Transforming writing instruction: using integrated alternative assessments to improve essay writing skills of ethiopian undergraduates

Integrated alternative assessment (IAA), coprising peer, self, and portfolio assessments, offers learners multifaceted feedback and interactive opportunities to enhance writing proficiency. However empirical research on combined effect of IAA and student-centric evaluations on writing practice, especially regarding subskills, remains limited. This pilot study investigates the effects of an IAA-based instructional framework on the essay writing abilities of undergraduate students at Arba Minch University, Ethiopia Utilizing a Pre- and post- test design, data were collected from 49 freshman students and analyzed ising paired sample t-tests for overall proficiency and wilcoxen signed-rank tests for specific sub-skills (content, organization and mechanics). Additionally, longitudinal analyses were carried out to track changes in writing progress over time, while regression analyses were used to identify quantitative differences. The results demonstrate improvements in the post-test scores across all catagories ( p ≤ 0.001), indicating that the longitudinal integration of IAA into writing instruction substantially enhances students’ essay writing mastery. The findings advocate for the transition from tradional testing to task-oriented alternative assessments and provide practical pedagogical recommendations for implementing IAA strategies in higher education writing curricula.