the also did not know which is true or false in using it.researcher also found some sentences without full stop or camma. Thus, it will influenced the meaning of the paragraph, for example: I live in magetan. magetan is beutiful and cool regency.my mother is teacher. Cycle I Cycle I focused in the problems of pre cycle activities. In pre cycle, we can see that most of students still had problem in all writing aspects. It happened because students need much time to practice in writing. By using padlet and lino’s application, hopefully it will add time for writing practices. Cycle I consists of twice practices and one postest. These were some stages in cycle 1: Tabel 4.1 Implementation of Cycle I Stages Description Planning 1. Designed Lesson Plan 2. Defined material and theme or topic that will be used in padlet and lino’s exercises, about: describing people, favorite places or city, and food that lecturer had post. 3. Made items for exercises and post test in cycle 1 and 2 4. Defined the schedule to submit students’ post 5. Made interview’s questions Acting 1. Trained students to operate padlet and lino 2. Informed students about schedule 3. Send url padlet to students’ email 4. Students opened url of padlet P a g e | 7 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 5. Students wrote their paragraph, post picture, and saved it 6. Lecturer checked and reviewed students’ post and gave 7. evaluation 8. Mereview tulisan mahasiswa Observing Students: 1. Most of students submitted on time but some of them did not 2. They wrote suitable with topic 3. Had problems in writing aspect; gramar, content, organization, vocabulary, and mechanics, but the quality was better than precycle. Some of them had posted their writing but forgot to upload the picture. 4. Got dificulty in posting their paragraph because some students did not get email, indeed lecturer had sent all url to all email 5. For second exercise, lecturer used lino. Lecturer had sent the topic and url to students, but when they tried to do, they had problems: 1) they couldnt upload picyure via their smartphone, 2) when they want to check again, they could not open the url. In addition, lecturer also got problems; when lecturer want to sign in, the lino can be opened, so automaticallylecturer couldnot check students’ work.Finaly, lecturer moved to padlet again. Reflection Stengthen and weakneesses Cycle 1 Strengthen: 1. Students could practice more in writing 2. Students knew their friends’ paragraph, so they can learn the mistakes, erors, or maybe the good one. It will improve their knowledge in writing and can evaluate their writing. Thus, they will try to do beter and check again P a g e | 8 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 before writing and posting. 3. It improved their ability in writing because lecturer also takes part in evaluating and reviewing 4. Students know new media that can be used in teaching english 5. Using padlet application is paper less and evecctive. Students and lecturer can write, post, share, check, and evaluation every time and everywhere Weaknesses: 1. Some students did not know how to operate padlet, so stil found some error technical in writing and posting 2. Some students did not get email from lecturer, so students wrote via open their peer’s email 3. Using lino’s application was the most problem in this research. We did not use this one, so we move to padlet. Actually both of them have sam function and same cahracteristic whether both lecturer and students can post, write, share, collaborate, check and evaluate. 4. Internet access Result of Action in Cycle I Here are some results of implementing the Cycle I, especially related with students’ competences in writing a. Content In cycle 1, students did practice in writing twice and 1 postest. There were some improvements in content aspects. Researcher found left six students that had problem in choppy sentences. Most of them wrote 1 main idea in one paragraph and the supporting sentences suport its idea. b. Organization P a g e | 9 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 Most of students had completed their paragrapah by writing Topic sentences, suporting sentences and concluding sentences. Left 8 students did not complete their paragraph, for example: they forgot write concluding or their suporting sentences were not suitable with main idea. c. Grammar In cycle 1, after each cycle lecturer evaluated with students’ work, so at class lecturer explain again related with some problems, especialy grammar. Thus, at postest, students tried to minimize their mistakes and erors in using inappropriate grammar. d. Vocabulary In vocabulary aspect, students achieved their mastery on vocabulary. They tried to enrich their vocabulary, so it will improve the quality of their writing. Left 12 students that still write their paragraph by using simple and usual vocab and from 12 students, still found inappropriate vocabulary in sentence. e. Mechanics In cycle 1, left 15 students that still problems in mechanics. It happened because they did not check again their drafting before posting. From the result of cycle 1, there is improvement on students quality in writing. Next, this below table is percentage of students improvement from pre cycle to cycle 1 Table 4.3. mean score of each cycle No cycle Mean score 1 Pre cycle 69.15 2 Cycle 1 73.66 P a g e | 10 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 Next, this one is frequency distribution from cycle 1 Tabel 4.4. Frequency Distribution of Postest in cycle 1 Interval Absolut Frequency Relative Frequency (%) 81 – 90 6 15.38 71 – 80 15 38.46 60 – 70 18 46.15 Amount 39 100 From table above, the conclusion is not all students achieved middle level score (71-80). It happened because some technical eror in applying padlet and lino. Next the quality of students in writing actually was more improve than at precycle, but they have still problems in quality of its writing, for example in some aspects of grammar, vocabulary, mechanics, content, and organization. From the reflection of first cycle, there are some stages taht must done in cycle 2: 1) gave explanation more about aspects of writing skill and applying padlet; (2) at cycle 2, this research did not use lino’s application. Based on the result above, the purpose of teaching writing did not succed yet. Thus, the action research continued to cycle 2. Result of Implementing Cycle 2 In cycle 2, the process in implementing the action was same with cycle 1, concists of: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. These are the implementation of cycle 2. Tabel 4.5 Implementation of Cycle 2 Stages Description Planning 1. Made question’s list in each exercises and postest 2. Made interview’s questions related English teaching and application 3. Coordinated with students related schedule Acting 1. Shared url to students’ email. These are questions for cycle 1 P a g e | 11 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 and posttest a. Which one is your favorite quotation? and tell why do you like that? write your briefly reason! b. What is your favorite song? then why do you like it? c. Teacher asks students to captured class moment, then students asked to write, why is it so memorable? 2. Checked students participation in submitting their writing 3. Reviewed and evaluated students’ work Observing Students: 1. They submited their work 2. They did not have difficulty in appling padlet anymore 3. Students felt enthusiastic in posting their writing. It can be seen from students participation when lecturer post the task, and in some minutes later some students participated to post their writing 4. From the interview’s questions, the result was: students interested in joining english class and also in aplying padlet. this was new experience for them in using technology or online media in learning english Reflecting 1. The strengthen of Cycle 2 a. In cycle 2, students could operate padlet fluently, so there was no problem anymore in eror technical. b. Applying padlet could improve students ability in writing because they have more time in practicing and they can checked their friends post and lecturer evaluation every time and every where. c. Lecturer was more easy in checking students writing 2. Weaknesses of Cycle 2 a. In cycle 2, lecturer just used padlet not lino. Actually lecturer have tried to use lino, but still couldn’t P a g e | 12 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 b. In padlet, there was also weaknesses, lecturer couldnt give coment varied, because lecturer just could give comment by bold students mistakes or erors, and wrote manualy below students post. If students need more explanantion about tehir writing, lecturer explained face to face in the classroom. From observation result in cycle 2, there was improvement of students writing. In cycle 1, there was 18 students had lower ability which is range score is (60-70), while in cycle 2, left 8 students. In average level (71-80), students score in cycle 1 is 20. In higher level (81-90) amount of students in this level is 11 students. From those score, there was improvement of students ability in writing. Eventhough, there were still found 8 students in lower class, but there was still good improvement of those students. Thus, this research end in this cycle. Here is students achievement in cycle 2 Tabel 4.6. Distribution Frequency Table in Cycle 2 Interval Absolut Frequency Relative Frequency (%) 81 – 100 11 28.20 71 – 80 20 51.28 60 – 70 8 20.51 Jumlah 39 100 This table below is students mean score after followed 2 cycle. Table 4.8. Mean Score of each Cycle No Cycle Mean score 1 Pre cycle 69.15 2 Cycle 1 73.66 3 Cycle 2 77.10 From table above, it can be concluded that there was improvement in writing aspect. Eventhough lino aplication could not apply, but actually both padlet and lino has same function. Discussion Writing is one of integrated skill done for third semester of Primary Education Department. English class just 100 minutes in a week, so it needs P a g e | 13 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 additional time in learning English especially for practicing their ability in speaking and writing. By adding additinal exercise with using padlet application, hopefully students are more like English and improve their ability, especially writing English. Using application hapened in two cycles. In each cycle, there was twice writing practices and post test. Based on observation and analyzing in cycle 1 and cycle 2, the students writing improved. The students improvemnet based on five aspects of writing: content, organizzation, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics. Eventhough there was no students that achieved 90-100 score, but students ability improved signifiantly. In first planing, lecturer wil use padlet and lino. But in cycle 1, there was a problem in lino. Finally, the exercise in lino changed into padlet wall. Basically, padlet and lino have same cahracteristics and function as media based web whether students can arange idea, colaborate, share, write, check, evaluate, review, and give comment via online everytime and everywhere. Padlet is very useful for students and lecturer as additional exercise, so if lecturer did not use lino, it was no problem. When lecturer shared url to students’ email, next students steps were open those url, write, and post their writing. Then students and lecturer gave coment and review on that wall. Students’ ability in writing Before applying padlet and lino, most of students ability in range lower level score(60-70). Problems in writing happened in some aspects: content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, mechanics. a. Content In precycle related with content aspect, the most problem happened in writing paragraph in unity and coherence. There were some sentences that not coherence between one sentences to others. There were still some found choppy sentences. Some sentences were not suitable with main idea or topic sentences. But after followed teaching learning process by using padlet in two cycles, there was diffences in students ability. Eventhough students got P a g e | 14 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 different topic in each exercises, but content of students writing improve, for example: idea in paragraph was suitable with topic sentence, clear sentences. Left 2 students that still write in choppy sentences. b. Organization aspect In cycle 1, still found students paragraph that incomplete body of a good paragraph., for example: there was no supporting sentence or concluding sentence. After cycle 2, based on postest, most of students paragraph in good composition and complete, so the quality of their writing improve well. c. Grammar Grammar aspect is the most problems in writing. It happened because they did not know how to use appropriate structure in a paragraph. Reseacrcher found runon sentences, students used inappropriate structure( verb, parallel structure, tobe, etc). But after cycle 2, those problem minimized. d. Vocabulary aspect Problems in vocabulary also influenced quality of students writing. Students who did not try to enrich vocabulary in their writing, happened because they seldom read book and write. But, by using padlet, students vocabulary is richer than before because they can check their peers, and it will motivate them to write. e. Mechanics Aspect The last problem in writing is using appropriate mechanics. Most students did mistakes and erors because they did not recheck their writing before posting. But after lecturer remind students related editing and revising, students were more aware and careful in writing. In cycle 1, most of students score were in low level score in range (60-70). Range score about 60-70 means students ability in writing still get many problems. Next in cycle 2, there was improvement some students in geting score postest. Some students that in first cycle got lower score, in cycle 2, there is improvement score to average and higer score. P a g e | 15 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 In cycle I, mean score of students was 73.66. It has improvement even not significant. Some students were not usual in applying padlet and some of them seldom writing regularly. Because of the result was not significant, so it is continued in cycle 2. In cycle 2 postest result improved. Students mean score was 77.10. In cycle 2, students students used to apply padlet and they were more enjoyable in writing. Based on the data there was improvement in each cycle, the findings were: a. Learning English is not just know the theory but also must practice. Then, doing practices sometimes need much time. Because of that, it need additonal exercises via online, and padlet application can be used as media in teaching writing online. b. Using Padlet can improve students motivation in writing and quality in writing. c. Wall in padlet can stimulate students in exploring idea because students can upload video, picture, record, article. d. Utilizing technology in learning (e-learning) that makes efective time in learning. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION Conclusions Result of this research were: 1) those application can be implemented as online writing practices every time that made students ability improve, 2) the situation of wall in padlet can stimulate students to explore idea because they could upload video, recording, or picture suitable with topic. Students improvement in writing can be seen from postest score in every cycles. Students mean score in pre cycle was 69.15, cycle 1 was 73.63, and cycle 2 was 77.10. Based on the results above, it can be concluded that implementing padlet application can improve students Non English Department’ writing skill. Sugestions Based on the conclusion above, there are some suggestion for students, lecturer, and other researchers. For students, if want to improve English ability, they must practices regularly. For lecturer, hopefully, lecturer are more innovative P a g e | 16 First Author LET: Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching Journal Vol.7 No.2 2016 in choosing apropriate media and method in teaching. For researchers, they can use this application in taching and develop media in teaching. REFERENCES Arikunto, Suharsimi. 2002. ”Dasar-dasar Evaluasi Pendidikan”. Jakarta : PT. Rineka Cipta. Fuchs, Beth. 2014. The Writing is on the Wall: Using Padlet for Whole-Class Engagement. USA: Library Faculty and Staff Publication. Heaton, J.B. 1975. Writing English Language Tests New Edition. Longman: New York Nunan, David. 1998. Desiigning Task for the Communicative Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Richard, J.C. 2001. 30 Years of TEFL/TESL: A Personal Reflection. Singapura: Seameo regional Languge centre. Septina, Nina.2015. Smart Ways of Using Virtual Sticky Notes. Teflin 63. Bali: University of Udayana www.padlet.com www.linoit.com http://www.slideshare.net/ninaseptina/smart-ways-of-using-virtual-sticky-notes- workshop-pesentation-teflin-2015 http://www.padlet.com/ http://www.linoit.com/ http://www.slideshare.net/ninaseptina/smart-ways-of-using-virtual-sticky-notes-workshop-pesentation-teflin-2015 http://www.slideshare.net/ninaseptina/smart-ways-of-using-virtual-sticky-notes-workshop-pesentation-teflin-2015