Students’ motivation and teachers’ teaching practices towards the use of blogs for writing of online journals

This research paper explores students’ motivation and teachers’ teaching practices towards the writing of compositions in the conventional paper-based (paper and pencil) and the online blogs mode. Six classes of Grade 5 (224 students) and four English teachers in an elementary-level future school in Singapore were involved in this study. A total of four written assignments were given to the students – two conventional paper and pencil and two online blog-written assignments. No significant difference was found in students’ scores on these assignments. However, the submission rate for the conventional paper-based assignments was 93.8% as compared to 75% for the online blogs entries. Although both students and teachers in this study are savvy information communication technology users who have been exposed to one-to-one computing since Grade 1, the use of blogs for journal writing was not natural to both parties. Teachers found that it was more cumbersome to grade and give comments on students’ online blog posts via the online platform and likewise, students also faced issues with the submission of their online writing assignments. Some students quoted that they preferred writing via conventional paper and pencil mode, experienced network connection and technical issues, had poor time management, experienced forgetfulness and distraction from the computers and the Internet for not submitting their online writing assignments. This study also once again highlighted the importance of the teacher, as one out of the four teachers managed to get all her students to submit their writing assignments. The in-depth analysis of the interviews with the teachers and students, students’ perception survey, students’ performance in their writing tasks (both online and paper-based) and submission rates had revealed useful insights and considerations on the use of blogs to engage students in writing.     

The Relationships Between Academic Self-Efficacy,Computer Self-Efficacy,Prior Experience,and Satisfaction With Online Learning

This study investigated the relationships between academic self-efficacy (ASE), computer self-efficacy (CSE), prior experience, and satisfaction with online learning and explored how ASE, CSE, and satisfaction vary with age and gender. One hundred and three graduate students enrolled in purely online courses in January 2014 at a university in the midwestern United States participated in the survey. Scales with known reliability were used to measure ASE, CSE, and satisfaction. The study showed a significant positive correlation among all the variables except CSE and satisfaction. Regression analysis showed ASE to be most predictive of satisfaction with online learning. Females had a higher mean ASE than males, and participants aged thirty-five years and above had a higher mean CSE than younger participants.     

Writing Stories to Enhance Scientific Literacy

In response to international concerns about scientific literacy and students’ waning interest in school science, this study investigated the effects of a science‐writing project about the socioscientific issue (SSI) of biosecurity on the development of students’ scientific literacy. Students generated two BioStories each that merged scientific information with the narrative storylines in the project. The study was conducted in two phases. In the exploratory phase, a qualitative case study of a sixth‐grade class involving classroom observations and interviews informed the design of the second, confirmatory phase of the study, which was conducted at a different school. This phase involved a mixed methods approach featuring a quasi‐experimental design with two classes of Australian middle school students (i.e., sixth grade, 11 years of age, n = 55). The results support the argument that writing the sequence of stories helped the students become more familiar with biosecurity issues, develop a deeper understanding of related biological concepts, and improve their interest in science. On the basis of these findings, teachers should be encouraged to engage their students in the practice of writing about SSI in a way that integrates scientific information into narrative storylines. Extending the practice to older students and exploring additional issues related to writing about SSI are recommended for further research.     

Immersion,Reflection, Failure: Teaching Graduate Students to Teach Writing Online

ABSTRACT

A common challenge facing those who prepare graduate students to teach writing online is the need to help those students connect online writing instruction (OWI) theory with their classroom practice. The authors present how graduate students are prepared to teach writing online at three universities and then synthesize those approaches to highlight three principles that can guide effective OWI preparation for graduate students in any program: immersion, reflection, and failure.     

Assessment of the English Skills of Tertiary Students

Despite increasing concern about student writing at the tertiary level there has been little empirical research into the nature and extent of the problem in Australia. The writing skills of three samples of university students in different courses were assessed using the multiple choice English Skills Assessment (ESA) test, and two other measures developed by the researchers: a detailed error checklist and wholistic ratings. The error checklist was intended to supplement as well as complement the skills areas covered by the ESA. On average, students responded correctly to 86 per cent of the ESA test items and made a total of 21 errors per 1000 words when writing narrative. The checklist enabled the detection of important deficiencies in writing not identified by the ESA, particularly in some areas of punctuation and sentence structure. Some different emphases are indicated for the testing of writing skills at the university level.     

Children's cognitive effort and fluency in writing: Effects of genre and of handwriting automatisation

This study investigated the cognitive effort of 5th and 9th graders while writing a text. We manipulated genre (narrative text vs. argumentative text) and tested how level of handwriting automatisation contributes to cognitive effort and fluency in writing. The participants were 23 students from Grade 5 and 21 from Grade 9, who wrote two texts differing in genre while performing a secondary reaction time task. The results showed that cognitive effort interacted with genre. Cognitive effort decreased between Grades 5 and 9 only for writing argumentative text. Handwriting did not contribute to fluency in writing, but contributed to cognitive effort only in 5th-graders' writing of narrative text. The findings are discussed in light of the factors contributing to cognitive effort and fluency in writing.     

Using Online Studio Groups to Improve Writing Competency: A Pilot Study in a Quality Improvement Methods Course

Communication skills are a significant contributor to an individual's success in the workplace. Unfortunately, students often have trouble expressing their ideas in written form and the poor quality of students’ written work often impedes the learning process. This pilot study investigates the use of online writing studios within a quality improvement methods course and the impact of this intervention on students’ writing competency and perceptions about the writing process. The impact of this approach on student performance is evaluated within and across semesters using comparative statistical analyses. Results show that students who participated in online writing studios performed better (i.e., at least one rubric level higher) on their final written assignments for the course compared to students who did not, and that this approach is associated with improved students’ perceptions about the writing process. This research suggests that the use of online writing studios within a content‐specific course can incrementally improve students’ writing competency over the course of one semester, and can positively affect the learning of written communication skills and change students’ perceptions about various aspects of the writing process.     

Nonreaders and nonwriters in special education: Crossing new literacy thresholds

This paper reports on the way in which a teacher led the literacy development of two students who were nonreaders and nonwriters. The two students received instruction in a special education room for students with learning disabilities. The teacher implemented an integrated instructional program in reading and writing that was designed to: (a) embed literacy instruction in meaningful and purposive activities, (b) respond to the needs, capabilities and interests of learners, and reflect their zones of proximal development, (c) promote self-regulated learning, and (d) foster students' membership in a literacy community. This paper focuses on the strategies the teacher used to mediate reading and writing development and the effects of the strategies on the narrative and expository writing performance of her students.     

Improving Narrative Writing Skills of Secondary Students with Disabilities Using Strategy Instruction

Writing standards and objectives outline complex skills for narrative essay writing at the secondary level. Students with disabilities often produce disorganized narratives with fewer narrative elements than their peers without disabilities. A multiple-probe design was used to examine effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development for the Pick my genre then idea, Organize my notes, Write (POW) + Setting, Tension, rising Action, Climax, Solution (STACS) strategy on narrative essay-writing skills for 6 secondary students with disabilities. Results indicated students improved the quality of their narratives and included a greater number of strategy-specific and story grammar elements following instruction. Students were also able to transfer skills across a history or social studies setting and could more accurately differentiate narrative writing prompts from expository and persuasive writing prompts. Treatment acceptability results indicated students found instruction beneficial.     

Attitudinal impact of hybridized writing about a socioscientific issue

The development of scientifically literate citizens remains an important priority of science education; however, growing evidence of students' disenchantment with school science continues to challenge the realization of this aim. This triangulation mixed methods study investigated the learning experiences of 152 9th grade students as they participated in an online science‐writing project on the socioscientific issue of biosecurity. Students wrote a series of hybridized scientific narratives, or BioStories, that integrate scientific information about biosecurity with narrative storylines. The students completed an online Likert‐style questionnaire, the BioQuiz, which examined selected aspects of their attitudes toward science and science learning, prior to their participation in the project, and upon completion of the writing tasks. Statistical analyses of these results and interview data obtained from participating students suggest that hybridized writing about a socioscientific issue developed more positive attitudes toward science and science learning, particularly in terms of the students' interest and enjoyment. Implications for research and teaching are also discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 878–900, 2011     

Online reflective writing mechanisms and its effects on self-regulated learning: a case of web-based portfolio assessment system

The purpose of the present study was to design reflective writing mechanisms in a web-based portfolio assessment system and evaluate its effects on self-regulated learning. Participants were two classes of juniors majoring in data processing and taking a course called “Website design” at a vocational high school in Taiwan. One class was randomly selected and assigned as an experimental group (41 students) reflecting on learning processes through a web-based portfolio assessment system, whereas the other class was assigned as a control group (41 students) reflecting on learning processes through a paper-based portfolio. The result revealed that students who were highly satisfied with online reflective writing mechanisms significantly outperformed students who were less satisfied with online reflective writing mechanisms in self-regulated students reflecting on learning processes through a web-based portfolio assessment system significantly outperformed students reflecting on learning processes through a paper-based portfolio in self-regulated learning.     

Teaching planning or sentence-combining strategies: Effective SRSD interventions at different levels of written composition

This study tested the effectiveness of two strategy-focused interventions aimed at promoting fifth and sixth graders’ opinion essay writing. Over 12 weekly 90-min lessons, two groups of 48 and 39 students received, respectively, planning and sentence-combining instruction, which followed the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model. These intervention groups were compared with a practice control group of 39 students receiving standard writing instruction. The following main findings were noteworthy: (a) planning and sentence-combining instruction enhanced planning and sentence-construction skills, respectively; (b) both interventions increased opinion essay quality and text length; (c) planning instruction enhanced not only discourse-level writing but also some sentence- and word-level aspects of composition; (d) sentence-combining instruction enhanced not only sentence- and word-level writing but also some discourse-level aspects of composition; (e) after instruction, there was a correlation between self-efficacy and writing quality in both intervention groups; and (f) planning, but not sentence-combining, instructional effects generalized to summary writing.     

The Benefits of Improved Information Literacy Skills on Student Writing Skills: Developing a Collaborative Teaching Model with Research Librarians in Undergraduate Social Work Education

Improving the information literacy and writing skills of undergraduate social work students continues to be an issue for social work educators. In spite of the persistent concern, only a few studies examine the factors influencing these skills and interventions to strengthen them. This article details a faculty–librarian collaborative teaching model to develop students’ information literacy and writing skills through an iterative, peer-reviewed process that includes online and in-class library instruction. Pre- and posttest results from course evaluations, using the learning management system, indicate that students improve their information literacy skills, which in turn improves their writing skills. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for academic and professional development.     

第二语言写作教学模式研究——以中级汉语记叙文写作为例

在汉语作为第二语言教学中,记叙文写作往往被中级水平的学生认为实用性不高,学习意愿低。应用任务式对记叙文写作进行任务的设计,通过任务前、任务中、任务后"做中学"的活动可以加强学生语言表达的流利性、准确性和复杂性,激发学生用汉语进行交际和写作的兴趣,提高学生的汉语综合表达能力。     

The bright and dark side of writing motivation: Effects of explicit instruction and peer assistance

The authors investigated the impact of explicit instruction and peer-assisted writing on students' writing motivation and self-efficacy for writing. Eleven teachers and their 206 fifth- and sixth-grade students participated in a 2 (explicit instruction vs. writing opportunities without explicit instruction) × 2 (peer-assisted writing vs. writing individually) experimental intervention study with a pretest-posttest design. The four experimental conditions were compared with a business-as-usual (BAU) condition. The five-week interventions were implemented in authentic classes by regular class teachers, who received a prior professional development training. Multilevel analyses showed that students who wrote with a peer were more autonomously motivated at posttest than BAU students. Additionally, BAU students and students receiving explicit instruction were more controlled motivated than students who were offered ample writing opportunities while practicing individually. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed in view of realizing a bright pathway towards autonomous writing motivation.     

The Effects of a Strategic Writing Program for Students with and without Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Fifth‐Grade Classes

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a comprehensive writing program for students with and without learning disabilities (LD) in inclusive general education classrooms. The program incorporated research‐based components including instruction in a prewriting planning strategy, narrative text structure, writing strategies, and the process approach to writing. The study was conducted in five fifth‐grade inclusive classrooms with 113 students (including 14 students with LD). A quasi‐experimental comparison‐group design was utilized, whereby three intact experimental classes received the writing intervention, and two intact comparison classes received traditional writing instruction. Measures included several writing indicators as well as state writing competency test scores. Results indicated that the students with and without LD in the experimental group made significant gains from pretest to posttest on several writing measures. Although students in the comparison group made some gains, the gains were related to fewer measures than the measures associated with experimental‐group gains, and the effect sizes were smaller.     

Charting the routes to revision: An interplay of writing goals,peer comments,and self-reflections from peer reviews

Building upon self-regulated learning theories, we examined the nature of student writing goals and the relationship of these writing goals to revision alone and in combination with two other important sources of students’ self-regulated revision—peer comments on their writing, and reflections for their own writing obtained from reviewing others’ writing. Data were obtained from a large introductory undergraduate class in the context of two 1000-word writing assignments involving online peer review and a required revision. We began with an investigation of students’ free response learning goals and a follow-up quantitative survey about the nature and structure of these writing goals. We found that: (a) students tended to create high-level substantive goals more often, (b) students change their writing goals across papers even for a very similar assignment, and (c) their writing goals divide into three dimensions: general writing goals, genre writing goals, and assignment goals. We then closely coded and analyzed the relative levels of association of revision changes with writing goals, peer comments, reflections from peer review, and combinations of these sources. Findings suggest that high-level revisions are commonly associated with writing goals, are especially likely to occur for combinations of the three sources, and peer comments alone appeared to make the largest contributions to revision.     

Collaborative chain writing: effects on the narrative competence of primary school students / Escritura colaborativa encadenada: efectos en la competencia narrativa de estudiantes de Educación Primaria

Abstract

This study compared the effect of different classroom writing practices on narrative competence. The participants were 91 primary school students, who were assigned two writing practice conditions (individual and collaborative) and one control condition. Within each condition, the students drew from different support resources to plan and revise their texts. The results show the advantages of collaborative writing when certain kinds of support are provided (particularly when the students planned their stories using a question guide and co-evaluated them using a rubric). The analysis of the verbal interaction during the collaborative writing activities also confirms that the pairs who used a rubric showed a higher number of verbal co-evaluation messages focused primarily on the overall coherence of the text (more than on semantic, grammatical or orthographic issues). Finally, the educational implications of these conclusions in terms of teaching writing in primary school are discussed.