Self- and Peer-Assessment of Student-Generated Podcasts to Improve Comprehensibility in Undergraduate EFL Students

Abstract

This study reports on a mixed-methods research project into self- and peer-formative assessment of student-generated podcasts in a group of 18 undergraduate students. The aim was to determine whether there were any gains in the spoken comprehensibility of the participants while having them reflect on and adjust their use of suprasegmentals (thought groups, sentence stress, and intonation). Data were gathered from student logs, student-generated podcasts, and a questionnaire. Results unveiled the exhibition of self-regulated behaviours and gains in comprehensibility. This study highlights the importance of helping learners look critically and reflectively at their own oral production and of incorporating training on suprasegmentals within English as a foreign language courses to help learners communicate more effectively within a globalised context.

Este estudio reporta una investigaci�n de m�todos mixtos sobre autoevaluaci�n y evaluaci�n formativa por pares de podcasts generados por 18 estudiantes de pregrado. El objetivo fue determinar si hab�a alg�n aumento en la compresi�n hablada de los participantes mientras se les hac�a reflexionar y ajustar su uso de suprasegmentos (grupos de pensamiento, acentuaci�n en oraciones y entonaci�n). Los datos se obtuvieron de registros y podcasts generados por los estudiantes, y de un cuestionario. Los resultados muestran comportamientos autorregulados y aumento en la comprensi�n. Este estudio resalta la importancia de ayudar a los estudiantes a examinar cr�tica y reflexivamente su producci�n oral e incorporar capacitaci�n en suprasegmentos en cursos de ingl�s como lengua extranjera para ayudarlos a comunicarse efectivamente en un contexto globalizado.