feeding back on students writing? try talking to them! by wayne trotman izmir katip Çelebi...
TRANSCRIPT
Feeding Back On Feeding Back On Students’ Writing?Students’ Writing?
Try talking to them!Try talking to them!
by Wayne Trotmanby Wayne TrotmanIzmir Izmir Katip Çelebi UniversityKatip Çelebi UniversityTurkeyTurkey
Options AvailableOptions Available
Self-evaluationSelf-evaluation Peer correction (PC)Peer correction (PC) Teacher error correction (EC)Teacher error correction (EC) Teacher written comments (TWC)Teacher written comments (TWC) ComputerComputer mediated feedbackmediated feedback Teacher-student conferencing (TSC)Teacher-student conferencing (TSC)
Self evaluationSelf evaluation
It’s important not to overlook writers as It’s important not to overlook writers as critical readers of their own workcritical readers of their own work
FFeedback may be more effective when it is eedback may be more effective when it is combined with that of self and otherscombined with that of self and others
““..the ultimate aim of any form of feedback ..the ultimate aim of any form of feedback should be to move students to a more should be to move students to a more independent role where they can critically independent role where they can critically evaluate their own writing…” (Hyland evaluate their own writing…” (Hyland &Hyland 2006a)&Hyland 2006a)
Peer correctionPeer correction
Research claims many positive effects for PCResearch claims many positive effects for PC Involves students actively; more authentic Involves students actively; more authentic
audienceaudience Recent research questions effectiveness of PCRecent research questions effectiveness of PC Students are more likely to rely on teacher Students are more likely to rely on teacher
feedbackfeedback Questions about the quality of peer feedbackQuestions about the quality of peer feedback Careful preparation and training for PC are Careful preparation and training for PC are
essential essential
Teacher response: two typesTeacher response: two types
Teacher error correction / written feedbackTeacher error correction / written feedback Research in 1980s & 1990s began to Research in 1980s & 1990s began to
question the effectiveness of fbk on question the effectiveness of fbk on student improvement, because it was too student improvement, because it was too often:often:
poor qualitypoor quality vaguevague inconsistent inconsistent misunderstoodmisunderstood
Teacher error correction (EC)Teacher error correction (EC)
Truscott (1996) saw little benefit in ECTruscott (1996) saw little benefit in EC Felt Felt EC was harmful, as it was time consumingEC was harmful, as it was time consuming Students expect to see teacher response to Students expect to see teacher response to
errorerror Difficult to draw conclusions and generalisationsDifficult to draw conclusions and generalisations
from the literature, although ..from the literature, although ..
Overall students appear to attend to EC and use Overall students appear to attend to EC and use it to make accurate changes in their textsit to make accurate changes in their texts
Teacher written feedbackTeacher written feedback
L2 students are positive about this, although..L2 students are positive about this, although.. Contribution to immediate and long term writing Contribution to immediate and long term writing
development is still uncleardevelopment is still unclear Studies suggest students…Studies suggest students… ignore or misuse comments when revising draftsignore or misuse comments when revising drafts understand the problem but cannot respondunderstand the problem but cannot respond delete the problem to avoid issues raiseddelete the problem to avoid issues raised
Computer-mediated feedbackComputer-mediated feedback
Increasingly common in distance learning Increasingly common in distance learning and online supervisionand online supervision
Conferencing: synchronous and Conferencing: synchronous and asynchronousasynchronous
Synchronous – real time chatSynchronous – real time chat Asynchronous – emailAsynchronous – email Claimed to make writing more Claimed to make writing more
collaborativecollaborative
Teacher student conferencingTeacher student conferencing
Advantages:Advantages: In TSC students receive more focused and In TSC students receive more focused and
usable feedback (Zamel 1985)usable feedback (Zamel 1985) TSC supplements the limitations of the TSC supplements the limitations of the
usual ‘one way’ feedbackusual ‘one way’ feedback TSC saves teacher-time on marking TSC saves teacher-time on marking
papers laterpapers later TSC allows students to ask questions TSC allows students to ask questions
about feedbackabout feedback
““The use of teacher-student conferencing The use of teacher-student conferencing is therefore intuitively attractive and is therefore intuitively attractive and supported by the positive experiences of supported by the positive experiences of many teachers, but empirical research on many teachers, but empirical research on this area is rather limited.” this area is rather limited.”
(Ken Hyland, 2003)(Ken Hyland, 2003)
Forms of TSCForms of TSC
Usually one-to-one, outside the classroom, and Usually one-to-one, outside the classroom, and may…may…
..focus on completed work, drafts in progress or ..focus on completed work, drafts in progress or student writing strategiesstudent writing strategies
..be done on an ‘ad hoc’ or planned basis during ..be done on an ‘ad hoc’ or planned basis during lessonslessons
..be an optional extra or compulsory feature of ..be an optional extra or compulsory feature of the course.the course.
TSC should always end with a possible course TSC should always end with a possible course of actionof action
Planning decisionsPlanning decisions
hold conferences in class or outside?hold conferences in class or outside? one-to-one or in small groups?one-to-one or in small groups? how frequently?how frequently? how much time for each student?how much time for each student? which topics to cover?which topics to cover? ask students to prepare for the conference?ask students to prepare for the conference? how to manage the conference?how to manage the conference? how to follow up the conference?how to follow up the conference?
Conducting conferencesConducting conferences
TSC should involve the teacher and writer, TSC should involve the teacher and writer, and address the most noticeable issues in and address the most noticeable issues in the writingthe writing
RResearch cautions against being over-esearch cautions against being over-directivedirective
TTeachers should support students’ work, eachers should support students’ work, rather than edit itrather than edit it
SStudents should be encouraged to initiate tudents should be encouraged to initiate issuesissues
Suggested procedures for TSCSuggested procedures for TSC
make the situation non-threateningmake the situation non-threatening find something to praisefind something to praise establish a collaborative relationshipestablish a collaborative relationship engage the student in the analysisengage the student in the analysis respond to writing as ‘work in progress’respond to writing as ‘work in progress’ ask the student to sum up the conferenceask the student to sum up the conference end with praise and encouragementend with praise and encouragement
Action Research?Action Research?
“ “.. is a process through which teachers .. is a process through which teachers collaborate in evaluating their collaborate in evaluating their practice, try out new strategies, and practice, try out new strategies, and record their work in a form that is record their work in a form that is understandable by other teachers.”understandable by other teachers.”Elliot (1991)Elliot (1991)
Burns (2005) AR framework
exploring – identifying
planning – data collection
analysing / reflecting
hypothesising / speculating
intervening – observing
reporting – writing - presenting
Identifying
Two out of five teachers engaged in TSC EM only conferenced in her office;
planned, ‘pastoral care’ MT conferenced ‘ad hoc’ in the classroom
in quiet moments.. and
EM “highly recommended” conferencing after noting an increase in student interest
Data collection
Three teachers; each with two students
Analysed six transcripts, varying in length
Collected and analysed first drafts and follow-up drafts; noted improvements
Comments by teachers
“I exercised my power on these students I didn’t let them express themselves..maybe I killed their ability to create nw things.”
“I could have let them do it their own way, instead of my own.”
Analysing: noting desirable features
Eliciting error correction
Praise with mitigation (‘however’..)
Teacher-questioning
Pausing
Intervening: a new team
Stage two conferencing
Teachers read, then implemented desirable features noted from stage one analysis
Observed what happened...
Observing: Praise and mitigation
Our study is on-going but..
One of the most dominant features appears to be related to how teachers preface their criticism in conferencing... how they ‘soften the blow’ or ‘sugar the pill.’
“This sentence is fine, however there are some problems”
Summary:Summary:
Conferencing is a potentially useful Conferencing is a potentially useful method of providing feedback on students’ method of providing feedback on students’ workwork
On-going action research reveals On-going action research reveals desirable features exist, one of which desirable features exist, one of which appears to relate to praise with mitigationappears to relate to praise with mitigation
Contact detailsContact details
Dr. Dr. Wayne TrotmanWayne Trotman
Izmir Izmir Katip Çelebi UniversityKatip Çelebi University
School School Foreign Languages Foreign Languages
Izmir-TurkeyIzmir-Turkey
www.waynetrotman.comwww.waynetrotman.com
ReferencesReferences
Hyland, K. Hyland, K. Second Language WritingSecond Language Writing, 2003. , 2003. Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press : : CUPCUP
Hyland KHyland K & Hyland F. & Hyland F. Feedback on second Feedback on second language students’ writinglanguage students’ writing. In ‘Language . In ‘Language Teaching’, 39.2, 2006Teaching’, 39.2, 2006:: CUP CUP
Hyland K & Hyland F. Hyland K & Hyland F. Feedback in Second Feedback in Second Language Writing: contexts and issues.Language Writing: contexts and issues. 2006 2006: : CUPCUP