Comparing Blended and Face-to-Face Collaborative Learning in EFL Argumentative Writing
Abstract
This study examines the effects of an integrated collaborative approach combining dialogic argumentation and collaborative writing on EFL students’ argumentative writing in blended and face-to-face learning environments. A total of 120 EFL undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a blended or a face-to-face condition and participated in a ten-session intervention involving structured dialogic argumentation followed by collaborative writing tasks. Students’ writing was assessed through pre- and post-tests in terms of argumentation quality (claims, counterarguments, and rebuttals) and language use, including syntactic complexity, grammatical accuracy, and fluency. The results showed that EFL students in the blended learning group made significant improvements in both argumentation quality and all aspects of language use. However, no statistically significant differences were found between the two instructional environments in overall argumentation quality or most language measures, except for dependent clauses per clause, where the face-to-face group performed better. These findings suggest that both blended and face-to-face environments can effectively support EFL students’ argumentative writing development, although their effects may differ across specific aspects of language use.
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References
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