LENTERA: Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan

p-ISSN 1979-5823 e-ISSN 2620-7672

http://jurnal.stkippgribl.ac.id/index.php/lentera

SCHOOLOGY EFFECTS ON STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY

Tommy Hastomo
STKIP PGRI Bandar Lampung
[email protected]

Abstract: Schoology is a learning management system for students to create, control, and
share the content of their learning resources. Also known as teaching media for the
virtual learning experience, this course management system provides tools to administer
classroom activity for the blended learning activity. The present study was aimed to
analyze schoology effects on students’ writing ability, and to investigate the students’
curiosity towards schoology in the writing process. There were sixty students from the
first semester students of English Department at STKIP PGRI Bandar Lampung in
2018/2019. The samples composed of two groups that consist of the experimental and
control group. The experimental class implemented Schoology and the control class
applied conventional media. The writing test and questionnaire administered to
accomplish the objective of the research. Paired and independent sample t-test was used
for analyzing the quantitative data. The findings of the quantitative data revealed the use
of schoology was more effective than the use of non-schoology. It was determined by the
mean score from both of the groups (82 > 72). The difference (df) of both mean scores
was statistically significant based on the t-test value at 0.05 significance level, and the
probability value was smaller than the significant level (0.000 < 0.05). In summary, the
result of hypothesis testing found that t-value = 5.993 was higher than t-table = 2.000
(p=0.05, df =58). Ha was accepted, and Ho was rejected. In addition, the result of
questionnaire analysis confirms that schoology platform was attractive for teaching and
learning writing subject.
Keywords: schoology, blended learning, educational platform, learning media system

INTRODUCTION Writing subject has many benefits

English is the medium which for the students. It can support them to
learners can develop their various skills, develop their critical thinking ability
forms of identities, and communicate with which can help them in both professional
others. English as an International and academic fields. This subject can give
language can be the centre of the process learners an essential skill in thinking
and teaching activity (Bloom in Mira, logically which they cannot be obtained in
2016). Writing is a complex activity other subjects. In addition, it can help the
which consists of grammar and semantic students be aware of these crucial benefits
process. Teachers always consider writing in their daily lives. Even though it is a
as a subject which is difficult to assess, complicated task with many complex
measure, and analyze. Even in industry structures, the benefits for the students are
revolution 4.0, writing is still supposed as significant for their future needs.
a challenging subject for students to learn Bindu (2014) states English has
and to improve their abilities. spread extremely in recent years due to

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the demand to master English for getting In addition, blended learning

a job, social mobility, and global enables the student to learn the
competition. For mastering writing combination of technology and face-to-
ability, students need ICT which can face learning, thereby encourage effective
promote active learning in the teaching- learning process and the involvement of
learning process. The modern ICT should teachers and parents as the facilitators and
have features which allow students to collaborators in the classroom activity. As
apply service learning, facilitate the group stated by Sahin (2002: 95-101), blended
discussion, and expose the importance of learning is more effective than
writing subject. ICT is commonly conventional methodology because it can
considered to be the future medium of improve communication, motivation, skill
education. acquisition and adaptation for the students
ICT affects the concept of teaching- in teaching learning process.
learning activity in the classroom. In this To reach the goal of applying
modern era in which students access the blended learning in the teaching-learning
internet on their gadget, this online activity, the writer decided to use
platform plays a central role in education. schoology as an educational platform in
Albero (2002) stated that ICT can be this research. Schoology is a learning
accessible in education because of management system that teachers and
providing innovation and opportunities learners can utilize to share the material,
that would enhance the process of information, file, and resources. They can
teaching-learning activity. access schoology through website and
In the past few years, the mobile application which is designed as a
development of ICT as a support tool can digital medium to reinforce classroom
become the requirement for the interaction and provide students
educational field as the primary tool for collaboration.
teaching media platform. Sarrab (2016) Schoology has many features that
mentioned that more than seven million support collaborative learning such as
users of high school students in the world notices, participation, discussion forums,
use the educational platform in their feedback which can influence students’
study. motivation, attitude and interest for
Students can use the internet as teaching and learning of the subjects in
digital tools in ICT which provides many school or university. As stated by Ardi
solutions and gives an effective (2017: 55-76), the features of schoology
contribution to improving the students’ have opportunities to monitor the activity
writing skill. The concept of teaching of the students using the statistics menu
method in higher education level is which the teacher can control the time
students-centred learning where textbooks spent on each assignment, the discussion,
and teacher is not the primary source of and the last connection of the students.
the comprehension of the students Based on advantages of this
because they can explore the material platform can provide for the necessity of
through educational platforms. students and the teacher to design and
The students are not able to respond apply new way to enhance the quality of
to the needs of problem-solving if they learning process, not only enjoyable but
apply methodologies using direct control. also efficient and applicable within the
It is speculated necessary to implement area of the internet era. The main purpose
the more practical and enjoyable method of this study is to discover the
which can combine face to face effectiveness of using Schoology as an
interaction and online course, for alternative educational platform to
example, blended learning. improve students’ writing skill at STKIP

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LENTERA: Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan, Vo1, No. 2, (2019) 149-154

PGRI Bandar Lampung. This research students in the experimental group to

leads us to concern about fulfilling the explore their interests towards schoology.
goal of modern education in the 21st In this research, the writer
century by applying this online employed scoring rubric for analyzing the
educational platform in teaching-learning quantitative data and operated SPSS
activity. version 25 in order to find the mean score,
the standard deviation, frequency, the
percentage of the students’ scores and to
RESEARCH METHOD verify the hypothesis of significant
To identify the effectiveness of difference between the mean value of
schoology to teach writing, the method both groups for the same independent
applied in this research was quantitative - variable analyzing their value of
qualitative research. This mix method dependent t-test. On the other hand, the
design facilitates the writer to associate writer conducted the open-ended
quantitative and qualitative in order to questions to take the qualitative data by
accomplish collaboration and enhance asking the students to answer the
data from both approaches. The quasi- questionnaire by describing, assigning,
experimental pretest and posttest design and illustrating the phenomena.
were performed for collecting the
quantitative data. On the contrary, the FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
qualitative data was conducted by using a
questionnaire. The participants of this 1. The Students’ Writing Achievement
research are fourth-semester students at a. The Rate Percentage of Students’
STKIP PGRI Bandar Lampung in Writing Achievement
2018/2019 academic years. The sample
was segmented into two groups, one first Table 1: The rate percentage of students
group of 30 students of morning class, scores on the pre-test and in the post-test
and the second group of 30 students of the
afternoon class. The researcher selected
all students in A class as an experimental
group and all students in the B class as the
control group by scrutinizing the blend of
the random cluster sampling and the
purposive sampling technique. For
collecting the data, the researcher used
two types of instruments which consist of The description scale on table 1 above
writing test and questionnaire test. clearly shows that in the pre-test of the
The pre-test was administered to experimental and the control class were
calculate the writing test score of the categorized into an equivalent class.
experimental and the control group. In Despite the fact, the number of students in
addition, the experimental group which every category was a slight completely
implemented schoology as an educational different. Apparently, in the post-test
platform can be categorized into A2, B1, result, each of the groups was the same in
and B2 in the writing process. On the writing ability category, but the variety of
contrary, the control group applied a students within the scale was extremely
conventional media. Then, the post-test completely different. It indicates that the
conducted to identify the writing ability of writing score in the experimental group
students after the groups received considerably improved than in the control
different treatment. Finally, the group. The most placing result to come up
questionnaire test was given only for the from the data is that each of the groups

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Schoology Effects On Students’ Writing Ability

had completely different accomplishment Table 4: The Independent Sample T-Test

after giving treatments.
P-Value Level of Remarks
(Sig. 2 Significance
b. The Mean Score and Standard tailed) (a)
Deviation of Students’ Writing Pre test 0.018 0.05 Significance
(Experiment differences
Achievement and Control)
Post test 0.000 0.05 Significance
Table 2: The mean score and the standard (Experiment differences
deviation and Control)
Group N Mean Std
Score Deviation As can be seen in the table: 4 the
Pre Experiment 30 69 7.09 p-value outcomes of the pre-test and the
Test post-test between the groups was 0.000
Control 30 66 5.63 and the level of significance was 0.05. In
Post- Experiment 30 82 5.82 this case, the p-value was smaller than α
test (0.000<0.05). It explains the students’
Control 30 72 6.92 writing ability between the groups were
different before and after giving
Table 2 above shows the difference treatments.
between the mean score and the standard The hypothesis testing results in
deviation in pre-test and post-test. the experimental group were found that t-
Statistically, there was an improvement value = 5.993 was higher than t-table =
for students’ writing ability after each 2.000 (p=0.05, df=58). The comparison
group receiving treatment. between the two values demonstrated that
the t-value was higher than the t-table. So,
c. Test of Significance (T-Test) the null hypothesis (Ho) schoology does
not influence the writing ability of the
Table 3: The Paired Sample Test fourth-semester students of STKIP PGRI
Bandar Lampung rejected while the
P- (a) Remarks alternative hypothesis (Ha) schoology
Value affect students’ writing ability of the
fourth-semester students of STKIP PGRI
Bandar Lampung accepted. Schoology
Pre and Post of 0.000 0.000 Significantly was effective as an online educational
the improved platform in learning writing subject.
Experimental
This finding was supported by the
finding of (Garcia, Amat & Colomina,
Pre and Post of 0.000 0.000 Significantly
the Control improved 2018) that there were significant
differences in students’ writing ability
between students who operated schoology
and the students who applied non-
After calculating the p-value in the schoology media.
experimental and in the control group as
shown in table 3 were smaller than α 2. Students’ Learning Interest towards
(0.000<0.005). Consequently, it indicated Schoology
that students’ writing ability of the both
groups significantly increased after giving The qualitative data was taken from thirty
treatments. students in the experimental class several
d. The Probability Value of the T-Test days after the last treatment and the post-
test given. There were three types of

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LENTERA: Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan, Vo1, No. 2, (2019) 149-154

explanation revealed by the data analysis. feedback on their friends’ posts in

They were included, (1) the strengths, (2) discussion features which can encourage
the weaknesses, and (3) the role of the them to think critically. As a result, it can
schoology in teaching writing. be determined that applying for peer
Some 30 students completed and review via schoology can support and
returned questionnaire and most of them facilitate students to improve students’
wrote an important fact that the schoology writing ability in higher education level.
is an extremely advantageous application This statement is line with the result of
for writing. Schoology acts as the Sicat’s research which states schoology
educational platform and can be used can help and facilitate the students for
through their smartphones anytime improving the students’ writing ability.
wherever they want because it can offer a Finally, based on the findings that
passionate environment for learning and there is the improvement of students’
make learning process goes beyond writing ability because of the
temporal, conceptual, and spacial methodology and educational platform
boundaries. Schoology plays a significant used, it is indicated that schoology help
way as the educational platform which the students work at their own pace and
offers many useful features such as develop new abilities. This statement is
working sheet, advanced analytics, supported by Cummins, Brown & Sayers
automatically updating online grading (2007), the tools of schoology offer
system, and collaboration-based opportunities for students to adapt their
component. work and learning pace based on the
In addition, the finding in this cognitive challenge.
research reveals that there was a
significant effect of using schoology as an CONCLUSION
educational platform for students’ writing This current research shows that
ability. Based on the data, there are schoology as an educational platform has
possibilities of variable achievements in great potential to help students in
teaching writing subject such as features, enhancing their writing skill ability. The
the strategy of teacher and students’ learners who were taught by applying
admission. As said by Santosa & Permana schoology as learning platform had a
(2018) that the use of schoology can better achievement than the learners who
develop a logical argument and critical were taught by applying the conventional
thinking of the students. The teacher can method. Furthermore, a majority of the
create an interactive discussion for the learners approved that schoology are
students which each discussion thread can enchanting in learning writing subject.
allow them to respond to other posts. The Schoology has many benefits which could
effective discussion during the online become alternative teaching media, as a
mode guided them to develop their medium for teaching writing subject at the
problem-solving ability. higher educational level. In addition, the
Applying schoology as an findings in this research had proved that
educational platform offers an opportunity the use of schoology has a greater impact
to be more responsible and self- than the use of conventional media.
confidence for the students. This learning Moreover, this paper suggests the
media system can be accessed very fast use of schoology as an alternative way
using smartphone application, and the and solution to prevent the difficulty of
learner can download directly when the the students to develop and improve their
teacher uploads the material without writing ability. Teachers as facilitators
giving the announcement. In addition, can integrate the use of schoology into the
students can conduct peer review and give relevant syllabi and the curriculum of the

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Schoology Effects On Students’ Writing Ability

material to facilitate them in the writing university students.

class. The learners are expected to able to 10.21125/edulearn.2018.1754.
apply schoology to be more independent Santosa, Made & Gede Yoga Permana, I.
and accustom to the educational platform (2018). The Effect of Blended
and learn it way beyond their face to face Learning with Schoology on
interaction in the classroom as a result of Students’ Writing.
using schoology may educate them to be Sarrab, M.; Elbasir, M.; Alnaeli, S.
an autonomous language scholar in this (2016). "Towards a quality model of
modern era. technical aspects for mobile
learning services: An empirical
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