without their classmates comments. From here, they know that they need their classmates to succeed, and thus, cooperation is needed.
b. Features by ELTGallery
ELTGallery is a website used mainly by the English Letters at Sanata Dharma University to conduct electronic courses, mainly about writing, such as
Sentence Writing and Paragraph Writing. The website can be accessed by visiting www.ELTGallery.com. Students must register first to the course that they should
take either Sentence Writing or Paragraph Writing and get a username and password before they can start the learning activities. Figure 2.4 shows the
homepage of ELTGallery.
Figure 2.4. ELTGallery ‟s homepage
As a website that caters the learning processes of Sentence Writing course, ELTGallery is equipped with a number of features that can help students learn
throughout the semester. They include topic selection, topic explanation, sentence writing, check-revise sentence, passage writing, sentence review, passage review,
personal page, peer comment, peer revision, progress record, grammar materials, and the new grammar practices feature.
1 Topic selection
The students have to always select a particular topic first and then submit the selection by clicking the submit button, below the topic table before using
the other features provided by ELTGallery for Sentence Writing class. Figure 2.5 displays the page once the students enter Sentence Writing and shows the topic
selection.
Figure 2.5. Topic selection for Sentence Writing The
topic selection page provides links for uploading the students‟ picture, displaying syllabus, and reviewing the use of punctuation. It also gives a brief
explanation on how to write a passage. Below the explanation is a table containing
topics and themes discussed in the course, the instructions for sentence and paragraph writing tasks as well as the deadlines for each task. There are 12 topics
throughout the semester, namely sentence, tense, article and determiner, personal pronoun, question, noun modification, auxiliary verb, perfect and continuous,
compound and complex sentence, relative clause, nominal clause, passive voice, and last, sentence grammaticality. After selecting the particular topic they are
going to work on, the students can choose the other features to do the activities. Figure 2.6 shows the menu for Sentence Writing class.
Figure 2.6. Sentence Writing class menu The menu for the Sentence Writing class include select topics, as already
explained above, check correctness, write sentences, check-revise sentences, review sentences, read other sentences, comment sentences, write passage, review
passage, read passages, comment passages, view personal pages, and check
records. The details about these features will be explained specifically in the next points in this subsection.
2 Topic explanation
Topic explanation contains a brief account of each topic, mostly about grammar, accompanied by examples. Figure 2.7 is a snapshot of an explanation
on the topic „Tense‟.
Figure 2.7. Topic explanation The topic explanation feature is available once the students submit a selected
topic. This is meant so that the students can always review about the topic before doing the grammar exercise or writing sentences as well as a passage.
3 Grammar practice
Grammar practice is the new feature in ELTGallery. It is a true-false sentence exercise that aims to help the students develop their grammatical skills.
Figure 2.8 shows a sample of a grammar practice on the topic „Sentence‟.
Figure 2.8. Grammar Practice For each topic, there are three sets of grammar practice. The sets can be accessed
through the option “Check Correctness” on the Sentence Writing menu, or clicking the “Check sentences” and “Check sentence grammaticality” links below
each topic explanation. In each set, there are 50 sentences on which the students have to identify as true or false by just clicking the dot under the letters T or F.
4 Sentence Writing
The sentence writing feature allows the students to create their own sentences as a follow up activity of the grammar practice. It can be accessed by
clicking the “Write Sentences” menu. Later on, the sentences that the students
have made are reviewed by the teachers or peers. Figure 2.9 is a sample of the
feature on the topic “Sentence”.
Figure 2.9. Writing Sentences Before the students can work with this feature, they have to make sure that
they score at least 7.0 for the grammar practice. Later on, the sentences that the students have made are reviewed by the teachers or peers
5 Check-revise sentence
This feature allows the students to check and revise the sentences that they have submitted as seen in Figure 2.10 below.
Figure 2.10. Check and revise sentences The “Check – revise sentences” is also available in the Sentence Writing menu.
By advantaging this feature, the students expectedly can correct the mistakes they might have done when creating sentences and thus improve their sentences.
6 Passage Writing
The passage writing feature allows the students to create their own passages as a follow up activity of the grammar practice. It can be accessed by
clicking the “Write Passages” menu. Later on, the passages that the students have made are reviewed by the teachers or peers. Figure 2.11 shows selections on the
passage that the students are going to write.
Figure 2.11. Passage Writing Selection Once the students selected the topic for the passage, the students are provided
with a box to write their passage. Figure 2.12 below displays the passage writing feature on the topic “Personal Identity”.
Figure 2.12. Passage Writing After they finished writing the passage, they can submit their work. Later on, the
teacher or peers will give comment and grammatical checks on the passage. 7
Sentence review This feature allows the students to read all sentences that they have written
as can be seen in Figure 2.13 below.
Figure 2.13. Sentence Review It can be accessed by clicking the “Review Sentences” menu. By using this
feature, the students can evaluate their progress in writing sentences. 8
Passage review This feature allows the students to read all passages that they have written
as can be seen in Figure 2.14 below.
Figure 2.14. Passage Review It can be accessed by cli
cking the “Review Passages” menu. By advantaging this feature, the students can monitor their own progress in writing passages.
9 Personal page
This feature enables the students to upload picture and view their personal as well as ot
her students‟ pages. Figure 2.15 displays a snapshot of the feature.
Figure 2.15. Personal Page It can be accessed by clicking the “View personal pages” menu. This feature can
also show the students‟ passages put together according to each own personal account.
10 Sentence comment
This feature allows the students to give comments on their peers‟ sentences as can be seen in Figure 2.16 below. It can be accessed by clicking the
“Comment sentences” menu.
Figure 2.16. Sentence Comment First, the students have to choose a student‟s name whose work is going to be
given comment. Then, they can comment on their classmate‟s sentence in the
space provided. Besides giving comments, they can also correct their friends‟
sentences if the sentences are still incorrect. 11
Passage comment This f
eature enables the students to give comments on their peers‟ sentences as can be seen in Figure 2.17 below. It can be accessed by clicking the
“Comment passages” menu.
Figure 2.17. Passage Comment Here, the students can give corrections to their
students‟ passages using the marking symbols provided, rate the work, as well as comment on it.
12 Progress record
This feature helps the students to see their participation in the class as can be seen in Figure 2.18 below. It can be accessed by clicking the
“Check Records” menu.
Figure 2.18. Progress Record By this feature, students can check the number of sentences they have written so
far, the number of sentences rated as good by their peers, and the number of comments and corrections they have given so far.
All of the features are designed to facilitate the online teaching and learning process. By advantaging the features, students can do the class activities,
including writing, commenting, and reviewing easier. They can also see and evaluate their own progress by checking out the recorded statistics, works, and
comments.
5. Sentence Writing Class’ Students
