Enriching EAP Online Writing Experience

and Evaluation

Branca MirnicLangara College

BC TEAL 2019 Lower Mainland Regional ConferenceNovember 16th, 2019

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What is Online Writing?

• Definition: refers to any text created with (and usually intended for viewing on) a computer, smartphone, or similar digital device.

• e.g. texting, instant messaging, emailing, blogging, tweeting, and posting comments on social media sites such as Facebook.

What is Online Writing?

• What shapes students’ online writing approaches?• Do your expectations change when you assign online

assignments?• If participation in online discussion is a course requirement, how

do you evaluate it?

Think - Pair - Share

It has been 4months since I came here in Van.This is my study abroad of Japanese University's program, so this is the last session for me, and I have to go back Jap...Before, I came here, I didn't wanna go abroad cuz I have a lot of friends in my home country and also I was worry about my grandmother and grandfather cuz they really like me, and me neither, but after I came here and I met many ppl, and they gave me the new thought. The most impression thing is when I said "I have to go back Jap, but I don't wanna go back.", my friend told me "then u can stay here, and u can choose urself cuz this is ur life." Then, I'd been thinking I chose my life by myself, but suddenly I didn't know everything cuz it is natural to go to university after ppl graduated high school in Jap, but actually I didn't know what I wanna do, so I was confused. But, now I decided to be an international English teacher in the future. English is the second language for me, so it'll be hard to be this kind of teacher, but I just wanna try what I wanna do.Anyway, I wanna get along w/everyone!!:)))

“ditto”, “good point”, “Gr8”

Objectives

• Goal: to reinforce academic discourse using online platform for additional academic writing practice

• How: by examining types of evaluation suitable for different online writing tasks

Outline

• Collaborative learning and research on (asynchronous) online writing

• Needs of EAP students• Types of assignments• Evaluation as a guide and as an assessment

Advantages of Asynchronous Response“asynchronous” = independent of students location and time

Collaborative Learning• Actualized by student active participation • If online - cognitively productive interactions: text based, more structured

formulate thinkinghigher order oflearning

(Wang & Chen, 2008)

Enabling risk‐free expression, encouraging collaboration

What do EAP students need to learn?Academic research writing• Conventional structure• Support ideas through

academic/expert sources• Cite sources according to style

format• Correct grammar • Formal vocabulary• Correct spelling and mechanics• Expected length (page/word)

Academic online writing• Adapted structural format• Support ideas through same – AND/OR

classmates’ ideas• Acknowledge/cite sources, prescribed

style format• Correct grammar • Formal vocabulary • Correct spelling and mechanics• Expected length

What are effective approaches?Principles of Effective Teaching and Evaluating Online

Writing (Graham, Cagiltay, Lim, Craner, & Duffy, 2001)1) Clear guidelines of expectations2) Well-designed assignments 3) Discussing peer’s work encourages active learning4) Evaluation on all the tasks5) Online writing needs deadlines6) Challenging tasks7) Allowing students to choose research topics/questions gives

voice to diverse views and unique perspectives

Clear GuidelinesThe participation/coursework grade is based upon the content,

depth and quality of your contributions to the online writing (using the standards found within the grading rubric below). Contributions to weekly discussions represent xx points, which makes up xx% of your final grade. Participating consistently, with thoughtful answers early in the week, and responding to, and engaging in discussion with your peers will have positive effects on your overall grade.

(Morrison 2012)

Assignments

• Asynchronous discussions: individual postings + response to a classmate’s posting or integrating multiple classmates’ responses into individual posting

• Peer responses and evaluations (assigned through groups)

• Individual student submissions (Turnitin optional)

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Assignments and EvaluationAsynchronous Discussions- Postings & Responses

For me, research essay or collecting information for the presentation is the most challenging activities. In the research essay, it is essential to find particular information that appears in only one article. This is tough for me. And for collecting information is difficult for me because of its vital process. It is important to get information from considering how it is reliable, how current and how accurate and those are the things that I rarely did in daily life. That's why i think research essay and getting information for the formal presentation is the most challenging activities.Reply Agree!! It is the hardest thing ever. And don't forget if something repeated two times in tow different essays it is nothing!ReplyI have agree with you that writing is the most difficulty activity.ReplyI agree with youI spent 6 hours to prepare the outline,it is so difficult

Assignments and EvaluationAsynchronous discussions: individual postings + response to a classmate’s posting or integrating multiple classmates’ responses into individual posting

How Postings Will Be Evaluated (Biesenbach-Lucas & Brantner-Artenie, 2014): o Timely posting that shows you are able to manage your time well

o Good answer organization (topic sentence, supporting sentences, if necessary a conclusion)

o Posting content that addresses the prompt

o Good reflective (thoughtful) content that demonstrates your critical thinking and connectionsthat you make between ideas and real life

o Good grammar and mechanics (punctuation, spelling)

o Adequate length (at least xx words–provide word count) – considered as “good” (=3 pts)

o AND: if you are responding to a posting thread to which classmates have already contributed, read their

postings and be sure to integrate their ideas into your own response!

Assignments and EvaluationAsynchronous Discussions My motivation has become weaker since I started level 6. I think I spend a lot of time to study, but I haven’t seen improvement. My academic life is not balanced. My friends said that my second language has been improved, but I cannot see it. I am not sure and sometimes feel disappointed.

•I agree with you. We have the same sentiment. I also feel disappointed in my English language skills but I believe we can achieve it in the future. We are not alone experiencing this phenomenon and in fact, I read some articles that it is normal. Have you ever heard the word "Intermediate plateau"? According to Jack C Richards, an internationally renowned specialist in second and foreign language teaching, an applied linguist and educator, the author of numerous professional books for English language teachers, and the author of many widely used textbooks for English language students. He said that once an ESL learner student reaches his/her intermediate level of language, the progress does not always appear to be so marked, and moving to a higher upper intermediate or advanced level is sometimes frustrating. Some students feel that they have arrived at a plateau and making further progress look hard to achieve, despite the amount of time and effort they devote to it. (Richards,2008)This means, we just need to keep striving and do not give up.

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Assignments and EvaluationAsynchronous Discussions – Postings & Responses – Controversial Topics

Discuss: IntelligenceYou will need to participate in an online discussion about intelligence and theories of intelligence.How would you define intelligence?

Post your thoughts and opinions on this question by Wednesday 6 pm; after you have read all the postings respond to at least two of your classmates’ post before Friday 8 am.

Assignments and EvaluationAsynchronous Discussions – Postings & Responses - Controversial Topics

Discuss: GlobalizationDoes globalization help or hurt the world’s poor?Think about the ways that globalization has been helpful or harmful to some countries.

Post your opinions and comments about globalization by Wednesday 6 pm; after you have read all the postings respond to at least one by creating a counter-argument (or opposition) to one of their arguments by Friday 8 am.

• Read the opposing arguments• Write the response to what is

being argued• Apply the skills of argument:

make an appeal, provide evidence, cite the sources

• Reponses are submitted by 6pm on Thursday

Assignments and EvaluationAsynchronous Discussions– Debate Practice

”In today’s society, marriage is beneficial” “In today’s society, being single is beneficial“

• Work with your debate team partner

• Individually plan assigned position• Present your argument in writing• Post it for your partners’ review by

6pm on Tuesday

Topic/Position/Premise:_____Rebuttal/Discussion: • points addressed directly• convincing support• source info cited

Assignments and EvaluationAsynchronous Discussions– Debate Practice

”In today’s society, marriage is beneficial” “In today’s society, being single is beneficial“

Name: ______Presentation of Argument ofAr• clear statement of main point• well-chosen source support/

synthesized• source info cited

Assignments and EvaluationPeer Evaluation - Synthesis Paragraph

What are the benefits of treating illnesses with alternative medicine?

• Write an outline for your paragraph with your partner to plan your answer• Choose, from the articles, specific information that will best support your ideas• Your paragraph must include….• Type your paragraph at home and submit for your partner’s review• Post your paragraph by 6 pm on Wednesday• Your partner will read your paragraph and evaluate your answer using the Peer

Evaluation rubric (by Friday 8:00 am).

Name of my partner:My name:

YesComments?

Topic Sentence answers questions

Intro to supporting point 1 with good transition

Common knowledge - 3-4 sentences more

Common knowledge connected to SP1

SEER relevant to SP1 & CK1

SEER - well integrated

SEER - paraphrased or summarized accurately copiedIn-text citation 1

Link 1 connects SEER to SP1 and controlling idea

Intro to supporting point 2 with good transition

Common knowledge - 3-4 sentences moreCommon knowledge connected to SP2

SEER relevant to SP & CK

SEER - well integrated

SEER - paraphrased or summarized accurately

In-text citation 2 different source - synthesis

Link 2 connects SEER to SP2 and controlling idea

Concluding Sentence restates topic sentence repetition of TS

APA Reference

Good language grammar spellingTotal: /20

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Assignments and EvaluationIndividual Submission – Written Response

How does incorporating traditional culture in the school’s curriculum promote more successful students?• Think about the topic of the question. Your own

thoughts are the basis for your answer, not ideas from the sources (readings and/or listenings).

• Choose relevant information in the source(s) that you will use to explain your view or use as evidence to support your opinion.

• Write 6-8 sentences to answer the question.• Submit your answer by Thursday 6 pm.

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s Suppose you are writing a research paper on TOT states, and you are planning to use the following information graphic to explain and analyze the research study and experiment on TOT resolutions.

Your task is to write a body paragraph in which you integrate the following information graphic. You need to include all necessary information (in-text citation and cross reference) to validate your source and connect your paragraph to the info graph.

Please submit your paragraph by Thursday 6 pm.

Assignments and EvaluationIndividual Submission - Analyzing Information Graphics

• In order to understand how to resolve TOT states in daily life, it is important to understand the connections between sounds and words. When people speak or hear in their daily lives, they often have troubles to retrieve the target word.... As shown in Figure 4, ..... Next step, the participants see the question for the second time, and read the words with the target’s first syllable such as “contact” that was the most effective to help participant retrieve the target word about 50%. ....Surprisingly, the percentage of unrelated word …. (Abrams, 2008). This result shows that TOTs states resolve effectively when people speak or hear the phonology of target’s first, middle syllable. ...

In order to understand how to resolve TOT states in daily life, it is important to understand the connections between sounds and words. When people speak or hear in their daily lives, they often have troubles to retrieve the target word.... As shown in Figure 4, ..... Next step, the participants see the question for the second time, and read the words with the target’s first syllable such as “contact” that was the most effective to help participant retrieve the target word about 50%. ....Surprisingly, the percentage of unrelated word …. (Abrams, 2008). This result shows that TOTs states resolve effectively when people speak or hear the phonology of target’s first, middle syllable. ...

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Takeaways

Well-designed Activities

Timing

Questions and Discussion

Rubrics and images:

http://www.brilliant-insane.com/2014/10/single-point-rubric.htmlhttps://shutterstock.comwww.teachersprintables.net

ReferencesBiesenbach-Lucas, S. & Brantner-Artenie, D. (March 27, 2014)Next Generation Writing: Creating and

Assessing Effective Online Discussion Forums. Georgetown University. TESOL 2014Cameron, L. (2000). Assessing online discussions and forums. Teaching and Learning Forum. Papers p 66-73Graham , C., Cagiltay , K., Lim, B-R, Craner , J., & Duffy, T.M. (March-April, 2001). Seven Principles of

Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses . Assessment.Hazari, S (2004). Strategy for Assessment of Online Course Discussions. Teaching Tip. Journal of Information

Systems Education, Vol. 15(4)pp.349-355Morrison, D. (June, 2012). The Methods and Means to Grading Student Participation in Online Discussions.

Online learning insights.Wang Y. & Chen, V. D-T. (2008). Essential Elements in Designing Online Discussions to Promote Cognitive

Presence, Journal of Asynchronous Communication. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 3- 4 (12).

Thank you

• Please contact me • bmirnic@langara.ca