Publication:

Micro-learning in fostering pre-service language teachers’ english writing skills

Resumen en inglés

In the 21st century, individuals are frequently exposed to social media and streaming platforms that provide immediate access to digital content and information. Within this media landscape, micro-learning has emerged as a promising methodology to language teaching and learning, offering students learning opportunities through short, concise videos, podcasts, or interactive activities. However, there is a lack of research in this area in our educational context that sheds light on its use and effectiveness. Moreover, the persistent issue of low writing proficiency among pre-service language students from the B.A in Foreign Languages at Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia, represents a need to improve their academic writing. In order to fill these gaps and needs, the present study explored the effectiveness of micro-learning in improving a group of pre-service teachers’ English writing skills. The study employed a mixed methods approach and three phases. The diagnostic phase identified students’ writing strengths and weaknesses through a pre-writing test, surveys and classroom observations. The intervention phase utilized micro-learning-based activities and writing tasks designed to address key aspects of writing, such as organization, cohesion, clarity, grammar, and vocabulary. These activities were delivered through Telegram, a platform that facilitated the distribution of dynamic materials, including videos, infographics, and interactive tasks, allowing for real-time feedback and flexibility in learning. The evaluation phase included a post-writing test and surveys. Quantitative data in the form of students’ writing performance was assessed through an analytic scoring rubric and was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics.