Revisions by Electronic Peer Feedback in Japanese College Students' English Writing

To examine how electronic peerfeedback contributes to revisions in English compositions by Japanese college students. we conducted a study of peer feedback activities using a Bulletin Board System (BBS) with students in a beginning writing class at a Japanese university. The 58 participants, divided into groups of four, submitted opinion essays. which were posted on the BBS. The students commented on the papers in their own groups. Each writer reads comments, rewrote, and submitted second drafts. This study analyzed the students' electronic feedback and resultant revisions focusing on the following three aspects: 1) types of feedback observed from the online interaction, 2) quality of feedback incorporation according to the types of feedback (content/form). 3) types of revision as a result of feedback. The study offers some insights into a new type of online collaboration in English writing instruction in japanese college writing courses.