The Effect of Computer-based Concept Mapping Learning Strategy on Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners’ Writing Accuracy and Fluency

The present study aimed at finding the effect of computer-based concept mapping for teaching English writing accuracy and fluency to Iranian intermediate EFL learners; concept-mapping procedure as a technique that elicited the schemata, background knowledge and students' ideas as well. Forty students were chosen from a private language Institute in Alborz, Iran. Then, they were homogenized by Nelson Proficiency Test. The concept-mapping group was taught writing skill through computer-based concept- mapping technique in an institute, but the control group was instructed by traditional approaches. In fact, they were our two independent groups who were at intermediate level of proficiency. To evaluate the effect of instructional treatment, both groups were given the same items as a pretest and posttest. After the eight sessions of treatment, the data was analyzed by independent t-test through SPSS version ۲۵ to compare the results of pretests and posttests of both groups. The results revealed that the computer-based concept-map group outperformed on the post-test of writing accuracy than the control group, but writing fluency of both groups appear to have been unaffected by the experiment

Keywords:

Computer-based Concept Mapping , Writing Accuracy , Writing Fluency