The provision and efficacy of peer feedback in blogs versus paper-based writing

Abstract

While the use of blogs has gained increasing popularity among second language (L2) writers, research into their role in developing L2 writing ability is yet underdeveloped. In particular, investigations into the use and effectiveness of peer feedback on L2 blogs are limited. The current study sought to fill this gap by comparing the provision of peer feedback in blogs versus on paper. Participants were a class of ESL students in a TESL university program in Quebec who produced written texts both in blogs and on paper, received peer feedback, and then revised their texts. Altogether, the findings suggest that while both blogs and paper can be influential mediums for L2 writing, they may inspire different types of errors, elicit different types and degrees of feedback, and lead to differences in subsequent revisions.