Table of Contents

The Role of ICT in improving writing skills

Abstract Writing Skills:

This research explores the writing facilities and challenges faced by Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) students in Bangladesh, with a focus on the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in enhancing their writing skills. It highlights prevalent issues, including subject-verb agreement, limited vocabulary, spelling errors, and ineffective teaching methods. Despite technological advancements, financial constraints and inadequate ICT skills hinder the effective utilization of technology for language learning.

The implications suggest the need for targeted interventions to address these writing challenges, emphasizing the integration of ICT tools such as Chatbots, Grammarly, social media platforms, computers, and mobile phones. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of writing difficulties among HSC students and provides practical suggestions for leveraging ICT to improve writing proficiency.

Keywords: ICT, HSC, Writing, Mobile phone, Computer, Social Media, Grammarly, Chatbot i

Introduction to writing skills

In today’s interconnected world, proficient writing skills are indispensable for academic success and professional advancement, particularly among HSC students in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s education system places a significant emphasis on English language proficiency, with English being a compulsory subject from primary education to the tertiary level (Suruj, 2011). However, despite this focus, many HSC students encounter substantial challenges in developing their writing skills effectively.

The difficulties including subject-verb agreement, limited vocabulary, spelling errors, and the influence of faulty teaching methods, financial constraints and inadequate ICT skills faced by HSC students in Bangladesh in developing their writing skills are multifaceted and deeply entrenched in the education system. Furthermore, limited vocabulary, weak grammatical foundations, and a lack of effective feedback mechanisms exacerbate these challenges, contributing to persistent errors and subpar writing quality (Suruj, 2011).

The significance of this study lies in its comprehensive examination of the challenges faced by HSC students in Bangladesh regarding their writing skills. Additionally, it assesses the potential of ICT to tackle these challenges. By shedding light on issues such as subject-verb agreement, limited vocabulary, and ineffective teaching methods, this research provides a deeper understanding of the writing difficulties experienced by HSC students. Furthermore, the study focuses on practical solutions through the utilization of ICT tools such as Chatbots, Grammarly, and social media platforms, thereby offering avenues for enhancing writing proficiency.

Literature Review of Writing skills in HSC Student

Writing proficiency is crucial for HSC students in Bangladesh. Academic success depends on effective expression of ideas. However, there are challenges that hinder students’ writing development. Several studies have explored writing facilities and challenges faced by HSC students in Bangladesh. Suruj (2011) analyzed writing samples from college and madrasah students and identified common errors, such as subject-verb agreement, sentence construction, and tense usage. Hasan and Hafiz (2017) investigated students’ perceptions of technology use in learning English as a foreign language.

They found that while students acknowledged the benefits of technology, they also faced barriers to its effective use, including financial constraints and a lack of ICT skills. Tak Pang Lau and Shuai Wang (2014) introduced the technological Platform, a comprehensive tool including, social media, chat bot, computer, mobile phone etc. for enhancing writing skills through editing assistance and text analysis. This platform addresses various aspects of writing improvement, including grammar checking, readability assessment, and plagiarism detection.

Warschauer (2017) discussed the impact of information and communication technologies on written communication, especially in the context of English language learning and teaching. The author reviewed research on topics such as computer-assisted classroom discussions, email exchanges, and internet-induced plagiarism, emphasizing the need for further exploration of technology-intensive writing in education. Khanom (2014) examined teachers’ perspectives on students’ writing challenges, focusing on issues such as exam-oriented education, writing as memorization, limited communication opportunities, and distractions from technology.

Despite the existing literature on writing challenges among HSC students, there is a lack of research specifically focusing on the role of ICT in improving writing skills. Previous studies have explored students’ perceptions of technology use and introduced writing enhancement platforms like technology in general. Furthermore, while some studies have highlighted the use of technology in speaking and listening, however, more comprehensive analyses of writing specific technologies such as chatbot, Grammarly, social media, computer, mobile phone and their implications for writing instruction are needed.

Research Questions:

What are the current writing facilities in the HSC level?
What are the specific writing challenges students face at the HSC level?
How can ICT be effectively integrated into writing instruction to improve writing skills among HSC students in Bangladesh?

Methodology

This study utilizes a mixed-method research design. The study includes 18 HSC students from both rural and urban areas of Bangladesh to ensure representation from diverse backgrounds. In addition, four interviewer students will be chosen to conduct semi-structured interviews. Data will be collected through a combination of methods, including writing samples, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires.

Ethical considerations will be of utmost importance throughout the research process. Participants’ information will be treated confidentially, and they will be informed about their right to withdraw from the study at any point. Thematic analysis will be employed to analyze qualitative data gathered from writing samples and interviews. For quantitative data analysis, inferential statistics will be used, with software such as SAS or Stata facilitating the analysis process.

Contribution

The study recommends the use of ICT tools such as Chatbots, Grammarly, mobile, computer, and social media platforms to enhance writing proficiency. These findings have implications for educational policies and initiatives aimed at improving writing skills among HSC students, benefiting educators, learners. Furthermore, this study has broader implications for academic success, socio-economic development, and overall students’ growth in Bangladesh.

Conclusion

This study highlights the writing difficulties faced by HSC students in Bangladesh and explores the potential of ICT to address these challenges. It is important to implement specific interventions and systemic reforms to enhance writing proficiency. The limitations of this study include time constraints, insufficient funding, and a limited number of participants. Further research should delve into ICT-based interventions and evaluate their effectiveness in wring skills. In summary, this study sets the groundwork for future investigations in writing instruction, aiming to empower students in the digital era.

Reference

Milon, S. R. H., & Iqbal, M. H. (2017). Students’ Perception towards Technology in Learning English as a Foreign Language: A Case Study of Higher Secondary Students of Pabna, Bangladesh. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22(06), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837- 2206104753
Lau, T. P., Wang, S., Man, Y., Yuen, C., & King, I. (2014). Language technologies for enhancement of teaching and learning in writing. International World Wide Web Conference Committee. https://doi.org/10.1145/2567948.2580058
Shuvra, S. S., & Roy, S. (2022). Tertiary students’ perceptions regarding the challenges to develop writing skills. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 9(1), 46.

https://doi.org/10.5430/ijelt.v9n1p46

Warschauer, M. (2007). Technology and writing. In Springer eBooks (pp. 907–917). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-46301-8_60
Rozario, M. (2020). Problems of Developing Writing Skills at the Tertiary Level of Bangladesh: Instructor and Learner perspective. Nd. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/44272847/Problems_of_Developing_Writing_Skills_at_the_Tertiary_Lev el_of_Bangladesh_Instructor_and_Learner_perspective

Suruj, M. (2011, April 28). HSC and Alim Level Student Mistakes in English Writing: A Comparative study. Retrieved from http://dspace.ewubd.edu:8080/handle/123456789/130

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