Engaging students of low proficiency level in writing classes by using Wallwisher tool / Farhana Shukor

Recent online development of learning tools such as Wallwisher can be used to enhance student engagement in the classroom especially in writing classes. Some problems encountered when teaching low proficiency students relate to the application of the knowledge gained in classrooms and to write more using this tool. Two categories of student engagement in classroom that work as the base for this study as outlined by McCarthy (2012) are self-interactions and student instructor interactions. Data were collected from 22 pre-diploma students who were enrolled in a business course and were obliged to pass an English course as a prerequisite for them to enroll in diploma courses. Students’ levels of engagement were coded using Perkins and Murphy’s (2006) instrument and later, four students were subjected to informal interview sessions for further investigation of phenomena. The responses recorded that they would be more participative and engaged with their learning materials and online technologies if they were being graded. It is vital to create active learning situations among the students which will assist them in applying the skills that they have learned in daily situations.