Rabu, 07 November 2012


The Advantages of Peer Comment in Facebook

Harry Utama Putra
06101001031

There are many way to comment student’s work in writing, one of them is in Facebook. Facebook provides a special place to put student’s writing named group.  Every student can post their works in that group and then all of their friends can see and give the comment if they find the mistaken in the written text. Peer comment can change individual Learning become collaborative learning and decrease teacher centered (Tsui and Ng). Thus, peer comment in Facebook is useful for student. In contrast, there are also disadvantages of peer comment in Facebook, but this essay will concern about the advantages one: encourage collaborative learning and give students a wider range of feedback.

First of all, peer comment in Facebook can encourage online collaborative learning. It will be diminish what people said teacher centered. Walker and Daniels state “Collaborative Learning is a hybrid of soft systems methodology (SSM), experiential and adult learning theories, and the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) areas of conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation.” So, if there is a good interaction between the students, for example, comment on each other in Facebook, it will make learning process run collaboratively. In collaborative setting, student can learn from their friends and catch mutual support (Patrick and Wendy). As a result, it will be enhance collaborative learning among the students.

Second advantage is that peer comment in Facebook gives the students a wider range of feedback. Every student has a wide chance to criticize their friends works if they thought there’s some mistaken in their friends works. According to Rudy, “Peers are practically a good source of feedback, the helpfulness of their comments on peer writing can be very limited.” Similarly, Zainurahhman said that peer feedback is interpretation from other students to read and to give comments, corrections, criticisms, and suggestions on what other students have written. In addition, give comment to their friend’s work in Facebook is the way for them to improve their creativity in analysis and developing grammatical skill by advisory them in written feedback. Therefore, wide range of feedback is important for students.

It is clear that there are many positive things in Facebook if we want to know and use it properly; Teaching and learning process also can run in there, especially in group. Facebook has raised collaborative learning and provided more chance for the student to give feedback of their friends in writing. Thus, the teachers have to know about technology development especially in improving the learning media which can make the student more interest in writing subject. Besides, for the student, peer comment is one of million ways to increase writing skill and appreciation of their friend’s writing.



References :
Tsui, Ami B. M. and Ng, Maria. (2000). Do Secondary L2 Writers Benefit from Peer Comments? Website:http://www.fe.hku.hk/curric/amytsui/bk_reviews/docs/Do_Secondary_L2_Writers_Benefit_from_Peer_Comments.pdf accessed on: October 31, 2012. A paper of Journal Second Language Writing, 9 (2), 147 ± 170 (2000).
Rudy, R. Indrawati. (2011). From Classroom to Peer Comment in Facebook: Bridging to Establish Learners’ Literacy. Website: http://www.pixel_online.net/ict4ll2011/common/download/paper_pdf/IBL41-282-FP-rudy-ICT4LL2011.pdf  Access on: October 31, 2012.
Walker, Gregg and Daniels, Steve. (2012). the Basic of Collaborative Learning. Website: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/comm440-540/CL2pager.htm . Accessed on: October 31, 2012.
Zainurrahman. (2012). Peer Feedback in English as Second Language Writing. Website: http://www.articlesbase.com/languages-articles/teaching-writing-through-peer-feedback-2731309.html . Access on: October 31, 2012.