利用反馈信息提高学生英文写作能力

本文运用现代语言学和教学心理学方面的知识分析了反馈在后写作阶段中的作用，探讨了如何运用反馈信息有效地提高学生的英文写作能力，并提出了一些行之有效的学生。     

Investigating peer-assessment strategies for mathematics pre-service teacher learning on formative assessment

Formative assessment practices for secondary mathematics have been advocated as valuable for students, but difficult for teachers to learn. There have been calls in the literature to increase the emphasis on formative assessment in mathematics teacher preparation courses. This study explored the use of peer-assessment strategies for helping pre-service secondary mathematics teachers (PSTs) cultivate formative assessment principles and practices for assessing school students. Twenty-seven PSTs participated in a peer-assessment cycle comprised of: sourcing a rich mathematics task; constructing an assessment rubric for it; and collecting and analysing a selection of secondary student responses to the task. Each PST then provided written and verbal feedback to a peer on his/her rubric and student solution assessments. We draw on theoretical conceptions of Teacher Assessment Literacy in Practice to characterize the PSTs’ perceptions of their experience of formative assessment processes for learning to assess school students, in terms of cognitive and affective dimensions of their conceptions of assessment. The cohort evidenced a wide range of levels of confidence with the various aspects of formative assessment practices but on average less confidence in assessing school student task responses themselves than in assessing peer work. In addition to highlighting specific changes to different types of assessment knowledge, the PSTs also evidenced an awareness of shifts in their attitudes, in coming to view student task responses with more appreciation and humility.

     

Developing preservice teachers' global understanding through computer-mediated communication technology

This study examines preservice teachers' conceptual understanding of global education subsequent to participation in an asynchronous web-based multinational project to discuss issues related to cultural diversity and global challenges. Data included 59 preservice teachers' online messages and reflective essays. Six perspectives emerged from this inquiry: global education as cultural learning and understanding, fostering tolerance, addressing global issues, teaching global connections and collaborations, promoting peace, and critical understanding of global issues and events. The findings suggest that the online discussion provided a unique opportunity for participants to interact with teachers and students from different countries in an authentic context.     

Dangerous liaisons: Reflections on a pilot project for state-mandated outcomes assessment of written communication

This study details the development and results of a campus-based writing assessment plan that was mandated by a state-wide university system in order to explore the “value-added” from a writing program curriculum to undergraduate students’ competence with written expression. Four writing samples (two timed essays and two conventional essays) that are produced before, during and at the close of enrollment in the writing program are scored for critical thinking, genre knowledge, rhetorical skills, and mechanics. The results indicate that local campus student achievement related to writing is comparable with performance captured by nationally normed technologies and larger assessment projects at similar state universities. The data also suggest significant performance difference related to the institutional position of students’ instructors as well as students’ own enrollment status. The article concludes that while the data produced by this research project are compelling, the policy and political implications of the undertaking suggest greater sensitivity to the institution's culture and program direction as well as its impact on instructor morale, student learning environment and the place of composition studies in the university.     

Developing writing skills of learners with persistent literacy difficulties through explicit grammar teaching

The benefits of grammar instruction in the teaching of writing is contested in most English‐speaking countries (Jones et al., 2012). The majority of Anglophone countries abandoned the teaching of grammar in the 1950s based on the conclusions that it had no positive impact on learners’ development of reading, writing and language (Locke, 2005). Through an action research design, this study aims at gaining a further understanding of how the explicit teaching of grammar in context can benefit learners with persistent literacy difficulties by adapting the Grammar for Writing materials (Myhill, 2013). It intends to improve educational practice (Koshy, 2010) through action, analysis and reflection.     

The influence of student experience with word processors on the quality of essays written for a direct writing assessment

Although prior research has identified general procedural and qualitative differences between word-processed and pen and paper writing, little attention has been directed toward identifying how these differences relate to the prior word processing experiences of individual students. Additionally, few researchers have addressed the issue of fairness when discussing the use of word processors in writing assessment. This study investigates this relationship by comparing essays composed with pen and paper for a direct writing assessment to those composed with a word processor by students having different levels of experience with using word processors for writing.We observed differences between the two composition media similar to differences observed in previous studies of word-processed writing. That is, our results show that, overall, word-processed essays are neater and longer than were pen and paper essays. Word-processed essays also have a more formal tone and a weaker voice than their pen and paper counterparts. No composition medium differences were observed for the number of mechanical errors.In terms of how word processor experience interacts with writing quality, we found that word processors use neither improved nor worsen the quality of essays produced by students who have medium to high levels of experience using computers for writing. On the other hand, the word processor essays produced by students with a low level of experience writing with computers were scored, on a six-point scale, almost an entire point lower than those produced with pen and paper by these same students. Groups with high and medium levels of experience with word processors wrote slightly more words with a word processor than with pen and paper. On the other hand, the group with a low level of experience with using computers for writing wrote over 100 words fewer on word processors than with pen and paper. As for the number of simple sentences, groups with high and medium levels of comfort and experience with computers for writing wrote fewer simple sentences with a word processor than with pen and paper, while the group with a low level of comfort and experience with computers for writing wrote more simple sentences with word processors than with pen and paper. There were no group by media interactions for the number of mechanical errors.     

Learning through science writing via online peer assessment in a college biology course

This study used an online peer assessment activity to help 47 college students to learn biology through writing. Each student submitted a biology writing report to an online system and then experienced three rounds of peer assessment. During the online peer assessment process, self, peer and expert evaluation scores for the writing were gathered across three rounds. It was found that self-assessment scores were not quite consistent with the expert's scores, but the peer assessment scores demonstrated adequate validity with the expert's evaluation. In particular, when the students had more rounds of peer assessment for reviewing the writing, the validity of the peer scores was enhanced. An examination of the students' writing scores, allocated by peers and expert, indicated that the students significantly improved the writing as the peer assessment activity proceeded. Content analyses of the students' writing also revealed that their writing gradually developed with significantly better coverage, richness and organization resulting from the online peer assessment activity.     

多媒体和网络技术支持下的高职数学教学模式探索研究

随着信息技术的发展,将高职教学带入了新的发展局面,提升了高职教学效果。在高职学校中,应用多媒体和网络技术创新教学模式已经成为趋势,因此,高职数学教师为了优化数学教学课程,提高数学教学质量也要积极的利用多媒体和网络技术创新数学教学模式,以此来促进高职数学教学的效果。     

Integration of knowledge management and collaborative learning by technical supported communication processes

To date the development of technical systems to support learning either in schools and universities (CSCL-systems), or in companies (knowledge-management systems) have largely developed separately concurrent, with no or little mutual exchange of experience. The approach presented here seeks to combine the strengths of both lines of development in order that both benefits from each others advantages achieve advantages for each development. Detailed requirements engineering is presented regarding, three research fields: communication theory; learning processes; and a study in companies. The requirements collected led to a sophisticated concept of annotations where annotations serve as communicative contributions, and (segmented) material is used as context. The combination and distinction between communicative contributions, and the material itself is a suitable approach for integrating the advantages of CSCL-systems (communication support) and knowledge management systems (support of content storage). These requirements are combined in a software system, KOLUMBUS, presented with its key features. To gather experience with KOLUMBUS and to convey potential for further improvement, two case studies were conducted. The main results, advantages and further potentials derived from these two case studies are described in this paper. The paper concludes with design recommendations for similar technical systems, as well as organizational hints for CSCL-groups (in schools or universities as well as in companies).     

Exploring formative assessment in primary school classrooms: Developing a framework of actions and strategies

The importance of formative assessment in facilitating student learning has been well established in the literature. However, defining and implementing formative assessment in classroom settings is a rather complicated task. The aim of this study is to explore formative assessment, as implemented in primary classrooms in Cyprus, and develop a framework of action for analysing and understanding formative assessment processes. The research was qualitative, interpretive, collaborative, and guided by the ethics of care. Four primary school teachers of the third and fourth grade participated in the study. The teachers differ in their teaching experience and gender. Data collection was based on non-participant classroom observations, teachers’ interviews and documentary analysis of children’s work for written feedback. The analysis of the data was carried out using the constant comparative method and revealed five distinctive processes of formative assessment: (a) Articulation/communication of expectancies and success criteria, (b) Elicitation and collection of information, (c) Interpretation of information/judgement, (d) Providing feedback, and (e) Taking action/regulation of learning. The analysis also pointed the confusions arising from the various interpretations of the concept and the difficulties in implementing effectively formative assessment in classroom settings. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are drawn and suggestions for further research are finally provided.     

Implicit aspects of paper and pencil mathematics assessment that come to light through the use of the computer

This article explores the effect on assessment of ‘translating’ paper and pencil test items into their computer equivalents. Computer versions of a set of mathematics questions derived from the paper-based end of key stage 2 and 3 assessments in England were administered to age appropriate pupil samples, and the outcomes compared. Although in most cases the change to the different medium seems to make little difference, for some items the affordances of the computer profoundly affect how the question is attempted, and therefore what is being assessed when the item is used in a test. These differences are considered in terms of validity and legitimacy, that is whether the means used to answer a question in a particular medium are appropriate to the assessment intention. The conclusion is not only that translating paper and pencil items into the computer format sometimes undermines their validity as assessments, it is also that some paper and pencil items are less valid as assessments than their computer equivalents would be.     

医学院校非英语专业大学生英语写作策略探究

医学院校非英语专业学生英语写作一直是英语学习的一个难题。目前大学英语写作教学的现状也让人很不满意。针对这一现状,文章分析了英语写作中存在的问题及产生的原因,探讨了提高大学生英语写作水平的策略。     

Learning to collaborate: Can young children develop better communication strategies through collaboration with a more popular peer

Unpopular children are known to have poor communication skills and experience difficulty in collaborative situations. This study investigated whether pairing unpopular, 5 to 6 year-old, children with a more popular peer would promote more effective collaboration. The study also investigated differences in popular and unpopular children’s verbal and non-verbal communication. Thirty-six girls and 36 boys were placed in one of 12 popular, 12 unpopular or 12 mixed pairs. There were no mixed gender pairs. Children were filmed playing a collaborative game. Collaboration in popular pairs was more successful and less disputational than in unpopular pairs. Boys in unpopular pairs broke the rules of the game more often, argued more and did not monitoring their partners’ facial expressions effectively. With popular partners they argued less, were more likely to elaborate disagreements, looked at their partner for longer, smiled more and were more likely to offer him a small toy. Unpopular girls’ interactions were not markedly disruptive but they clearly benefited from being paired with a child with good communication skills. Popular girls modified their behaviour to take into account an unpopular partner’s need for support. These findings suggest that pairing popular and unpopular children may be a useful classroom organisation strategy.     

Supporting novice elementary mathematics teachers’ induction in professional communities and providing innovative forms of pedagogical content knowledge development through information and communication technology

This paper reports on the needs identified as important to 27 novice elementary mathematics teachers and examines how Connect-ME, an online mathematics community, provides these supports. Qualitative data were collected using two focus groups and 16 telephone interviews. Findings validate the need for alternative teacher professional development (TPD) models and the value of professional communities and knowledge acquired through technology-facilitated learning. The results indicate that teachers actively seek formal and informal TPD experiences, opportunities for sharing and communicating, and access to quality resources. This study provides educational researchers and administrators with essential elements for effectively supporting novice elementary mathematics teachers.