The use of Padlet to Improve students’ collaborative writing skills

The use of Padlet to Improve students’ collaborative writing skills

ABSTRACT

As technology keeps advancing at a rapid pace, it keeps pushing us to adapt in various ways, one of which is in education. To support this, it's important to master the skills needed in today's world. In the 21st century, some of the skills that must be mastered include learning and innovation skills, which encompass critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication; as well as digital literacy and technology skills, which include information literacy, media literacy, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy. In line with this, technologies that facilitate collaboration in learning have emerged, such as Padlet. This learning medium began to gain traction during the COVID-19 pandemic and is still in use today. Therefore, this study focuses on examining the effectiveness of using the web-based application ‘Padlet’ in collaborative writing learning among students. This study employs a literature review approach, analyzing ten scientific articles that implement Padlet in their learning processes, ranging from secondary school to university levels. Previous research findings indicate that Padlet has proven effective in enhancing students' learning motivation, writing skills, and collaboration in learning. This is supported by prior studies showing that learning using Padlet as an educational tool can provide relatively positive feedback, increase student participation, peer-to-peer feedback, teacher-to-student feedback, and improved student writing quality (Suryani & Daulay, 2022; Rofiah et al., 2023; Fadhilawati et al., 2020; Wahyuni, 2023; Suparmi, 2022). However, several challenges, both internal and external, are still encountered and require further action. This study recommends the implementation of Padlet as a learning medium to enhance collaborative writing learning among students.

Keywords: Padlet, Collaborative Learning, Digital Learning Tools, Writing Skills

ABSTRAK

Kemajuan teknologi yang berkembang secara pesat terus menuntut adaptasi dari berbagai aspek, salah satunya pada aspek pendidikan. Untuk menunjang hal tersebut, maka diperlukannya penguasaan pada keterampilan-keterampilan yang dibutuhkan pada masa dewasa ini. Pada abad ke 21 ini, beberapa keterampilan yang harus dikuasai diantara nya keterampilan pembelajaran dan inovasi yang meliputi kemampuan berfikir kritis, kreatifitas, kolaborasi, dan komunikasi; serta keterampilan literasi digital dan teknologi yang meliputi literasi infromasi, literasi media, dan literasi teknologi infromasi dan komunikasi (ICT). Sejalan dengan hal tersebut, muncul teknologi-teknologi yang membangun kolaborasi dalam pembelajaran seperti Padlet. Media pembelajaran tersebut mulai eksis ketika muncuknya Pandemi Covid 19 dan masih digunakan hingga saat ini. Sehingga studi ini berfokus untuk menkaji efektivitas penggunaan aplikasi berbasi web ‘Padlet’ dalam pembelajaran menulis secara kolaboratif pada siswa. Studi ini menggunakan pendekatakan studi pustaka dengan menganalisis sepuluh artikel ilmiah yang mengimplementasikan Padlet pada pembelajarannya baik mulai dari tingkat sekolah menengah maupun perguruan tinggi. Hasil penelitian pendahulu menunjukkan bahwa Padlet terbukti dapat meningkatkan, motivasi belajar siswa, keterampilan menulis dan kolaborasi pada pembelajaran. Hal ini didukung dengan penelitian sebelumnya yang menunjukkan bahwa pembelajaran yang menggunakan Padlet sebagai media belajar dapat memberikan umpan balik yang relatif positif, peningkatan partisipasi siswa, mendukung adanya umpan balik antar teman sejawat, mendukung umpan balik antar guru dan siswa, serta meningkatkan kualitas tulisan siswa (Suryani & Daulay, 2022; Rofiah et al., 2023; Fadhilawati et al., 2020; Wahyuni, 2023; Suparmi, 2022). Meskipun demikian, beberapa tantangan baik dari faktor internal maupun eksternal masih dijumpai dan diperlukannya tindak lanjut. Penelitian ini merekomendasikan Pengimplementasian Padlet sebagai media pembelajaran dalam meningkatkan pembelajaran menulis kolabiratif siswa.

Kata Kunci: Padlet, Pembelajaran Kolaboratif, Media Pembelajaran Digital, Keterampilan Menulis

INTRODCUTION

With the digital revolution, digital technology is developing rapidly and has a significant impact in various aspects, especially in the world of education. To deal with the times, students and teachers are required to be adaptive in the teaching and learning process. In addition, in the 21st century, some of the skills that must be mastered include learning and innovation skills which include critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills; as well as digital and technological literacy skills which include information literacy, media literacy, and information and communication technology literacy. In the context of language learning, the main skills such as writing skills must also adapt to the skills needed in this period. Students are expected to write collaboratively to train them to think critically, creatively and evaluatively. This collaboration is expected to help students' writing performance.

With the increasing demand for learning, new innovations have emerged to support the learning process of students, such as educational platforms. Padlet is one such innovation. Padlet is a web-based application or platform that enables collaboration among students and between students and teachers through a virtual board called a ‘wall.’ With its attractive, interactive, and easy-to-access features, Padlet has received positive feedback from its users. The application gained popularity in 2019 during the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person activities were prohibited, as it supported remote learning. However, the application is still used today, both in in-person and online learning (Suparmi, 2022; Suryani & Daulay, 2022).

Several previous studies have shown that the implementation of Padlet in learning writing significantly has a positive impact in various aspects, including increasing students' learning motivation and engagement, the quality of students' writing, supporting peer interaction, and creating an inclusive learning environment (Fadhilawati et al., 2020; Wahyuni, 2023; Suparmi, 2022; Rofiah et al., 2023).

However, of the ten articles that have been analyzed, most still focus on certain texts only. For example, there are four out of ten texts that use descriptive texts (Andelina, 2024; Nurramdaeni et al., 2021; Wahyuni, 2023; Susanti & Ayuni, 2018), and there is one that uses procedure texts (Fadhilawati et al., 2020). While others, it is not clearly explained about the text used. With the limitations of research that discusses other types of texts, it can be a reference study for future researchers to explore more deeply on various types of texts.

Thus, this study focuses on analyzing the effectiveness of using Padlet in improving students' collaborative writing skills. The researcher used the literature study method by analyzing ten scientific articles that discussed the use of Padlet in their writing learning process. The purpose of the analysis is to understand more deeply and thoroughly about aspects such as the benefits, motivations, challenges, and potentials that exist in the use of Padlet as a collaborative learning media which is expected to be a reference for future researchers.

METHODS

The researchers used a descriptive qualitative approach and literature review method in this study. This study focused on reviewing and analyzing previous scientific studies that discussed the implementation of Padlet as a medium for collaborative writing learning for students. This method was chosen to understand how Padlet is used in the learning process and its impact on students.

The data in this study were collected from ten scientific articles published between 2018 and 2024. These articles were published in both national and international journals. The articles were selected based on several criteria, including content discussing the implementation of Padlet in student writing instruction, the presence of collaborative activities among students, and the availability of the full text.

Data collection was carried out by reading each article thoroughly, then underlining important points related to the selected topic. After that, the data was analyzed thematically by grouping certain information into several criteria, such as student feedback, student performance results, challenges faced, and so on.

The information will be collected to find similarities and then compiled into a summary analyzing previous studies discussing the use of Padlet in improving students' collaborative writing skills.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The analysis of ten previous studies shows that the use of Padlet as a learning media can have a positive impact in the learning process of students' collaborative writing including:

1.     Increased learning motivation and student engagement in the learning process

Most of the previous researchers showed that students responded positively to the use of Padlet. With attractive features, easy access without having to use the application, and interactive features that facilitate students to collaborate such as ‘wall’ and comments to increase student engagement can motivate student learning after using Padlet (Andelina, 2024; Suryani & Daulay, 2022; Aneros, N., & Herniwati, 2023; Nurramdaeni et al., 2021).

2.     Improving the quality of student writing

Several studies have shown an increase in student performance in writing skills after using Padlet with a marked increase in writing scores (Fadhilawati et al., 2020; Muthmainah & Sidabalok, 2023). This is because students can access other people's writing on the same page, so that students can compare the quality of their writing and revise some parts that need to be good based on feedback or self-correction.

3.     Encouraging Peer feedback

The comment feature in Padlet allows students to conduct peer feedback. This feedback can later be used for students to revise their writing (Rofiah et al., 2023; Suparmi, 2022). In addition to increasing engagement, this helps students to think critically and evaluatively.

4.     Creating an inclusive learning environment

The features offered by Padlet can provide a safe space for students to express and contribute. This is evidenced by several studies that show that students who were previously shy or passive can become more active in interacting and writing (Susanti & Ayuni, 2018; Nurramdaeni et al., 2021).

However, some challenges were found in the implementation of Padlet in students' writing learning process, such as limited internet access, lack of technological literacy that makes it difficult for students to adapt, limited learning time sessions, and internal factors such as lack of confidence and lack of self-motivation (Muthmainah & Sidabalok, 2023; Aneros & Herniwati, 2023; Suparmi, 2022; Suryani & Daulay, 2022). This can be studied by future researchers to fill the gap.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

Conclusion

Based on the review of ten academic papers, it can be concluded that Padlet is a digital learning platform that is proven to be effective in improving students' collaborative writing skills. Besides facilitating a space for interactive collaboration, Padlet also encourages students to be more confident, strengthens critical thinking skills through peer feedback, and creates a fun learning atmosphere.

Suggestions

1.     Teachers should provide brief training at the beginning of learning using Padlet to ensure all students can operate it properly.

2.     Teachers can work together with students to find solutions regarding limited internet access and motivate students to increase their confidence.

3.     Future researchers could compare the effectiveness of Padlet implementation at various levels of education.

4.     Future researchers should explore more deeply the use of Padlet in learning students' writing skills in various writing genres other than descriptive text.

 

References

Aneros, N., & Herniwati. (2023). The use of Padlet to enhance Japanese learners’ collaborative learning of basic composition writing skills (Sakubun). JAPANEDU: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pengajaran Bahasa Jepang, 8(1), 60–67. http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/japanedu/index:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Muthmainah, D. H., & Sidabalok, D. M. (2023). Using Padlet application in improving the tenth-grade students’ writing ability at SMA YADIKA Bandar Lampung. Linguistic, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal, 7(1), 227–239. https://doi.org/10.31539/leea.v7i1.8116:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Fadhilawati, D., Rachmawati, D. L., & Mansur, M. (2020). Using Padlet to increase the students’ procedure text writing achievement. Exposure: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, 9(2), 158–172. https://journal.unismuh.ac.id/index.php/exposure:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Nurramdaeni, N., Suryaman, M., & Mobit. (2021). Padlet-assisted descriptive text writing: How did Indonesian EFL senior high school students’ experience? Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai, 5(3), 8910–8919. https://jptam.org/index.php/jptam/article/view/2943:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Suparmi. (2022). Writing on the wall: Integrating Padlet in ESP writing classrooms. Journal of English for Academic and Specific Purposes, 5(2), 361–367. https://ejournal.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/JEASP/article/view/19169:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Andelina, S. (2024). Effect of using Padlet application toward learning motivation writing descriptive text on the eleventh grade of SMAN 7 Mandau. Jolly Journal of English Education, 2(1), 34–46. http://ejournal.staihwduri.ac.id/index.php/jjee

Rofiah, N. L., Aba Sha’ar, M. Y. M., & Waluyo, B. (2023). The efficacy of integrating Padlet-mediated feedback into writing lessons: A case of low-proficiency students. The JALT CALL Journal, 19(3), 317–343. https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v19n3.1150

Suryani, I., & Daulay, S. H. (2022). Students’ perceptions on writing activities by using Padlet application. The Proceedings of the English Language Teaching, Literature, and Translation (ELTLT), 11(1), 175–178.

Susanti, N. I., & Ayuni, M. (2018). The students’ perception towards the use of Padlet in L2 writing. In International Summit on Science Technology and Humanity (ISETH 2018) (pp. 30–34). Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta.

Wahyuni, S. (2023). The effectiveness of Padlet as an instructional media to improve students’ performance in writing descriptive text. RETAIN (Research on English Language Teaching in Indonesia), 11(2), 30–37.