Details of Research Outputs

Student-centred learning (SCL), which highlights the importance of learning environments over direct instruction for collaborative and interactive learning, has enjoyed growing popularity in English-medium instruction (EMI) classrooms. To enhance SCL engagement, students may need to be empowered with autonomy, scaffolding and an authentic audience (Lee & Hannafin, Educ Technol Res Dev 64:707–734, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-015-9422-5). However, little research has been conducted to examine SCL effectiveness in EMI contexts. This study investigates how well online peer assessment (OPA) activities, in the form of Moodle workshops, promotes SCL in two different undergraduate courses for English majors in an EMI university in China. Compared to traditional instruction, the OPA activities enabled students to be exposed to examples of language in use that were provided by peers. Impacts of OPA activities (in terms of autonomous learning, audience awareness in writing, and feedback focus on disciplinary issues) were evaluated by administering pre- and post-intervention questionnaire surveys, and analysing student submissions and peer feedback. The findings suggest the enhancement of students' autonomous learning and audience awareness in writing after participating in the OPA activities. The feedback focus provided by assessors to those assessed was found to be similar between two sets of OPA activities. The findings also indicate the importance of learning environments in fostering SCL in EMI contexts.