National Assessment of College Student Learning: Identifying College Graduates' Essential Skills in Writing, Speech and Listening, and Critical Thinking. Final Project Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Elizabeth A.; And Others

This study used an iterative Delphi survey process of about 600 faculty, employers, and policymakers to identify writing, speech and listening, and critical thinking skills that college graduates should achieve to become effective employees and citizens (National Education Goal 6). Participants reached a consensus about the importance in critical…

Development and Usability Test of an e-Learning Tool for Engineering Graduates to Develop Academic Writing in English: A Case Study

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Lin, Chih-Chung; Liu, Gi-Zen; Wang, Tzong-I

2017-01-01

Many non-native English speaking (NNES) graduates are required to write academic papers in English; consequently, recent research in the past decade has been devoted to investigating the usefulness of genre-based Writing Instructions (GBWI) on learners' writing cultivation. There is little specific guidance, however, on how GBWI can be employed in…

Teaching and Learning Research Literacies in Graduate Adult Education: Appreciative Inquiry into Practitioners' Ways of Writing.

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Lander, Dorothy A.

2002-01-01

Presents a theoretical framework for teaching and learning research literacies. Describes a classroom demonstration involving graduate student cohorts in appreciative inquiry into practitioners' ways of writing. Addresses the issues of human subjects, informed consent, and the ethics of representation. (Contains 49 references.) (SK)

Discourse Approaches to Writing Assessment.

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Connnor, Ulla; Mbaye, Aymerou

2002-01-01

Discusses assessment of English-as-a-Foreign/Second-Language (EFL/ESL) writing. Suggests there is a considerable gap between current practices in writing assessment and criteria suggested by advances in knowledge of discourse structure. Illustrates this by contrasting current practices in the scoring of two major EFL/ESL writing tests with…

The role of research-article writing motivation and self-regulatory strategies in explaining research-article abstract writing ability.

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Lin, Ming-Chia; Cheng, Yuh-Show; Lin, Sieh-Hwa; Hsieh, Pei-Jung

2015-04-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of research-article writing motivation and use of self-regulatory writing strategies in explaining second language (L2) research-article abstract writing ability, alongside the L2 literacy effect. Four measures were administered: a L2 literacy test, a research abstract performance assessment, and inventories of writing motivation and strategy. Participants were L2 graduate students in Taiwan (N=185; M age=25.8 yr., SD=4.5, range=22-53). Results of structural equation modeling showed a direct effect of motivation on research-article writing ability, but no direct effect of strategy or indirect effect of motivation via strategy on research-article writing ability, with L2 literacy controlled. The findings suggest research-article writing instruction should address writing motivation, besides L2 literacy.

Enjoy writing your science thesis or dissertation! a step-by-step guide to planning and writing a thesis or dissertation for undergraduate and graduate science students

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Fisher, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

This book is a step by step illustrated guide to planning and writing dissertations and theses for undergraduate and graduate science students. Topics covered include advice on writing each section of a thesis as well as general discussions on collecting and organizing references, keeping records, presenting data, interacting with a supervisor and avoiding academic misconduct. Recommendations about how to use word processors and other software packages effectively are included, as well as advice on the use of other resources. A concise summary of important points of English grammar is given, along with appendices listing frequently confused words and wordy phrases to avoid. Further appendices are provided, including one on Si units. The aim is to provide an easy-to-read guide that gives students practical advice about all aspects of writing a science thesis or dissertation, starting from writing a thesis plan and finishing with the viva and corrections to the thesis.

Rethinking ESL Service Courses for International Graduate Students

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Min, Young-Kyung

2016-01-01

Drawing on data from a writing program in English as a second language (ESL) at a large university in the midwestern United States, this article addresses the significant gap in programmatic and pedagogical responses for graduate writing support by probing the notion of ESL service courses that approach graduate writing courses as being…

Techniques for motivating students to write, for teaching writing and for systematizing writing assessment

OpenAIRE

Küçükal, Şerife

1990-01-01

Ankara : Faculty of Letters and the Institute of Economics and Social Science of Bilkent Univ., 1990. Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 1990. Includes bibliographical references. The purpose of this study is to investigate the suggestions that experts in the field of teaching composition have for motivating students to write, teaching writing and assessing writing and the ways that these suggestions could be used in Turkish EFL Hazirlik classes for elementary level students. ...

Improving Undergraduates’ Argumentative Group Essay Writing through Self-assessment

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Yong Mei Fung

2015-10-01

Full Text Available When writing an argumentative essay, writers develop and evaluate arguments to embody, initiate, or simulate various kinds of interpersonal and textual interaction for reader consideration (Wu & Allison, 2003. This is quite challenging for English as a second language (ESL learners. To improve the quality of their writing, students need to review their draft throughout the writing process. This study aimed to investigate the effect of self-assessment in group writing and how group work improves students’ writing ability. An intact class comprising 22 first-year undergraduates participated in the study.  Data were collected from pre- and post-treatment writing tests, semi-structured interview and reflection entries. The results revealed that self-assessment has a significant effect on students’ writing performance. Group work also enhanced social and cognitive development of the students. This study provides insights into the use of self-assessment in writing class to develop learner autonomy and improve writing ability. Keywords: Argumentative essay, Self-assessment, Learner autonomy, Group writing, ESL learners

Materials for Assessing the Writing Skill

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Nimehchisalem, Vahid

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the issues of concern in writing scale development in English as Second Language (ESL) settings with an intention to provide a useful guide for researchers or writing teachers who wish to develop or adapt valid, reliable and efficient writing scales considering their present assessment situations. With a brief discussion on the…

English Education for Engineers in the World of Globalization : A Report of an Undergraduate and Graduate English Program with an Emphasis on Writing

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Shimazu, Nobuko

In an increasingly globalized world, demand for engineers well versed in English remains strong. As a professor of English in the Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering at the Kyushu Institute of Technology, I have sought with the aid of two associate professors to improve the English program for our engineering students together to help meet that very demand. In order to assist other English teachers in similar situations to improve their own English programs, I would like to report on the ideas and methods presently used in our undergraduate English program, specifically the first-year compulsory and common course with its emphasis on paragraph writing which students from each of the five departments within the Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering are required to take. In addition, I would also like to report my ideas and teaching methods for a graduate research paper writing course. The objective of this course is to teach graduate students how to write presentations for conferences and papers for journals at the international level.

A Heuristic Tool for Teaching Business Writing: Self-Assessment, Knowledge Transfer, and Writing Exercises

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Ortiz, Lorelei A.

2013-01-01

To teach effective business communication, instructors must target students’ current weaknesses in writing. One method for doing so is by assigning writing exercises. When used heuristically, writing exercises encourage students to practice self-assessment, self-evaluation, active learning, and knowledge transfer, all while reinforcing the basics…

Potential Impact of the Addition of a Writing Assessment on Admissions Decisions.

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Bridgeman, Brent; McHale, Frederick

1998-01-01

A study investigated the effect of adding a writing measure to the Graduate Management Admission Test on the gender/ethnic composition of an admissions pool. Standardized differences from the white male reference group were computed for men and women in four ethnic/minority groups: Whites, Asian-Americans, African-Americans, and…

From reading to writing: Evaluating the Writer's Craft as a means of assessing school student writing

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Pauline Sangster, Graeme Trousdale & Charles Anderson

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This article reports on part of a study investigating a new writing assessment, the Writer's Craft, which requires students to read a stimulus passage and then write a continuation adopting the style of the original. The article provides a detailed analysis of stimulus passages employed within this assessment scheme and students' written continuations of these passages. The findings reveal that this is a considerably more challenging assessment writing task than has previously been recognised; and that questions arise concerning the nature of the stimulus passages and the extent to which the assessment criteria captured what the students had achieved in their writing. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations are made.

Designing Academic Writing Analytics for Civil Law Student Self-Assessment

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Knight, Simon; Buckingham Shum, Simon; Ryan, Philippa; Sándor, Ágnes; Wang, Xiaolong

2018-01-01

Research into the teaching and assessment of student writing shows that many students find academic writing a challenge to learn, with legal writing no exception. Improving the availability and quality of timely formative feedback is an important aim. However, the time-consuming nature of assessing writing makes it impractical for instructors to…

Guiding role of typical cases in clinical training for ophthalmology professional degree graduate students

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Zhe Wang

2014-05-01

Full Text Available With the change of the concept of graduate enrollment, the recruiting proportion of clinical medicine professional degree graduate students is more and more, and the training of professional degree graduate students is increasingly focusing on practical. In our experience in clinical training for ophthalmology professional degree graduate students, increasing the ward clinical practice time is important. For particular emphasis on the guiding role of the typical cases, each professional group combined their professional characteristics of the typical cases to instruct the graduate students, training their clinical diagnosis and treatment ability, training their microsurgical techniques. From clinical medical writing, record summary, literature review, professional degree graduate students could expand their knowledge structure, practice their thesis writing ability. Based on the typical cases, expansion of knowledge coverage, they could improve the ability of diagnosis and treatment for special disease cases. In this rigorous training system, professional degree graduate students can learn by analogy, and focus on typical cases to get the most intuitive panoramic understanding of the diseases, with a minimum of time to master the most clinical knowledge, to enrich clinical experience, and to lay the foundation for future work in the assessment.

Materials for Assessing the Writing Skill

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Vahid Nimehchisalem

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the issues of concern in writing scale development in English as Second Language (ESL settings with an intention to provide a useful guide for researchers or writing teachers who wish to develop or adapt valid, reliable and efficient writing scales considering their present assessment situations. With a brief discussion on the rationale behind writing scales, the author considers the process of scale development by breaking it into three phases of design, operationalization and administration. The issues discussed in the first phase include analyzing the samples, deciding on the type of scale and ensuring the validity of its design. Phase two encompasses setting the scale criteria, operationalization of definitions, setting a numerical value, assigning an appropriate weight for each trait, accounting for validity and reliability. The final phase comprises recommendations on how a writing scale should be used.

A synthesis of mathematics writing: Assessments, interventions, and surveys

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Sarah R. Powell

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Mathematics standards in the United States describe communication as an essential part of mathematics. One outlet for communication is writing. To understand the mathematics writing of students, we conducted a synthesis to evaluate empirical research about mathematics writing. We identified 29 studies that included a mathematics-writing assessment, intervention, or survey for students in 1st through 12th grade. All studies were published between 1991 and 2015. The majority of assessments required students to write explanations to mathematical problems, and fewer than half scored student responses according to a rubric. Approximately half of the interventions involved the use of mathematics journals as an outlet for mathematics writing. Few intervention studies provided explicit direction on how to write in mathematics, and a small number of investigations provided statistical evidence of intervention efficacy. From the surveys, the majority of students expressed enjoyment when writing in mathematics settings but teachers reported using mathematics writing rarely. Across studies, findings indicate mathematics writing is used for a variety of purposes, but the quality of the studies is variable and more empirical research is needed.

Secondary Students' Writing Achievement Goals: Assessing the Mediating Effects of Mastery and Performance Goals on Writing Self-Efficacy, Affect, and Writing Achievement

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Yilmaz Soylu, Meryem; Zeleny, Mary G.; Zhao, Ruomeng; Bruning, Roger H.; Dempsey, Michael S.; Kauffman, Douglas F.

2017-01-01

The two studies reported here explored the factor structure of the newly constructed Writing Achievement Goal Scale (WAGS), and examined relationships among secondary students' writing achievement goals, writing self-efficacy, affect for writing, and writing achievement. In the first study, 697 middle school students completed the WAGS. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for this data with a three-factor model that corresponds with mastery, performance approach, and performance avoidance goals. The results of Study 1 were an indication for the researchers to move forward with Study 2, which included 563 high school students. The secondary students completed the WAGS, as well as the Self-efficacy for Writing Scale, and the Liking Writing Scale. Students also self-reported grades for writing and for language arts courses. Approximately 6 weeks later, students completed a statewide writing assessment. We tested a theoretical model representing relationships among Study 2 variables using structural equation modeling including students' responses to the study scales and students' scores on the statewide assessment. Results from Study 2 revealed a good fit between a model depicting proposed relationships among the constructs and the data. Findings are discussed relative to achievement goal theory and writing. PMID:28878707

How does the medical graduates' self-assessment of their clinical competency differ from experts' assessment?

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The assessment of the performance of medical school graduates during their first postgraduate years provides an early indicator of the quality of the undergraduate curriculum and educational process. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical competency of medical graduates, as perceived by the graduates themselves and by the experts. Methods This is a hospital based cross-sectional study. It covered 105 medical graduates and 63 experts selected by convenient sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire covering the different areas of clinical competency constructed on a five-point Likert scale was used for data collection. Data processing and analysis were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 16.0. The mean, frequency distribution, and percentage of the variables were calculated. A non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test was applied to verify whether the graduates' and experts' assessments were influenced by the graduates' variables such as age, gender, experience, type of hospital, specialty and location of work at a (p ≤ 0.05) level of significance. Results The overall mean scores for experts' and graduates' assessments were 3.40 and 3.63, respectively (p= 0.035). Almost 87% of the graduates perceived their competency as good and very good in comparison with only 67.7% by experts. Female and male graduates who rated themselves as very good were 33.8% and 25% respectively. More than 19% of the graduates in the age group > 30 years perceived their clinical competency as inadequate in contrast with only 6.2% of the graduates in the youngest age group. Experts rated 40% of the female graduates as inadequate versus 20% of males, (p= 0.04). More than 40% of the graduates in younger age group were rated by experts as inadequate, versus 9.7% of the higher age group >30 years (p = 0.03). Conclusion There was a wide discrepancy between the graduates' self-assessment and experts' assessment, particularly in the level

Stories Are Like Water: An Academic Writing Workshop for Nurses.

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Walker, Madeline; Tschanz, Coby

2018-04-01

Traditionally, there is very little formal instruction in academic writing for nurses in graduate programs. We, the writing scholar and a nurse educator and PhD student at a major Canadian university, describe how we collaborated on developing and delivering a 1-day academic writing workshop for incoming master of nursing students. By sharing this description, we hope to motivate nursing faculty to offer similar workshops to address the dearth of writing instruction for graduate students in nursing and to improve scholarship outcomes.

A Process for Assessing and Improving Business Writing at the MBA Level

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May, Gary L.; Thompson, Margaret A.; Hebblethwaite, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Assurance of learning continues to be a hot topic in higher education. Both accreditation agencies and employers are asking a key question: Are we graduating students who actually have the knowledge and skills that we promise? This case study focuses on business writing in an MBA program and presents a prescriptive, five-step program to improve…

The Word Writing CAFE: Assessing Student Writing for Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency

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Leal, Dorothy J.

2005-01-01

The Word Writing CAFE is a new assessment tool designed for teachers to evaluate objectively students' word-writing ability for fluency, accuracy, and complexity. It is designed to be given to the whole class at one time. This article describes the development of the CAFE and provides directions for administering and scoring it. The author also…

A Self-assessment Checklist for Undergraduate Students’ Argumentative Writing

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Vahid Nimehchisalem

2014-02-01

Full Text Available With a growing emphasis on students’ ability to assess their own written works in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL writing courses, self-assessment checklists are today regarded as useful tools. These checklists can help learners diagnose their own weaknesses and improve their writing performance. This necessitates development of checklists that guide the learners in assessing their own writing. In this study, a self-assessment checklist was developed for undergraduate students in an ESL context to help them with their argumentative essays. This paper presents the related literature and theories, based on which the checklist was developed. The checklist is described and its potential theoretical and practical implications in ESL writing classes are discussed. Further research is necessary to refine the checklist through focus group studies with lecturers and students.

Incorporating A Structured Writing Process into Existing CLS Curricula.

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Honeycutt, Karen; Latshaw, Sandra

2014-01-01

Good communication and critical thinking are essential skills for all successful professionals, including Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Laboratory Science (CLS/MLS) practitioners. Professional programs can incorporate writing assignments into their curricula to improve student written communication and critical thinking skills. Clearly defined, scenario-focused writing assignments provide student practice in clearly articulating responses to proposed problems or situations, researching and utilizing informational resources, and applying and synthesizing relevant information. Assessment rubrics, structured feedback, and revision writing methodologies help guide students through the writing process. This article describes how a CLS Program in a public academic medical center, located in the central United States (US) serving five centrally-located US states has incorporated writing intensive assignments into an existing 11-month academic year using formal, informal and reflective writing to improve student written communication and critical thinking skills. Faculty members and employers of graduates assert that incorporating writing intensive requirements have better prepared students for their professional role to effectively communicate and think critically.

Secondary Students' Writing Achievement Goals: Assessing the Mediating Effects of Mastery and Performance Goals on Writing Self-Efficacy, Affect, and Writing Achievement

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Meryem Yilmaz Soylu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The two studies reported here explored the factor structure of the newly constructed Writing Achievement Goal Scale (WAGS, and examined relationships among secondary students' writing achievement goals, writing self-efficacy, affect for writing, and writing achievement. In the first study, 697 middle school students completed the WAGS. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for this data with a three-factor model that corresponds with mastery, performance approach, and performance avoidance goals. The results of Study 1 were an indication for the researchers to move forward with Study 2, which included 563 high school students. The secondary students completed the WAGS, as well as the Self-efficacy for Writing Scale, and the Liking Writing Scale. Students also self-reported grades for writing and for language arts courses. Approximately 6 weeks later, students completed a statewide writing assessment. We tested a theoretical model representing relationships among Study 2 variables using structural equation modeling including students' responses to the study scales and students' scores on the statewide assessment. Results from Study 2 revealed a good fit between a model depicting proposed relationships among the constructs and the data. Findings are discussed relative to achievement goal theory and writing.

Employing Picture Description to Assess the Students' Descriptive Paragraph Writing

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Ida Ayu Mega Cahyani

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Writing is considered as an important skill in learning process which is needed to be mastered by the students. However, in teaching learning process at schools or universities, the assessment of writing skill is not becoming the focus of learning process and the assessment is administered inappropriately. In this present study, the researcher undertook the study which dealt with assessing descriptive paragraph writing ability of the students through picture description by employing an ex post facto as the research design. The present study was intended to answer the research problem dealing with the extent of the students’ achievement of descriptive paragraph writing ability which is assessed through picture description. The samples under the study were 40 students determined by means of random sampling technique with lottery system. The data were collected through administering picture description as the research instrument. The obtained data were analyzed by using norm-reference measure of five standard values. The results of the data analysis showed that there were 67.50% samples of the study were successful in writing descriptive paragraph, while there were 32.50% samples were unsuccessful in writing descriptive paragraph which was assessed by administering picture description test

An Examination of Student Writing Self-Efficacy across Three Levels of Adult Writing Instruction

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Alderman, Rodney L.

2015-01-01

Adults in today's society do not possess the necessary writing skills required to be successful in postsecondary education and in employment. Writing is an essential skill for college and the workplace. Society also expects college graduates to be critical thinkers and to utilize higher-order thinking skills. Perceived self-efficacy may impact…

A guide to writing a scientific paper: a focus on high school through graduate level student research.

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Hesselbach, Renee A; Petering, David H; Berg, Craig A; Tomasiewicz, Henry; Weber, Daniel

2012-12-01

This article presents a detailed guide for high school through graduate level instructors that leads students to write effective and well-organized scientific papers. Interesting research emerges from the ability to ask questions, define problems, design experiments, analyze and interpret data, and make critical connections. This process is incomplete, unless new results are communicated to others because science fundamentally requires peer review and criticism to validate or discard proposed new knowledge. Thus, a concise and clearly written research paper is a critical step in the scientific process and is important for young researchers as they are mastering how to express scientific concepts and understanding. Moreover, learning to write a research paper provides a tool to improve science literacy as indicated in the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards (1996), and A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2011), the underlying foundation for the Next Generation Science Standards currently being developed. Background information explains the importance of peer review and communicating results, along with details of each critical component, the Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Specific steps essential to helping students write clear and coherent research papers that follow a logical format, use effective communication, and develop scientific inquiry are described.

Fluency or Accuracy - Two Different ‘Colours’ in Writing Assessment

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Listyani Listyani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fluency and accuracy. These two things have victoriously won many teachers’ attention at tertiary level. In the case of writing, these two remain debatable, and have always attracted many people, both lecturers’ and students’ attention. These language production measures have distracted many lecturers’ concentration: should they be faithful to fluency of ideas, or grammatical and language accuracy in correcting students’ essays? This paper tries to present the classical yet never-ending dilemmatic conflicts within the area of writing assessment. This debate still remains interesting to follow. Data were gained from close observation on documents, that is, 21 students’ essays and interviews with 2 students of Academic Writing in Semester II, 2015-2016. Four writing lecturers were also interviewed for their intellectual and critical opinions on these dilemmatic problems in assessing writing. Discussion results of FGD (Forum Group Discussion involving all writing lecturers at the English Education Study Program at the Faculty of Language and Literature of Satya Wacana Christian University which were held in June, 2016, were also included as source of data. Hopefully, this paper gives a little more “colour” in the area of writing assessment, and gives a little enlightenment for other writing lecturers.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.2016.190201

Writing Performance of At-Risk Learners in Online Credit Recovery

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Leiter, Michael P.

2012-01-01

Online credit recovery is becoming a popular choice for students needing to recover lost graduation credit due to course failure. The problem is that high school students who take online credit recovery classes in order to gain writing credit for graduation are failing the writing section on the state merit exam (MME). At-risk students and…

Improving report writing by peer assessment using Coursera

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Henrik Lehrmann

2015-01-01

report writing. In the case of report writing active learning could include peer evaluation which is what is investigated in this paper. This paper presents a case study from the Technical University of Denmark. A course on mobile communication was redesigned to include peer evaluation as a tool......Report writing is a general engineering competence and it should therefore be part of any university engineering education to learn how to write a good report. Active leaning methods are well-known to be effective in supporting student learning; hence it should preferably also be used for teaching...... for improving report writing skills. The peer evaluation process was automated using the elearning tool Coursera. What was investigated was the improvement in report writing as well as the consistency and quality of the peer assessed grades....

Historiography in Graduate Technology Teacher Education

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Flowers, Jim; Hunt, Brian

2012-01-01

A proposal is made suggesting the inclusion of historiography (i.e., historical research and the writing of history) into graduate technology teacher education. In particular, a strategy is forwarded to have graduate students in technology teacher education, who are working at schools in different locations, conduct historical research and write…

A Self-Assessment Checklist for Undergraduate Students' Argumentative Writing

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Nimehchisalem, Vahid; Chye, David Yoong Soon; Jaswant Singh, Sheena Kaur A/P; Zainuddin, Siti Zaidah; Norouzi, Sara; Khalid, Sheren

2014-01-01

With a growing emphasis on students' ability to assess their own written works in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) writing courses, self-assessment checklists are today regarded as useful tools. These checklists can help learners diagnose their own weaknesses and improve their writing performance. This necessitates development of…

The Current Status of Graduate Training in Suicide Risk Assessment

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Liebling-Boccio, Dana E.; Jennings, Heather R.

2013-01-01

Directors and coordinators (n = 75) of graduate programs in school psychology approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) were surveyed regarding their training practices in suicide risk assessment. Respondents viewed the assessment of suicide risk as an important part of graduate instruction, and most believed that…

Investigating the Effect of Using Self-Assessment on Iranian EFL Learners' Writing

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Heidarian, Nakisa

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effect of using self-assessment on Iranian EFL learners' writing. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate whether using of self-assessment as an assessment method was influential in developing learners' English writing performance generally writing processes specifically. The participants of this study consisted of…

Assessing the Cyborg Center: Assemblage-Based, Feminist Frameworks toward Socially Just Writing Center Assessments

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Andersen, Erin M.

2017-01-01

This dissertation will broaden the purview of recent scholarship pertaining to socially just writing assessments by making connections among assemblage theory and materialism, studies of ecological and anti-racist assessments, and studies of writing center work, to ground theoretical conversations in everyday practices. Focusing on systemic…

The Implementation of Continuous Assessment in Writing Classes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Implementation of Continuous Assessment in Writing Classes the of Jimma ... is the typical nature of summative tests was used to grade students' performance. ... Key words: Continuous assessment, Formative assessment, Summative ...

Assessing outcomes of industrial hygiene graduate education.

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Brosseau, Lisa; Fredrickson, Ann

2009-05-01

To ensure that industrial hygiene professionals continue to be prepared for current and future trends, it is important to regularly assess the value of their education. Described here are the results of discussions with employers and a mailed survey of graduates. Comparisons are made with past mailed surveys of both groups. Two sets of discussions were held in late 2005 with employers of industrial hygienists and other health and safety professionals. Twenty-eight participants were asked to discuss current and future needs for professionals in their organization and economic sector, their expectations for knowledge and skills when hiring professionals, methods for finding and hiring, and the importance of ABET accreditation. At the same time, a survey was mailed to 71 industrial hygiene students graduating in the last 15 years. Respondents were asked to rank the value of and their proficiency in 42 competencies. Questions also assessed employment experience, certification, the importance of ABET accreditation, and demographic characteristics. There was a lot of agreement between the two stakeholder groups (employers and graduates) about the most important skill and knowledge areas. Most employers identified communicating effectively and exposure assessment among the most important skills, with designing and initiating research as among the least. Hazard recognition, exposure measurement principles, and personal protective equipment were the most highly ranked knowledge areas. Employers discussed the need for good "business skills" such as teamwork, communication, and project management, and the importance of problem-solving skills. Graduates reported that skills in the areas of recognition, evaluation, and control were most valuable in their first jobs and generally reported high levels of proficiency in these skill areas. There was a similar dichotomy in opinions about accreditation within each stakeholder group. The reputation of the academic program was

Content and Alignment of State Writing Standards and Assessments as Predictors of Student Writing Achievement: An Analysis of 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress Data

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Troia, Gary A.; Olinghouse, Natalie G.; Zhang, Mingcai; Wilson, Joshua; Stewart, Kelly A.; Mo, Ya; Hawkins, Lisa

2018-01-01

We examined the degree to which content of states' writing standards and assessments (using measures of content range, frequency, balance, and cognitive complexity) and their alignment were related to student writing achievement on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), while controlling for student, school, and state…

The Effects of Portfolio Assessment on Writing of EFL Students

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Nezakatgoo, Behzad

2011-01-01

The primary focus of this study was to determine the effect of portfolio assessment on final examination scores of EFL students' writing skill. To determine the impact of portfolio-based writing assessment 40 university students who enrolled in composition course were initially selected and divided randomly into two experimental and control…

Teaching Writing and Communication in a Mathematical Modeling Course

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Linhart, Jean Marie

2014-01-01

Writing and communication are essential skills for success in the workplace or in graduate school, yet writing and communication are often the last thing that instructors think about incorporating into a mathematics course. A mathematical modeling course provides a natural environment for writing assignments. This article is an analysis of the…

Grant Writing Skill Building: A Business Administration Curriculum Proposal

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Blankenship, Dianna; Jones, Irma; Lovett, Marvin

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the need for grant writing skills within various types of organizations and the resulting proposal for including grant writing within business administration curriculum at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels. An introduction precedes the results of a survey regarding current grant writing courses within AACSB schools of…

Why Write Like a College Graduate?

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, J. Mitchell

With the growing belief that any style of speaking and writing is as good as any other, English teachers must, on the one hand, admit the connection of so-called "correct" English with snob appeal, and, on the other, defend the intellectual and aesthetic superiority of clear, well-written English and learn to express contempt for circular…

The graduate as a tool of institutional assessment: an analysis of academic knowledge and employability with FEARP/USP graduates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio de Souza Miranda

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The assessment process in education has been the target of many studies, including higher education. The assessment process can occur during several levels; this study is done with the graduates. The focus of this study was the Faculty of Economics, Business and Accouting of Ribeirão Preto – USP, in order to answer the following research question: How is the integration of graduate students in the market? The faculty had 17 graduate groups that was composed of 1,520 graduates in its three courses. The researchers were able to connect 1,185, and they obtained 725 answers. Most of the graduates are in the Southeast, especially in São Paulo (84.7%. In terms of post-graduation courses, 32.1% were at MBA courses and 28.1% were at Mastering courses. Regarding employability was observed 91.8% are employed, 5.0% are looking for jobs and only 3.2% are inactive. Among the employed, 80.9% acts at their graduation area. These employees are at public and private sector, and they have an average income of R$ 9,6313. About the graduation course they scored 8.2 out of 10, despite some criticism of undergraduate learning and the market.

Writing assessment in higher education: Making the framework work

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Callies, M.; Zaytseva, E.; Present-Thomas, R.L.

2013-01-01

The importance of appropriate assessment methods for academic writing skills in higher education has received increasing attention in SLA research in recent years. Despite this, there is still relatively little understanding of how academic writing skills develop at the most advanced levels of

Creating a Culture of Communication: A Graduate-Level STEM Communication Fellows Program at a Science and Engineering University

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Simpson, Steve; Clemens, Rebecca; Killingsworth, Drea Rae; Ford, Julie Dyke

2015-01-01

A flurry of recent research in writing studies has addressed the need for more systematic approaches to graduate-level writing support, though more research is needed into more organic models that account for graduate students' specific needs and that build infrastructure for writing support within university departments. This article reports on a…

A Quality Approach to Writing Assessment.

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Andrade, Joanne; Ryley, Helen

1992-01-01

A Colorado elementary school began its Total Quality Management work about a year ago after several staff members participated in an IBM Leadership Training Program addressing applications of Deming's theories. The school's new writing assessment has increased collegiality and cross-grade collaboration. (MLH)

Graduate School education for veterinary and related scientists

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Stout, Susanna

2001-01-01

In the following account I write about my experiences as a graduate student, studying for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of Cambridge in England. I recall my observations of life at graduate school and my own perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages offered by different

Assessing Technical Writing in Institutional Contexts: Using Outcomes-Based Assessment for Programmatic Thinking.

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Carter, Michael; Anson, Chris M.; Miller, Carolyn R.

2003-01-01

Notes that technical writing instruction often operates in isolation from other components of students' communication education. Argues for altering this isolation by moving writing instruction to a place of increased programmatic perspective, which may be attained through a means of assessment based on educational outcomes. Discusses two models…

Assessing Children's Writing Products: The Role of Curriculum Based Measures

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Dockrell, Julie E.; Connelly, Vincent; Walter, Kirsty; Critten, Sarah

2015-01-01

The assessment of children's writing raises technical and practical challenges. In this paper we examine the potential use of a curriculum based measure for writing (CBM-W) to assess the written texts of pupils in Key Stage 2 (M age 107 months, range 88 to 125). Two hundred and thirty six Year three, five and six pupils completed a standardized…

Improving Marketing Students' Writing Skills Using a One-Page Paper

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Wright, Newell D.; Larsen, Val

2016-01-01

Employers of marketing graduates view good writing as a core marketing skill, but many marketing students are weak writers. The improvement of student writing should therefore be an important objective in a well-designed marketing curriculum. One-page papers combine the effective teaching of marketing concepts with writing instruction while…

Advancing resident assessment in graduate medical education.

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Swing, Susan R; Clyman, Stephen G; Holmboe, Eric S; Williams, Reed G

2009-12-01

The Outcome Project requires high-quality assessment approaches to provide reliable and valid judgments of the attainment of competencies deemed important for physician practice. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) convened the Advisory Committee on Educational Outcome Assessment in 2007-2008 to identify high-quality assessment methods. The assessments selected by this body would form a core set that could be used by all programs in a specialty to assess resident performance and enable initial steps toward establishing national specialty databases of program performance. The committee identified a small set of methods for provisional use and further evaluation. It also developed frameworks and processes to support the ongoing evaluation of methods and the longer-term enhancement of assessment in graduate medical education. The committee constructed a set of standards, a methodology for applying the standards, and grading rules for their review of assessment method quality. It developed a simple report card for displaying grades on each standard and an overall grade for each method reviewed. It also described an assessment system of factors that influence assessment quality. The committee proposed a coordinated, national-level infrastructure to support enhancements to assessment, including method development and assessor training. It recommended the establishment of a new assessment review group to continue its work of evaluating assessment methods. The committee delivered a report summarizing its activities and 5 related recommendations for implementation to the ACGME Board in September 2008.

Clinical Reasoning in the Assessment and Intervention Planning for Writing Disorder

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Harrison, Gina L.; McManus, Kelly L.

2017-01-01

The incidence of writing disorder is as common as reading disorder, but it is frequently under-identified and rarely targeted for intervention. Increasing clinical understanding on various subtypes of writing disorder through assessment guided by data-driven decision making may alleviate this disparity for students with writing disorders. The…

Writing, Evaluating and Assessing Data Response Items in Economics.

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Trotman-Dickenson, D. I.

1989-01-01

Describes some of the problems in writing data response items in economics for use by A Level and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) students. Examines the experience of two series of workshops on writing items, evaluating them and assessing responses from schools. Offers suggestions for producing packages of data response items as…

Personal Ties in the Writing of a Doctoral Dissertation

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Laura Colombo

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The problem of low graduation rates at the graduate level has been linked to the challenges of dissertation work. Given that this is a process of “disciplinary enculturation”, where graduate students acquire the ways of being and doing of each discipline, the social relations of doctoral candidates should be analyzed. Several studies have explored the support provided by social ties within academia but have, nevertheless, ignored other spheres. This qualitative study, based on in-depth interviews, explores the personal-sphere social relations in the dissertation writing process from the point of view of doctoral candidates and recent graduates in the fields of Education and Linguistics. Results indicate that the emotional, financial, economic, and academic support offered by these social ties is a necessary, although not in itself, sufficient condition. Some strategies for increasing institutional support to facilitate the process of writing a dissertation are offered.

Community Engagement in a Graduate-Level Community Literacy Course

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Marshall Bowen, Lauren; Arko, Kirsti; Beatty, Joel; Delaney, Cindy; Dorpenyo, Isidore; Moeller, Laura; Roberts, Elsa; Velat, John

2014-01-01

A case study of a graduate-level community literacy seminar that involved a tutoring project with adult digital literacy learners, this essay illustrates the value of community outreach and service-learning for graduate students in writing studies. Presenting multiple perspectives through critical reflection, student authors describe how their…

Contributory Role of Collaborative Assessment in Improving Critical Thinking and Writing

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Mansoor Fahim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Instilling critical thinking skills in language learners’ mind and enhancing second language writing are gaining momentum in the field of English language teaching. Though some approaches to meeting these objectives have been proposed, review of the literature revealed that the contributory role of collaborative assessment in fostering critical thinking and second language writing has been overlooked to date. Thus, this study was conducted to delve into this issue. To this aim, two intact intermediate EFL classes in Iran, each of which contains 18 learners, were included in the study; they were randomly assigned to Student-Student (S-S collaborative assessment and Teacher-Student (T-S collaborative assessment groups.  After receiving six sessions of treatment, both groups wrote an essay on an IELTS topic. Results of the study indicated that collaborative assessment, regardless of its type, has the potential to foster critical thinking and writing proficiency. Further, it came to light that S-S collaborative assessment group significantly outperformed the T-S collaborative assessment group in terms of gains in critical thinking and writing proficiency. In light of the findings, language teachers are suggested to involve learners in collaborative assessment processes; further, some suggestions are offered at the end to show some fruitful avenues for further research.

Development of medical writing in India: Past, present and future

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Sharma, Suhasini

2017-01-01

Pharmaceutical medical writing has grown significantly in India in the last couple of decades. It includes preparing regulatory, safety, and publication documents as well as educational and communication material related to health and health-care products. Medical writing requires medical understanding, knowledge of drug development and the regulatory and safety domains, understanding of research methodologies, and awareness of relevant regulations and guidelines. It also requires the ability to analyze, interpret, and present biomedical scientific data in the required format and good writing skills. Medical writing is the fourth most commonly outsourced clinical development activity, and its global demand has steadily increased due to rising cost pressures on the pharmaceutical industry. India has the unique advantages of a large workforce of science graduates and medical professionals trained in English and lower costs, which make it a suitable destination for outsourcing medical writing services. However, the current share of India in global medical writing business is very small. This industry in India faces some real challenges, such as the lack of depth and breadth in domain expertise, inadequate technical writing skills, high attrition rates, and paucity of standardized training programs as well as quality assessment tools. Focusing our time, attention, and resources to address these challenges will help the Indian medical writing industry gain its rightful share in the global medical writing business. PMID:28194338

Students’ Perception toward the Implementation of Peer-Assessment in Writing; Before and After Revision

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Husni Mubarok

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed at elaborating students’ perception toward the implementation of peer assessment in writing class either before or after revision. Writing becomes one of skills which should be mastered by students in order to get higher level of literacy. Writing is a productive skill which asks students to arrange words and organize them into good writing which could be understood by readers. The success of writing is determined by the writing process itself starting from planning, first draft writing, revising, and editing. One of the strategies used in teaching writing is by implementing peer assessment. Peer assessment strategy becomes one of important parts in the process of writing because there will be feedback or suggestion from peers in doing a review. The number of the subject of this research was students in second semester of the English Education Department of UNISNU Jepara. This research was conducted on even semester. The total number of the students, which became respondents, was 37 students of English Education Department. The research design used was qualitative research which measured students’ perceptions of the implementation of peer assessment in writing: before and after revision. The result showed that before revision, students had negative perception toward their own writing. After revision, they had positive perceptions toward peer assessment strategy. Those included usefulness and meaningfulness, nature of feedback, reality of feedback, precision, validity, fairness, and personal goal-setting. Besides that, the score after revision (7.9 was higher than the score before revision (6.62. It meant that the result showed the increasing of students’ score after revision.

Questions Arising from the Assessment of EFL Narrative Writing

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Yi, Yong

2013-01-01

This article questions how narrative writing is assessed, seeking to understand what we test, what we value, and why. It uses a single anomalous case that arose in the course of my recent PhD thesis to highlight the issues, asking if sufficient attention is being given to the value of emotional content in a piece of writing in comparison to its…

A Proposed Systems Model for Socializing the Graduate Writer

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Jones, David R.

2018-01-01

Although researchers chorus the need to support graduate students toward higher levels of writing proficiency, their findings lack a holistic model for doing so. A model emerges upon scrutiny of the factors that have been implicated in supporting writing proficiency. In the proposed model, a socialization theory fits as a proximal process into the…

Implementing an Online Writing Assessment Strategy for Gerontology

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Brown, Pamela S.; Hanks, Roma S.

2008-01-01

Assessment of student learning is a growing concern for programs in gerontology. This report focuses on the conception, design, funding, and implementation of an innovative online workshop to assess and improve writing skills of students enrolled in distance-learning gerontology classes. The approach is multidisciplinary and involves a…

Diagnostic and Value-Added Assessment of Business Writing

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Fraser, Linda; Harich, Katrin; Norby, Joni; Brzovic, Kathy; Rizkallah, Teeanna; Loewy, Dana

2005-01-01

To assess students' business writing abilities upon entry into the business program and exit from the capstone course, a multitiered assessment package was developed that measures students' achievement of specific learning outcomes and provides "value-added" scores. The online segment of the test measures five competencies across three process…

Writing to the Common Core: Teachers' Responses to Changes in Standards and Assessments for Writing in Elementary Schools

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Wilcox, Kristen Campbell; Jeffery, Jill V.; Gardner-Bixler, Andrea

2016-01-01

This multiple case study investigated how the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for writing and teacher evaluation system based in part on CCSS assessments might be influencing writing instruction in elementary schools. The sample included nine schools: Six achieved above-predicted performance on English Language Arts (ELA) as well as prior ELA…

Using Assessment to Develop Social Responsibility as a Graduate Attribute in Teacher Education

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Howells, Kerry; Fitzallen, Noleine; Adams, Christine

2016-01-01

Australian higher education institutions have struggled to develop clear strategies for developing and assessing graduate attributes within their specific disciplinary contexts. Using the example of the graduate attribute of social responsibility, this paper explores the outcomes of using assessment tasks to raise the awareness of development of…

Contextualize Technical Writing Assessment to Better Prepare Students for Workplace Writing: Student-Centered Assessment Instruments

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Yu, Han

2008-01-01

To teach students how to write for the workplace and other professional contexts, technical writing teachers often assign writing tasks that reflect real-life communication contexts, a teaching approach that is grounded in the field's contextualized understanding of genre. This article argues to fully embrace contextualized literacy and better…

Literature as a Network: Creative-Writing Scholarship in Literary Magazines

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Green, Harriett E.

2014-01-01

With the increase in undergraduate and graduate programs for creative writing at institutions of higher education in North America, literary journals and magazines now serve as leading scholarly publishing outlets and research resources for creative-writing faculty and students. This study analyzes ten years of citations from nineteen leading…

Self-Regulation through Portfolio Assessment in Writing Classrooms

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Mak, Pauline; Wong, Kevin M.

2018-01-01

Portfolio assessment (PA) is promulgated as a useful tool to promote learning through assessment. While the benefits of PA are well documented, there is a lack of empirical research on how students' self-regulation can be effectively fostered in writing classrooms, and how the use of PA can develop students' self-regulated capacities. This…

What Consultation and Freelance Writing Can Do for You and Your Students

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Muller, John A.

1978-01-01

Urges teachers of technical writing and graduate students in English to get off campus and engage in giving businesses advice intended to solve problems in technical communication, editing technical communication publications, and researching and writing such publications. (GW)

Transferring Generic Features and Recontextualizing Genre Awareness: Understanding Writing Performance in the ESP Genre-Based Literacy Framework

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Cheng, An

2007-01-01

Despite the impact of the ESP genre-based framework of teaching discipline-specific writing to L2 learners, especially to L2 graduate students, the writing performance of learners in such a framework is still not fully explored. In this paper, I analyze three article introductions written by a Chinese-speaking graduate student in electrical…

Post graduate ESP curriculum: reading and writing needs.

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Afsaneh Dehnad

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Assessing learners' needs is an integral part of any curriculum and course design , namely English for specific purposes (ESP, syllabus design, materials development, teaching methods and testing issues. Critical approach to needs analysis, which is a relatively recent approach, acknowledges the rights of different stakeholders including teachers, students and administrators in the process of needs analysis. However, there has been no formal need analysis for syllabus design at postgraduate level in Medical Universities affiliated to the Ministry of Health in Iran. This study, conducted in 2011, was an attempt to assess the reading and writing needs of postgraduate students in ESP courses on the basis of critical approach to needs analysis. The study population consisted of 67 people: 56 postgraduate students, 5 heads of departments, 5 ESP instructors and 1 executive manager at the Ministry of Health in Iran. Ethical and demographic forms, needs analysis questionnaires, and a form of semi-structured interview were the instruments of the study. According to the findings, there was a discrepancy between students' and instructors' perception of learners' needs and the assumed needs appearing in the syllabi prescribed by the Ministry of Health in Iran. This study showed that a call for critical needs analysis in which the rights of different stakeholders are acknowledged is necessary for meeting the requirements of any ESP classes especially at postgraduate level where the instructors and learners are fully aware of learners' needs.

Writing and Pseudo-Writing from Internet-Based Sources: Implications for Learning and Assessment

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Skaar, Håvard

2015-01-01

In recent years, plagiarism has been on the increase across the Western world. This article identifies Internet access as a contributory cause of this trend and addresses the implications of readily available Internet sources for the teaching and assessment of writing in schools. The basis for the article is a previous study showing a wide…

Students' Perceptions of Academic Writing as a Mode of Communication

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Majidi, Mojdeh

2005-01-01

Adopting the social theory of writing and new rhetorical genre studies (Bakhtin, 1986; Dias, Freedman, Medway, & Pare, 1999; Freedman & Medway, 1994; Miller, 1984/1994) as the theoretical framework in this study I made an attempt to explore graduate students' perceptions of academic writing as a mode of communication in academia. I interviewed…

Academic Reading Difficulties Encountered by International Graduate Students in a Malaysian University

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Alghail, Ali Abdullah Ali; Mahfoodh, Omer Hassan Ali

2016-01-01

This study examines how international graduate students in a Malaysian public university perceive and overcome academic reading difficulties. The target population included all graduate students from Yemen, an Arab country, studying at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Data were collected using questionnaires, focus group interviews, and journal writing.…

Assessment of computer-related health problems among post-graduate nursing students.

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Khan, Shaheen Akhtar; Sharma, Veena

2013-01-01

The study was conducted to assess computer-related health problems among post-graduate nursing students and to develop a Self Instructional Module for prevention of computer-related health problems in a selected university situated in Delhi. A descriptive survey with co-relational design was adopted. A total of 97 samples were selected from different faculties of Jamia Hamdard by multi stage sampling with systematic random sampling technique. Among post-graduate students, majority of sample subjects had average compliance with computer-related ergonomics principles. As regards computer related health problems, majority of post graduate students had moderate computer-related health problems, Self Instructional Module developed for prevention of computer-related health problems was found to be acceptable by the post-graduate students.

Developing and assessing EFL students’ writing skills via a class-blog

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Eleni Daskalogiannaki

2012-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the implementation and the positive findings of a study that merges blog use and portfolio development for teaching and assessing writing. More specifically, it investigates whether a class blog can be integrated into the Greek EFL teaching context as an effective means to engage learners in process writing and as a form of e-portfolio, where they can keep track of their writing development. It also examines blog use for enhancing students’ motivation, interaction, participation and learning. The study followed a project-based approach and was conducted in a state Junior High School in Greece. Data was collected over a 4-month period via a questionnaire as well as from analyzing students’ writing samples and teacher’s observations of whole-class behavior during blogging. The findings reveal that the blog encouraged students to approach writing as a cognitive process of constant modification, motivated them to write more and better in various writing genres, and helped them become competent, autonomous and critical writers.

Investigating students' perceptions of graduate learning outcomes in mathematics

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King, Deborah; Varsavsky, Cristina; Belward, Shaun; Matthews, Kelly

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions mathematics students have of the knowledge and skills they develop throughout their programme of study. It addresses current concerns about the employability of mathematics graduates by contributing much needed insight into how degree programmes are developing broader learning outcomes for students majoring in mathematics. Specifically, the study asked students who were close to completing a mathematics major (n = 144) to indicate the extent to which opportunities to develop mathematical knowledge along with more transferable skills (communication to experts and non-experts, writing, working in teams and thinking ethically) were included and assessed in their major. Their perceptions were compared to the importance they assign to each of these outcomes, their own assessment of improvement during the programme and their confidence in applying these outcomes. Overall, the findings reveal a pattern of high levels of students' agreement that these outcomes are important, but evidence a startling gap when compared to students' perceptions of the extent to which many of these - communication, writing, teamwork and ethical thinking - are actually included and assessed in the curriculum, and their confidence in using such learning.

How to write a research proposal?

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Sudheesh, K; Duggappa, Devika Rani; Nethra, S S

2016-09-01

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or 'blueprint' for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

A Study on Critical Thinking Assessment System of College English Writing

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Dong, Tian; Yue, Lu

2015-01-01

This research attempts to discuss the validity of introducing the evaluation of students' critical thinking skills (CTS) into the assessment system of college English writing through an empirical study. In this paper, 30 College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) writing samples were collected and analyzed. Students' CTS and the final scores of collected…

Assessing writing ability in primary education: on the evaluation of text quality and text complexity

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Feenstra, Hiske

2014-01-01

Writing is a complex ability, and measuring writing ability is a notoriously complex task. The assessment of writing ability is complicated by the multi-faceted nature of this productive language ability on one hand, and the difficulty of evaluating writing performances on the other hand. In this

The Value of Assessment and Accreditation for Hospitality and Tourism Graduate Education

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Roberson, Richard D., Jr.

2010-01-01

Graduate education in hospitality is a growing field with a number of different approaches and philosophies which inform the decisions and directions put forth by program administrators. A case study explains the methods and justifications used by one institution to conduct a self assessment to assure high quality graduate hospitality education.…

How to write a research proposal?

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K Sudheesh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ′blueprint′ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

Increasing Research Productivity and Professional Development in Psychology With a Writing Retreat.

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Stanley, Ian H; Hom, Melanie A; Chu, Carol; Joiner, Thomas E

2017-09-01

Writing is a core feature of the training requirements and career demands of psychology faculty members and graduate students. Within academic psychology, specifically, writing is vital for the generation of scientific knowledge through manuscripts and grant applications. Although resources exist regarding how to improve one's writing skills, few models have been described regarding how to promote a culture of writing productivity that realizes tangible deliverables, such as manuscripts and grant applications. In this article, we discuss the rationale, model, and initial outcome data of a writing retreat developed and implemented to increase research productivity among psychology faculty and trainees. We also review best practices for conducting writing retreats and identify key areas for future SoTL on advancing writing.

Writing Assessment's "Debilitating Inheritance": Behaviorism's Dismissal of Experience

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Wilson, Maja Joiwind

2013-01-01

In this project, I examine the legacy of behaviorism's dismissal of experience on contemporary writing assessment theory and practice within the field of composition studies. I use an archival study of John B. Watson's letters to Robert Mearns Yerkes to establish behaviorism's systematic denial of experience and its related constructs: mind,…

Patients' assessment of professionalism and communication skills of medical graduates.

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Abadel, Fatima T; Hattab, Abdulla S

2014-02-11

Professionalism and communication skills constitute important components of the integral formation of physicians which has repercussion on the quality of health care and medical education. The objective of this study was to assess medical graduates' professionalism and communication skills from the patients' perspective and to examine its association with patients' socio-demographic variables. This is a hospital based cross-sectional study. It involved 315 patients and 105 medical graduates selected by convenient sampling method. A modified and validated version of the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Patient Assessment survey questionnaire was used for data collection through a face to face interview. Data processing and analysis were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 16.0. Mean, frequency distribution, and percentage of the variables were calculated. A non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test was applied to verify whether the patients' assessment was influenced by variables such as age, gender, education, at a level of significance, p ≤ 0.05. Female patients constituted 46% of the sample, whereas males constituted 54%. The mean age was 36 ± 16. Patients' scoring of the graduate's skills ranged from 3.29 to 3.83 with a mean of 3.64 on a five-point Likert scale. Items assessing the "patient involvement in decision-making" were assigned the minimum mean values, while items dealing with "establishing adequate communication with patient" assigned the maximum mean values. Patients, who were older than 45 years, gave higher scores than younger ones (p communication skills at a good level. Patients' age and educational level were significantly associated with the rating level.

The Effect Of Problem Based Learning And Self-Assessment On Students’ Writing Competency And Self-Regulated Learningm

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Suyoga Dharma I Putu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This experimental study aimed at investigating the effect of Problem Based Learning (PBL and self-assessment (SA on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning in Tabanan Regency. This research applied 2x2 factorial design. 96 students were selected as sample through random sampling. Data were collected by test (writing competency and questionnaire (self-regulation. Students’ writings were scored by analytical scoring rubric. The obtained data were analyzed statistically by MANOVA at 5% significance level. This research discovers: 1 there is a significant effect of PBL which occurs simultaneously and separately on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning, 2 there is a significant effect of SA which ocurs simultaneously and separately on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning, 3 there is a significant interaction between teaching model and assessment type on students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning which occurs simultaneously, 4 there is no significant interaction between teaching model and assessment type on students’ writing competency, and 5 there is a significant interaction between teaching model and assessment type on students’ self-regulated learning. This research results implies that PBL and SA should be applied in instruction process as a way to improve the quality of students’ writing competency and self-regulated learning.

The story of a narrative: Teaching and assessing English writing in a township school

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Caroline Akinyeye

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The new language curriculum in South Africa recommends that extended writing be taught through a combination of text-based (or genre and process approaches. This article reports on a study of the teaching and assessment of narrative writing in English as a first additional language (FAL at a time of curriculum change. The setting is a Cape Flats township school. In focusing on a story written by a Grade 9 learner and assessed by her teacher, the study sought evidence of the use of text-based and process approaches. The theoretical frame is informed by genre theory, which draws on Systemic Functional Linguistics and social constructivist approaches to language learning. A qualitative research paradigm was used. Data obtained for this case study included the learner’s writing, interviews with the teacher, and classroom observation. The study finds very little evidence of a scaffolded approach to the teaching and assessment of writing, and explores the constraints on the realisation of the curriculum cycle in English FAL. These relate to the teacher’s understanding of writing as well as to material conditions in township schools.

Navigating graduate school and beyond: A career guide for graduate students and a must read for every advisor

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Schultz, Colin

2012-05-01

Beginning his scientific career as an engineering student at PSG College of Technology, in Coimbatore, India, Sundar A. Christopher has negotiated and navigated the higher-education system to become the chairman of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Drawing on his own experiences and on insights gleaned from the students who have passed through his graduate-level professional development course, Christopher takes a lighthearted look at peer review, proposal writing, managing budgets, and making the most of conferences in the AGU bookNavigating Graduate School and Beyond: A Career Guide for Graduate Students and a Must Read for Every Advisor. In this interview, Eos speaks to Christopher about overcoming the bureaucratic, logistical, and personal hurdles that too often lead students to disillusionment and conflict.

Influence of Writing Ability and Computation Skill on Mathematics Writing

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Powell, Sarah R.; Hebert, Michael A.

2016-01-01

Mathematics standards expect students to communicate about mathematics using oral and written methods, and some high-stakes assessments ask students to answer mathematics questions by writing. Assumptions about mathematics communication via writing include (a) students possess writing skill, (b) students can transfer this writing skill to…

Career writing : a creative, expressive and reflective approach to qualitative assessment and guidance

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dr. Frans Meijers; Reinekke Lengelle

2015-01-01

Career Writing is a narrative approach to qualitative career assessment whereby client (or student) groups use creative, reflective, and expressive forms of writing to foster an internal dialogue about career. It is intended to help individuals construct a career identity by uncovering life themes,

Importance and benefits of the doctoral thesis for medical graduates

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Giesler, Marianne; Boeker, Martin; Fabry, Götz; Biller, Silke

2016-01-01

Introduction: The majority of medical graduates in Germany complete a doctorate, even though a doctoral degree is not necessary for the practice of medicine. So far, little is known about doctoral candidates’ view on the individual benefit a doctoral thesis has for them. Consequently, this is the subject of the present investigation. Method: Data from surveys with graduates of the five medical faculties of Baden-Württemberg from the graduation years 2007/2008 (N=514) and 2010/2011 (N=598) were analysed. Results: One and a half years after graduating 53% of those interviewed had completed their doctorate. When asked about their motivation for writing a doctoral thesis, participants answered most frequently “a doctorate is usual” (85%) and “improvement of job opportunities” (75%), 36% said that an academic career has been their primary motive. Less than 10% responded that they used their doctoral thesis as a means to apply for a job. The proportion of graduates working in health care is equally large among those who have completed a thesis and those who have not. Graduates who pursued a thesis due to scientific interest are also currently more interested in an academic career and recognise more opportunities for research. An implicit benefit of a medical thesis emerged with regard to the self-assessment of scientific competences as those who completed a doctorate rated their scientific competencies higher than those who have not. Discussion: Although for the majority of physicians research interest is not the primary motivation for completing a doctorate, they might nevertheless achieve some academic competencies. For graduates pursuing an academic career the benefit of completing a medical thesis is more obvious. PMID:26958656

Importance and benefits of the doctoral thesis for medical graduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Giesler, Marianne; Boeker, Martin; Fabry, Götz; Biller, Silke

2016-01-01

The majority of medical graduates in Germany complete a doctorate, even though a doctoral degree is not necessary for the practice of medicine. So far, little is known about doctoral candidates' view on the individual benefit a doctoral thesis has for them. Consequently, this is the subject of the present investigation. Data from surveys with graduates of the five medical faculties of Baden-Württemberg from the graduation years 2007/2008 (N=514) and 2010/2011 (N=598) were analysed. One and a half years after graduating 53% of those interviewed had completed their doctorate. When asked about their motivation for writing a doctoral thesis, participants answered most frequently "a doctorate is usual" (85%) and "improvement of job opportunities" (75%), 36% said that an academic career has been their primary motive. Less than 10% responded that they used their doctoral thesis as a means to apply for a job. The proportion of graduates working in health care is equally large among those who have completed a thesis and those who have not. Graduates who pursued a thesis due to scientific interest are also currently more interested in an academic career and recognise more opportunities for research. An implicit benefit of a medical thesis emerged with regard to the self-assessment of scientific competences as those who completed a doctorate rated their scientific competencies higher than those who have not. Although for the majority of physicians research interest is not the primary motivation for completing a doctorate, they might nevertheless achieve some academic competencies. For graduates pursuing an academic career the benefit of completing a medical thesis is more obvious.

Importance and benefits of the doctoral thesis for medical graduates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giesler, Marianne

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The majority of medical graduates in Germany complete a doctorate, even though a doctoral degree is not necessary for the practice of medicine. So far, little is known about doctoral candidates’ view on the individual benefit a doctoral thesis has for them. Consequently, this is the subject of the present investigation.Method: Data from surveys with graduates of the five medical faculties of Baden-Württemberg from the graduation years 2007/2008 (N=514 and 2010/2011 (N=598 were analysed.Results: One and a half years after graduating 53% of those interviewed had completed their doctorate. When asked about their motivation for writing a doctoral thesis, participants answered most frequently “a doctorate is usual” (85% and “improvement of job opportunities” (75%, 36% said that an academic career has been their primary motive. Less than 10% responded that they used their doctoral thesis as a means to apply for a job. The proportion of graduates working in health care is equally large among those who have completed a thesis and those who have not. Graduates who pursued a thesis due to scientific interest are also currently more interested in an academic career and recognise more opportunities for research. An implicit benefit of a medical thesis emerged with regard to the self-assessment of scientific competences as those who completed a doctorate rated their scientific competencies higher than those who have not.Discussion: Although for the majority of physicians research interest is not the primary motivation for completing a doctorate, they might nevertheless achieve some academic competencies. For graduates pursuing an academic career the benefit of completing a medical thesis is more obvious.

Improving Process Writing with the Use Authentic Assessment

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bin Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Noor; Yusoff, Nurahimah Mohd

2016-01-01

The paper discusses on how process writing is improved with the use of authentic assessment in an English Language classroom. Eleven primary school children from Year 4 in a rural school in Sabah are the participants of the study. Data were collected by observing them during the English Language lessons and at the end of the series of…

The New Interface for Writing

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Hadi-Tabassum, Samina

2014-01-01

Schools are scrambling to prepare their students for the writing assessments in correlation with the Common Core tests. In some states, writing has not been assessed for more than a decade. Yet, with the use of computerized grading of the students' writing, many teachers are wondering how to best prepare students for the writing assessments,…

Using the Rasch measurement model to design a report writing assessment instrument.

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Carlson, Wayne R

2013-01-01

This paper describes how the Rasch measurement model was used to develop an assessment instrument designed to measure student ability to write law enforcement incident and investigative reports. The ability to write reports is a requirement of all law enforcement recruits in the state of Michigan and is a part of the state's mandatory basic training curriculum, which is promulgated by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES). Recently, MCOLES conducted research to modernize its training and testing in the area of report writing. A structured validation process was used, which included: a) an examination of the job tasks of a patrol officer, b) input from content experts, c) a review of the professional research, and d) the creation of an instrument to measure student competency. The Rasch model addressed several measurement principles that were central to construct validity, which were particularly useful for assessing student performances. Based on the results of the report writing validation project, the state established a legitimate connectivity between the report writing standard and the essential job functions of a patrol officer in Michigan. The project also produced an authentic instrument for measuring minimum levels of report writing competency, which generated results that are valid for inferences of student ability. Ultimately, the state of Michigan must ensure the safety of its citizens by licensing only those patrol officers who possess a minimum level of core competency. Maintaining the validity and reliability of both the training and testing processes can ensure that the system for producing such candidates functions as intended.

The 2008-2009 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Handbook for Assessment Coordinators: Writing, Reading and Mathematics, Science

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Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This handbook describes the responsibilities of district and school assessment coordinators in the administration of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). This updated guidebook contains the following sections: (1) General Assessment Guidelines for All Assessments; (2) Writing Specific Guidelines; (3) Reading and Mathematics…

Assessed perceptions of female materials science and engineering graduates on academic advising, student support services and retention strategies

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Washington, Renita Linette

Females currently undertaking STEM-related programs can benefit from knowing about how other females who had been in a similar position as them were able to persevere through the challenges of higher education with the help of advisement and student support services that aim to increasing student retention. While there have been a depth of studies on the development of academic advising, there have been limited studies on this development with respect to the needs of specific marginalized groups. This is the gap in literature that is addressed by this study. The outcomes observed in this study can potentially benefit female students at the institution where the study was conducted. This study focused on the group of female students who were able to successfully complete their STEM-related degrees. A significant difference was found between tutoring and learning support, F = 4.65, sd = .78 and a sig. level = .004. A strong negative relationship existed between the ages of the graduates and assessed academic advisement. A perfect positive relationship existed between the age of the graduates and assessed course concierge service scores; and between the age of the graduates and assessed career services and counseling scores. A moderate negative relationship existed between the age of the graduates and assessed curriculum/degree planning database scores, the age of the graduates and assessed academic and program advisement scores and the age of the graduates and assessed tutorial and learning support services scores. A weak negative relationship existed between the age of the graduates and assessed retention scores.

Methods and successes of New York University workshops for science graduate students and post-docs in science writing for general audiences (readers and radio listeners)

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Hall, S. S.

2012-12-01

Scientists and science administrators often stress the importance of communication to the general public, but rarely develop educational infrastructures to achieve this goal. Since 2009, the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University has offered a series of basic and advanced writing workshops for graduate students and post-docs in NYU's eight scientific divisions (neuroscience, psychology, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, anthropology, and computer science). The basic methodology of the NYU approach will be described, along with successful examples of both written and radio work by students that have been either published or broadcast by general interest journalism outlets.

Association between learning style preferences and anatomy assessment outcomes in graduate-entry and undergraduate medical students.

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O'Mahony, Siobhain M; Sbayeh, Amgad; Horgan, Mary; O'Flynn, Siun; O'Tuathaigh, Colm M P

2016-07-08

An improved understanding of the relationship between anatomy learning performance and approaches to learning can lead to the development of a more tailored approach to delivering anatomy teaching to medical students. This study investigated the relationship between learning style preferences, as measured by Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic (VARK) inventory style questionnaire and Honey and Mumford's learning style questionnaire (LSQ), and anatomy and clinical skills assessment performance at an Irish medical school. Additionally, mode of entry to medical school [undergraduate/direct-entry (DEM) vs. graduate-entry (GEM)], was examined in relation to individual learning style, and assessment results. The VARK and LSQ were distributed to first and second year DEM, and first year GEM students. DEM students achieved higher clinical skills marks than GEM students, but anatomy marks did not differ between each group. Several LSQ style preferences were shown to be weakly correlated with anatomy assessment performance in a program- and year-specific manner. Specifically, the "Activist" style was negatively correlated with anatomy scores in DEM Year 2 students (rs = -0.45, P = 0.002). The "Theorist" style demonstrated a weak correlation with anatomy performance in DEM Year 2 (rs = 0.18, P = 0.003). Regression analysis revealed that, among the LSQ styles, the "Activist" was associated with poorer anatomy assessment performance (P learning styles contribute little to variation in academic performance in medical students. Anat Sci Educ 9: 391-399. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

Dynamic Assessment of Writing: The Impact of Implicit/Explicit Mediations on L2 Learners' Internalization of Writing Skills and Strategies

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Alavi, Sayyed Mohammad; Taghizadeh, Mahboubeh

2014-01-01

Dynamic assessment is a procedure in which development is simultaneously assessed and improved with regard to the individual's or group's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD; Lantolf & Poehner, 2004). This study aimed to follow dynamic assessment and investigate the impact of three types of implicit and explicit feedback on the essay writing of…

Teaching Psychological Report Writing: Content and Process

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Wiener, Judith; Costaris, Laurie

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss the process of teaching graduate students in school psychology to write psychological reports that teachers and parents find readable and that guide intervention. The consensus from studies across four decades of research is that effective psychological reports connect to the client's context; have clear…

Writing a Research Proposal to The Research Council of Oman

OpenAIRE

Al-Shukaili, Ahmed; Al-Maniri, Abdullah

2017-01-01

Writing a research proposal can be a challenging task for young researchers. This article explains how to write a strong research proposal to apply for funding, specifically, a proposal for The Research Council (TRC) of Oman. Three different research proposal application forms are currently used in TRC, including Open Research Grant (ORG), Graduate Research Support Program (GRSP), and Faculty-mentored Undergraduate Research Award Program (FURAP). The application forms are filled and submitted...

Manuscript 101: A Data-Driven Writing Exercise For Beginning Scientists

OpenAIRE

Ralston, Amy; Halbisen, Michael

2017-01-01

Learning to write a scientific manuscript is one of the most important and rewarding scientific training experiences, yet most young scientists only embark on this experience relatively late in graduate school, after gathering sufficient data in the lab. Yet, familiarity with the process of writing a scientific manuscript and receiving peer reviews, often leads to a more focused and driven experimental approach. To jump-start this training, we developed a protocol for teaching manuscript writ...

Newly graduated doctors' competence in managing cardiopulmonary arrests assessed using a standardized Advanced Life Support (ALS) assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Morten Lind; Hesselfeldt, Rasmus; Rasmussen, Maria Birkvad

2008-01-01

Aim of the study: Several studies using a variety of assessment approaches have demonstrated that young doctors possess insufficient resuscitation competence. The aims of this study were to assess newly graduated doctors’ resuscitation competence against an internationally recognised standard and...

Student Engagement and Assessment Modes: A Study

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Pathak, Anil

2018-01-01

The aim of this project is to attempt a factorial analysis of the congruence amongst three layers of assessments of Oral Presentation: "Expert, Self, and Peer". Participants included graduate and undergraduate students of Asian background studying Research Writing at a technological university. The research instrument consisted of a set…

Oral Cancer Knowledge Assessment: Newly Graduated versus Senior Dental Clinicians

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Salgado de Souza, Ricardo; Gallego Arias Pecorari, Vanessa; Lauria Dib, Luciano

2018-01-01

The present study assessed the level of dentists' knowledge regarding oral cancer in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A questionnaire was used to compare the level of knowledge among newly graduated and senior clinicians. A total of 20,154 e-mails were correctly delivered to the dentists registered in the database of the Regional Dentistry Council of São Paulo, and 477 (2.36%) responses were received. This sample consisted of 84 newly graduated clinicians and 105 senior clinicians. For the statistical analysis, the chi-square test and the logistic regression analysis were performed with α = 0.05, and the results were described herein. According to their knowledge level, the results were statistically different between the groups, since 19% of the newly graduated clinicians were evaluated with knowledge grade A (excellent) in comparison to 6.7% of the senior clinicians. In spite of the results indicated that newly graduated clinicians' knowledge regarding oral cancer was 2.1 times higher, 34.5% of the professionals in this group had regular or poor knowledge on the subject, and several questions relating to clinical characteristics and risk factors indicated that there still exist some knowledge gaps, demonstrating that there is a need for further studies and information activities addressing oral cancer. PMID:29666649

Prescription Writing Errors of Midwifery Students in Common Gynecological problems

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Serveh Parang

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background and aim: Giving improper prescriptions is common among medical practitioners, mostly graduates, in most communities even developed countries. So far, to our knowledge, no study has been conducted on prescription writing of graduate midwifery students. Therefore, this study aimed to detect prescription writing errors of midwifery students in common gynecological problems. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 56 bachelor midwifery students, who had passed the theoretical and clinical courses of gynecology, were evaluated by Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE. A demographic questionnaire and a standard checklist for writing the prescriptions and medications were used for data collection. SPSS Version 16 was used to carry out descriptive statistics. Findings: Most of the students were single, with the mean age of 23.0±1.7 years. Most errors were related to not recording the patients’ age and sex, diagnosis, chief complaint, and the prescriber’s name (observed in less than 10% of the prescriptions. The complete dosage schedule and drug name were stated only in 1.8±4.8 and 14±18.6 of prescriptions, respectively. In more than 93% of the cases, route of use and treatment duration were not recorded. Conclusion: According to the results, the number of prescription errors of midwifery students was high. Therefore, it is recommended to run educational courses on prescription writing skills (e.g. writing prescriptions based on World Health Organization (WHO guidelines for the midwifery students.

Writing Apprehension, Computer Anxiety and Telecomputing: A Pilot Study.

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Harris, Judith; Grandgenett, Neal

1992-01-01

A study measured graduate students' writing apprehension and computer anxiety levels before and after using electronic mail, computer conferencing, and remote database searching facilities during an educational technology course. Results indicted postcourse computer anxiety levels significantly related to usage statistics. Precourse writing…

A Study of the Information Seeking Behavior of Communication Graduate Students in Their Research Processes

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Shih-Chuan Chen

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Thesis is the research outcome that a graduate student spends most of his or her time and energies to achieve. Therefore, the research process of student’s thesis writing is an important topic to be investigated. The main purpose of this study is to explore graduate students’ information seeking behavior during the process of thesis writing. Ten graduate students in the field of communication were interviewed, and their information horizon maps as well as bibliographical references were analyzed also. Results showed that the library, as a formal channel, is the primary source for graduate students. The documents that they used most often were theses and dissertations, monographs, and journals. In addition to the formal channels, social network also played as a very important role in students’ research process. The networks even changed their information seeking behaviors in formal channels. Students reported several problems encountered in the research process, such as lacking of the background knowledge of the interdisciplinary, being unable to find out the core and relevant documents from the search results, etc. In conclusion, graduate students’ information seeking behavior changed at different stages in the research process. [Article content in Chinese

Prior academic background and student performance in assessment in a graduate entry programme.

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Craig, P L; Gordon, J J; Clark, R M; Langendyk, V

2004-11-01

This study aims to identify whether non-science graduates perform as well as science graduates in Basic and Clinical Sciences (B & CS) assessments during Years 1-3 of a four-year graduate-entry programme at the University of Sydney (the 'USydMP'). Students were grouped into five categories: Health Professions (HP), Biomedical Sciences (BMS), Other Biology (BIOL), Physical Sciences (PHYS) or Non-Science (NONS). We examined the performance rank of students in each of the five groups for single best answer (SBA) and modified essay (MEQ) assessments separately, and also calculated the relative risk of failure in the summative assessments in Years 2 and 3. Students with science-based prior degrees performed better in the SBA assessments. The same occurred initially in the MEQs, but the effect diminished with time. The HP students performed consistently better but converged with other groups over time, particularly in the MEQs. Relative performance by the NONS students improved with time in both assessment formats. Overall, differences between the highest and lowest groups were small and very few students failed to meet the overall standard for the summative assessments. HP and BMS students had the lowest failure rate. NONS students were more likely to fail the assessments in Year 2 and 3, but their pass rates were still high. Female students performed significantly better overall at the end of Year 2 and in Year 3. There were only minor differences between Australian resident and International students. While there are small differences in performance in B & CS early in the programme, these lessen with time. The study results will inform decisions regarding timing of summative assessments, selection policy and for providing additional support to students who need it to minimize their risk of failure. Readers should note that this paper refers to student performance in only one of the four curriculum themes, where health professional and science graduates would be

Malaysian Tertiary Level ESL Students’ Perceptions toward Teacher Feedback, Peer Feedback and Self-assessment in their Writing

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Kayatri Vasu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In Malaysia, teacher feedback is highly preferred by students, who often believe that teachers know best. Teacher feedback shows them their teacher’s idea of an ideal writing. However, excessive dependence on teachers adds to their workload. Therefore, teachers are increasingly promoting two other alternative methods that are gradually gaining importance. These methods are peer feedback and self-assessment. This study investigates ESL students’ perceptions toward teacher feedback, peer feedback and self-assessment in students’ writing process. Questionnaires, adapted from the instruments in the literature, were administered to 107 randomly selected students in a private local university in Malaysia. Students found feedback given to the content and organization of their writing more useful than feedback provided for their vocabulary and grammar. It was also found that students perceived feedback from teacher, peers and self-assessment all as highly useful. Additionally the results indicated while there was no significant difference (p > .05 between the students’ perceptions toward teacher feedback and self-assessment, they were both perceived as significantly more useful (p < .001 than peer feedback. The students also perceived explicit feedback as significantly more useful (p < .001 than implicit feedback. The results of this study have implications for English language learning-teaching practitioners and researchers. They shed light on the options preferred by students in revising their writing in ESL writing classrooms. Future research on the effects of teacher feedback, peer feedback and self-assessment on students’ writing performance will provide better insight on the preferred methods in ESL writing classrooms in similar settings.

Processfolio: Uniting Academic Literacies and Critical Emancipatory Action Research for Practitioner-Led Inquiry into EAP Writing Assessment

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Pearson, Jayne

2017-01-01

This article reports on the design and implementation of an alternative form of writing assessment in a UK English for Academic Purposes (EAP) pre-sessional course. The assessment, termed processfolio, was a response to research inquiry into how writing assessment in a local context negated student agency and inculcated disempowering models of…

Preparing students for graduate study: an eLearning approach.

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Pintz, Christine; Posey, Laurie

2013-07-01

This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of an eLearning program intended to provide incoming nursing students with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in graduate-level, online coursework. Using Mayer's principles (2008) for the effective design of multimedia instruction, an open-access, self-directed, online program was developed. The Graduate School Boot Camp includes five online modules focused on learning strategies and time management, academic writing, technology, research, and library skills. To motivate and engage learners, the program integrates a fun, graphical sports theme with audiovisual presentations, examples, demonstrations and practice exercises. Learners begin with a self-assessment based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire or MSLQ (Pintrich et al., 1993). To assess change in knowledge levels before and after completing the program, learners take a pre-test and post-test. Preliminary findings indicate that the students found the information relevant and useful. They enjoyed the self-paced, multimedia format, and liked the option to return to specific content later. This innovative program offers a way to prepare students proactively, and may prove useful in identifying students at risk and connecting them with the appropriate resources to facilitate successful program completion. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dual Rubrics and the Process of Writing: Assessment and Best Practices in a Developmental English Course

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Pireh, Diane Flanegan

2014-01-01

This article presents strategies for using two types of essay-writing rubrics in a developmental English class of students transitioning into college-level writing. One checklist rubric is student-facing, designed to serve as a guide for students throughout the writing process and as a self-assessment tool. The other checklist rubric is…

Assessing Success in Honors: Getting beyond Graduation Rates

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Kelly, Sean K.

2013-01-01

An honors curriculum with realistic graduation requirements should have a respectable graduation rate. This number, when low, can indicate significant problems in the program. But a high graduation rate does not necessarily indicate success. A quality honors program, especially one that remains attentive to students' ability to thrive, might have…

Employers Assessment of Work Ethics Required of University Business Education Graduates in South-South Nigeria

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Okoro, James

2014-01-01

This study examined the employers assessment of work ethics required of university Business Education graduates in south south Nigeria. One research question and three hypotheses guided the study. The design of this study was a descriptive survey. The population of the study comprised 318 identified employers of Business Education graduates in…

Developing Team Skills through a Collaborative Writing Assignment

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Thomas, Theda Ann

2014-01-01

Employers want students who are able to work effectively as members of a team, and expect universities to develop this ability in their graduates. This paper proposes a framework for a collaborative writing assignment that specifically develops students' ability to work in teams. The framework has been tested using two iterations of an action…

The art of scientific writing

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Gad-El-Hak, Mohamed

2015-11-01

The humanities teach students how to learn and communicate. Science teaches why everything works. Engineering teaches how to make things work. But scientists and engineers need to communicate their ideas amongst themselves as well as to everyone else. A newly developed technical writing course is outlined. In the class, offered to senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students, we read numerous short novels, essays, and op-eds. Some of the reading materials are technical but many are not. The students also have weekly writing assignments. When the first assignment is returned to the students with a grade of 20-30%, their first reaction is, ``how come I did not receive my usual 80-90%?'' I retort, ``you reach that level only when your essay is ready to be published in The New York Times.'' What is emphasized in the class is the process of creating something to write about, researching that something, expressing ideas coherently and comprehensibly, then endlessly editing the essay. The elective class has been offered three times thus far, all of its available seats are always filled, the students' evaluations have been outstanding, and the improvements in the students' ability to write by the end of the semester is quite impressive.

Investigating the Practices of Assessment Methods in Amharic Language Writing Skill Context: The Case of Selected Higher Education in Ethiopia

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Tesfay, Hailay

2017-01-01

This study aims to investigate Ethiopian higher education Amharic language writing skills instructors' practices of Assessment Methods in writing skill context. It was also intended to look for their viewpoints about the practicality of implementing Assessment Methods in Amharic writing courses. In order to achieve the goals of this study,…

Trait Based Assessment on Teaching Writing Skill for EFL Learners

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Asrobi, Maman; Prasetyaningrum, Ari

2017-01-01

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effectiveness of trait based assessment on teaching writing skill for EFL learners. Designed as pre-experimental study with one group pretest and posttest design, it examined 20 students of the second semester of English Department of "Hamzanwadi University" in the academic year…

Measuring the Impact of Rater Negotiation in Writing Performance Assessment

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Trace, Jonathan; Janssen, Gerriet; Meier, Valerie

2017-01-01

Previous research in second language writing has shown that when scoring performance assessments even trained raters can exhibit significant differences in severity. When raters disagree, using discussion to try to reach a consensus is one popular form of score resolution, particularly in contexts with limited resources, as it does not require…

INTERACTIONIST DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT IN ACADEMIC PERSUASIVE WRITING: A CASE OF TWO EFL LEARNERS

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Zahra kheradmand Saadi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the effects of interactionist dynamic assessment on improving academic persuasive writing of two Iranian EFL learners majoring in English Language and Literature. Qualitative analysis of the interactions between the mediator and learners and the drafts written by the learners indicated that using different types of mediation were effective in developing learners’ persuasive writing. In addition to the factors such as individual, time, and language feature which were shown to be integral in determining mediation, assessment of the two cases showed that factors such as mediator’s role, learners’ responsiveness to mediation, and agency were important in specifying mediation.

Observing writing processes of struggling adult writers with collaborative writing

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Afra Sturm

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This study investigated how struggling adult writers solve a writing task and what they know about writing and themselves as writers. The writing process of the adult writers was examined by combining three elements: the observation of collaborative writing tasks, analyses of their written texts, and structured individual interviews that included both retrospective and prospective parts. This methodical approach provides productive tools to assess writing processes and writing knowledge of struggling adult writers. The triangulation of data from the different sources is visualized in a case study. Findings from the case study suggest both similarities and differences between struggling adult and younger writers. Concerning the writing process of both groups, planning and revision play a limited role. However, alongside these similar limitations in their writing process, struggling adult writers distinguish themselves from their young counterparts through their relatively extensive knowledge about themselves as writers.

Assessment and Intervention in Overcoming Writing Difficulties: An Illustration From the Self-Regulated Strategy Development Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Steve; Harris, Karen R

1999-07-01

The progress of a 12-year-old boy with learning disabilities and severe writing difficulties is followed from initial assessment through instruction in strategies for planning, revising, and managing the composing process. A validated instructional model, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), was used to teach these processes. With SRSD, writing strategies are explicitly taught in combination with procedures for regulating the use of these strategies, the writing process, and any undesirable behaviors that may impede performance. Recommendations are offered to speech-language pathologists for applying the SRSD model to children experiencing writing difficulties.

The Write Stuff: Teaching the Introductory Public Relations Writing Course.

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King, Cynthia M.

2001-01-01

Outlines an introductory public relations writing course. Presents course topics and objectives, and assignments designed to meet them. Provides a sample grading rubric and evaluates major public relations writing textbooks. Discusses learning and assessment strategies. (SR)

Writing for Scholarly Publication as "Tacit Knowledge": A Qualitative Focus Group Study of Doctoral Students in Education

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Jalongo, Mary Renck; Boyer, Wanda; Ebbeck, Marjory

2014-01-01

Expectations for academic writing and publication have intensified in Academia. Doctoral students in colleges of education are advised to publish even before they graduate and evidence of successful publication is influential in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions. The purpose of this research was to study the process of writing for…

Publishing an Article: The Goal for a Graduate Course

Science.gov (United States)

Hilke, Michael

2013-01-01

This essay discusses the effectiveness of a graduate course for physics students, with a course goal to write a publishable article on a modern research topic (graphene). I analyze the tools used to this end, which included Web 2.0 methods, in-class discussions and presentations, as well as extensive peer-review. In addition to producing a…

Technical Writing Redesign and Assessment: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Gaye Bush

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare scores on writing assignments from traditional, fully online courses in technical writing to pilot, hybrid courses at a southern university. A total of 232 students' assignments were compared in this study. All writing assignments were scored by six trained instructors of English using the same five point…

Writing and Publishing Scientific Papers in the Field of Management

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Vasja Roblek

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Science is one of the most important human activities and is crucial for the development of society. Scientific research results should be presented to the public, which can be done through various publications. The article was written for graduate students and beginner researchers and presents steps for writing scientific papers. A well-written scientific paper consists of essential parts, i.e. appropriate structure, which in presented in this paper. The authors of this article present tips and useful advice when writing and publishing scientific papers in the field of management.

THE EFFECT OF SCAFFOLDING AND PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT ON JORDANIAN EFL LEARNERS’ WRITING

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Ruba Fahmi Bataineh

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This study examines the potential effect of scaffolding-based instruction and portfolio-based assessment on Jordanian EFL tenth grade students’ overall writing performance and their performance on the sub-skills of focus, development, organization, conventions and word choice. The study uses a quasi-experimental experimental/control group, pre-/posttest design. In the experimental group, 15 female tenth grade students from the North-Eastern Badia Directorate of Education (Jordan were taught to generate ideas, structure, draft, and edit their written pieces using agency scaffolding, the scaffolding principles of contextual support, continuity, intersubjectivity, flow, contingency and handover, and a slightly adapted version of Hamp-Lyons and Condon’s (2000 Portfolio Model of collection, selection and reflection. A control group of 28 students were instructed conventionally per the guidelines of the teacher’s book. Using descriptive statistics and ANCOVA to analyze the students’ scores on the pre- and the posttests, the results showed that the group taught through scaffolding-based instruction and portfolio-based assessment outperformed the control group (at a≤ 0.05 in their overall writing performance and in their performance on the five writing sub-skills.

Writing Editorials.

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, Marjorie L.

2003-01-01

Presents a thematic unit for middle schools on editorial writing, or persuasive writing, based on the Pathways Model for information skills lessons. Includes assessing other editorials; student research process journals; information literacy and process skills; and two lesson plans that involve library media specialists as well as teachers. (LRW)

Practical science communication strategies for graduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehne, Lauren M; Twardochleb, Laura A; Fritschie, Keith J; Mims, Meryl C; Lawrence, David J; Gibson, Polly P; Stewart-Koster, Ben; Olden, Julian D

2014-10-01

Development of skills in science communication is a well-acknowledged gap in graduate training, but the constraints that accompany research (limited time, resources, and knowledge of opportunities) make it challenging to acquire these proficiencies. Furthermore, advisors and institutions may find it difficult to support graduate students adequately in these efforts. The result is fewer career and societal benefits because students have not learned to communicate research effectively beyond their scientific peers. To help overcome these hurdles, we developed a practical approach to incorporating broad science communication into any graduate-school time line. The approach consists of a portfolio approach that organizes outreach activities along a time line of planned graduate studies. To help design the portfolio, we mapped available science communication tools according to 5 core skills essential to most scientific careers: writing, public speaking, leadership, project management, and teaching. This helps graduate students consider the diversity of communication tools based on their desired skills, time constraints, barriers to entry, target audiences, and personal and societal communication goals. By designing a portfolio with an advisor's input, guidance, and approval, graduate students can gauge how much outreach is appropriate given their other commitments to teaching, research, and classes. The student benefits from the advisors' experience and mentorship, promotes the group's research, and establishes a track record of engagement. When graduate student participation in science communication is discussed, it is often recommended that institutions offer or require more training in communication, project management, and leadership. We suggest that graduate students can also adopt a do-it-yourself approach that includes determining students' own outreach objectives and time constraints and communicating these with their advisor. By doing so we hope students will

Assessing Writing: A Review of the Main Trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan

2014-10-01

Full Text Available As a language skill, writing has had, still has and will continue to have an important role in shaping the scientific structure of human life in that it is the medium through which scientific content is stored, retained, and transmitted. It has therefore been a major concern for writing teachers and researchers to find a reliable method for evaluating and ensuring quality writing. This paper addresses the different approaches to scoring writing and classifies them into a priori scoring systems (including holistic and analytic scoring, and a posteriori trait-based scoring systems (including primary-trait and multiple-trait scoring.

Improving Scientific Writing in Undergraduate Geosciences Degrees Through Peer Review

Science.gov (United States)

Day, E. A.; Collins, G. S.; Craig, L.

2016-12-01

In the British educational system, students specialise early. Often geoscience undergraduates have not taken a class that requires extended writing since they were sixteen years old. This can make it difficult for students to develop the written skills necessary for a geoscience degree, which often has assessments in the form of essays and reports. To improve both the writing and editing skills of our undergraduates we have introduced a peer review system, in which seniors review the work of first year students. At Imperial College London we set written coursework in every year of the degree. Communication is taught and assessed in many courses. There are two major modules with substantial written components that bookend the undergraduate degree at Imperial; the freshmen all write an assessed essay, while all seniors take 'Science Communication', a course that aims to prepare them for a range of possible careers. In the 2015-16 academic year we linked these courses by introducing a modified form of peer marking and instruction. Seniors had to complete reviews of draft first year essays for credit in Science Communication. These reviews are completed for the department 'journal' and introduce the first and fourth years to the nature of peer review. Seniors learn how to critically, but kindly, evaluate the work of other students, and are also prepared for potentially submitting their senior theses to journals. Reviews were managed by volunteer seniors, who acted as associate editors. They allocated anonymous reviewers and wrote decision letters, which were sent to the freshmen before their final assessed essay submission. Ultimately the fourth year reviews were formally assessed and graded by members of staff, as were the revised and resubmitted first year essays. Feedback for both courses has improved since the introduction of student reviews of essays. The markers of the freshman essay have also commented on the improvement in the standard of the writing and a

Reflective writing as a tool for assessing teamwork in bioscience: insights into student performance and understanding of teamwork.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayne, Lynne

2012-07-01

To ensure a modern bioscience curriculum that responds to the current needs of stakeholders, there is a need to embed a range of generic capabilities that enables graduates to succeed in and contribute to a rapidly changing world, as well as building strong bioscience skills and knowledge. The curriculum must also prepare students for a rapidly evolving competitive work place and align with the needs of industry. This creates a challenge, how do we develop generic capabilities without losing discipline content. This report analyses teamwork projects embedded in an undergraduate Biotechnology degree designed to promote teamwork skills along with a deeper understanding of the underpinning biochemistry. Student reflective writing was used to capture students' understanding and experience of teamwork as well as provide insight into their metacognition. The analysis demonstrates that 73% of Year 3 and 93% of Year 4 students were capable of learning about teamwork through reflective writing. While the importance of frequent high quality communication was a common theme, evidence suggests that many students were unsophisticated in their use of communication software. The analysis also highlighted the depth of metacognition that underpins successful team function and the significant weaknesses in self-insight some students possess. These findings challenge assumptions regarding student capacity for leadership and the ability of some students to contribute to successful team outcomes. It is essential for the design of teamwork experiences to fully understand the competencies that underlie teamwork, the metacognitive processes required, and ensure that assessments are fair and measure individual academic performance. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using Portfolio to Assess Rural Young Learners' Writing Skills in English Language Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Aziz, Muhammad Noor Abdul; Yusoff, Nurahimah Mohd.

2015-01-01

This study aimed at discussing the benefits of portfolio assessment in assessing students' writing skills. The study explores the use of authentic assessment in the classroom. Eleven primary school children from Year 4 in a rural school in Sabah participated in this study. Data were collected by observing them during the English Language lessons…

Assessment of surgical competence in North American graduate periodontics programs: a survey of current practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghiabi, Edmond; Taylor, K Lynn

2010-08-01

This cross-sectional study was designed to document the methods utilized by North American graduate periodontics programs in assessing their residents' surgical skills. A survey of clinical skills assessment was mailed to directors of all fifty-eight graduate periodontics programs in Canada and the United States. Thirty-four programs (59 percent) responded. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 15.0. The results demonstrate that the most common practice for providing feedback and documenting residents' surgical skills in the programs surveyed was daily one-on-one verbal feedback given by an instructor. The next two most commonly reported methods were a standard checklist developed at program level and a combination of a checklist and verbal comments. The majority of the programs reported that the instructors met collectively once per term to evaluate the residents' progress. The results suggest that graduate periodontics programs provide their residents frequent opportunities for daily practice with verbal feedback from instructors. However, assessment strategies identified in other health professions as beneficial in fostering the integration of clinical skills practices are not employed.

A conversation analysis of the function of silence in writing conferences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milad Mirzaee

2016-07-01

Full Text Available One of the recent issues in English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL writing instruction has been the quest for a more effective way to give feedback to L2 learners’ writing drafts. Although teacher- learner writing conferences have been increasingly used for providing ample opportunity for negotiating revisions, relatively little attention has been given to actual teacher-learner conversation. Drawing on sociocultural theory, which holds that all cognitive developments are results of ‘social interactions’, and drawing on conversation analysis as an analytical tool, this study attempts to explore the different functions of ‘silence’ in writing conferences during teacher-learner conversation. The data comes from transcripts of six 1-hour writing conferences video-recorded in a graduate program with 7 candidates in Iran. During the writing conferences, learners’ drafts were discussed. Findings of the study demonstrated that teacher’s silence can play a key role in the management of turns in writing conferences, thereby providing the parties with various opportunities for accomplishing intersubjectivity: the teacher used silence to rethink the information provided during writing conferences, and the learner exploited silence to revise the writing draft. The current study, reporting a range of functions of silence in writing conferences, offers an extension to the existing literature and draws language teachers’, specifically writing instructors’, attention to different functions of silence in writing conferences.

Evaluability Assessment Thesis and Dissertation Studies in Graduate Professional Degree Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Walser, Tamara M.; Trevisan, Michael S.

2016-01-01

Evaluability assessment (EA) has potential as a design option for thesis and dissertation studies, serving as a practical training experience for both technical and nontechnical evaluation skills. Based on a content review of a sample of EA theses and dissertations from graduate professional degree programs, the authors of this article found that…

Creating Communication Training Programs for Graduate Students in Science and Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, M.; Lewenstein, B.; Weiss, M.

2012-12-01

Scientists and engineers in all disciplines are required to communicate with colleagues, the media, policy-makers, and/or the general public. However, most STEM graduate programs do not equip students with the skills needed to communicate effectively to these diverse audiences. In this presentation, we describe a science communication course developed by and for graduate students at Cornell University. This training, which has been implemented as a semester-long seminar and a weekend-long workshop, covers popular science writing, science policy, print and web media, radio and television. Here we present a comparison of learning outcomes for the semester and weekend formats, a summary of lessons learned, and tools for developing similar science communication programs for graduate students at other institutions.

How to write a research proposal?

OpenAIRE

K Sudheesh; Devika Rani Duggappa; S S Nethra

2016-01-01

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ?blueprint? for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search...

A quick guide to writing a solid peer review

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, Kimberly A.; Gordon, Wendy S.

2011-07-01

Scientific integrity and consensus rely on the peer review process, a defining feature of scientific discourse that subjects the literature forming the foundation of credible knowledge in a scientific field to rigorous scrutiny. However, there is surprisingly little training in graduate school on how to develop this essential skill [Zimmerman et al., 2011] or discussion of best practices to ensure that reviewers at all levels efficiently provide the most useful review. Even more challenging for the novice peer reviewer is that journals also vary widely in their review guidelines. Nonetheless, the goals of peer review are crystal clear: to ensure the accuracy and improve the quality of published literature through constructive criticism. To make the peer review process as efficient and productive as possible, you may want to consider a few useful approaches to tackling major steps throughout your review, from contemplating a review request and reading and assessing the manuscript to writing the review and interacting with the journal's editors (see Figure 1). These tips are particularly relevant for graduate students or other first-time reviewers, but they may also be useful to experienced reviewers and to journal editors seeking to enhance their publication's processes.

Developing methodological awareness of reading, thinking and writing as knowledge producing practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katan, Lina Hauge; Baarts, Charlotte

Developing methodological awareness among university students about reading, thinking and writing as knowledge producing practices Integrated acts of reading, thinking and writing comprise an extensive and extremely significant part of the learning processes through which we produce knowledge...... text books on method and classes too. As a consequence students have few chances of encountering the practices of reading, thinking and writing depicted as those imperative parts of knowledge making that we as researchers of the humanities and social sciences know them to be. Subsequently students...... are not taught to understand reading, thinking and writing as central practices of research nor do they come to develop methododological awareness about them as such. In this paper, we report from our endavour into designing and developing a course offered for under- and graduate students, with the aim...

Development of research paper writing skills of poultry science undergraduate students studying food microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Z R; Donalson, L M; Kim, W K; Li, X; Zabala Díaz, I; Landers, K L; Maciorowski, K G; Ricke, S C

2006-02-01

Because food and poultry industries are demanding an improvement in written communication skills among graduates, research paper writing should be an integral part of a senior undergraduate class. However, scientific writing assignments are often treated as secondary to developing the technical skills of the students. Scientific research paper writing has been emphasized in an undergraduate course on advanced food microbiology taught in the Poultry Science Department at Texas A& M University (College Station, TX). Students' opinions suggest that research paper writing as part of a senior course in Poultry Science provides students with scientific communication skills and useful training for their career, but more emphasis on reading and understanding scientific literature may be required.

Can Computers Make the Grade in Writing Exams?

Science.gov (United States)

Hadi-Tabassum, Samina

2014-01-01

Schools are scrambling to prepare students for the writing assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards. In some states, writing has not been assessed for over a decade. Yet, with the use of computerized grading of the student's writing, many teachers are wondering how to best prepare students for the writing assessments that will…

Writing and Science Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss-Magasic, Coleen

2012-01-01

Writing activities are a sure way to assess and enhance students' science literacy. Sometimes the author's students use technical writing to communicate their lab experiences, just as practicing scientists do. Other times, they use creative writing to make connections to the topics they're learning. This article describes both types of writing…

Kindergarten Predictors of Third Grade Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Suk; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Wanzek, Jeanne

2015-01-01

The primary goal of the present study was to examine the relations of kindergarten transcription, oral language, word reading, and attention skills to writing skills in third grade. Children (N = 157) were assessed on their letter writing automaticity, spelling, oral language, word reading, and attention in kindergarten. Then, they were assessed on writing in third grade using three writing tasks – one narrative and two expository prompts. Children’s written compositions were evaluated in terms of writing quality (the extent to which ideas were developed and presented in an organized manner). Structural equation modeling showed that kindergarten oral language and lexical literacy skills (i.e., word reading and spelling) were independently predicted third grade narrative writing quality, and kindergarten literacy skill uniquely predicted third grade expository writing quality. In contrast, attention and letter writing automaticity were not directly related to writing quality in either narrative or expository genre. These results are discussed in light of theoretical and practical implications. PMID:25642118

Differences Across Levels in the Language of Agency and Ability in Rating Scales for Large-Scale Second Language Writing Assessments

OpenAIRE

Anderson Salena Sampson

2017-01-01

While large-scale language and writing assessments benefit from a wealth of literature on the reliability and validity of specific tests and rating procedures, there is comparatively less literature that explores the specific language of second language writing rubrics. This paper provides an analysis of the language of performance descriptors for the public versions of the TOEFL and IELTS writing assessment rubrics, with a focus on linguistic agency encoded by agentive verbs and language of ...

Effectiveness of a 1-day workshop on scientific writing conducted by the Indian journal of rheumatology

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Mohit Goyal

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Writing a scientific manuscript is an important skill to acquire for junior doctors considering the mandatory requirement of research publications during post-graduate training and for career advancement in India. Methods: We conducted a one-day workshop on scientific writing and publication at Udaipur in November 2017, comprising both didactic lectures as well as hands-on evaluation of a dummy manuscript, and evaluated structured questionnaires filled pre- and post-workshop. Results: There were 120 attendees, most of whom were junior doctors with little or no prior experience in writing a scientific paper. A significant baseline knowledge deficit regarding the principles and processes of scientific writing (ranging from 20.9% to 77.3% participants for the different questions asked could be identified before the workshop. This knowledge deficit was significantly improved in most areas as assessed after the workshop. We identified the need to discuss predatory publishing in greater detail in subsequent workshops, as 20.8% of respondents after the workshop professed that they might consider publishing in a predatory journal. As expressed in participant feedback, longer, more-specialized or advanced level workshops on scientific writing in the future could also consider including more details on appropriate statistical presentation and pictorial representation of data as well as longer time spent on hands-on exercises. Conclusion: There remains a need to conduct more scientific writing workshops by national societies and journals all over the country.

Reflective writing: the student nurse's perspective on reflective writing and poetry writing.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Dawn; Willis, Diane S

2015-07-01

Reflective writing is a mandatory part of nurse education but how students develop their skills and use reflection as part of their experiential learning remains relatively unknown. Understanding reflective writing in all forms from the perspective of a student nurse is therefore important. To explore the use of reflective writing and the use of poetry in pre-registered nursing students. A qualitative design was employed to explore reflective writing in pre-registered nursing students. A small university in Scotland. BSc (Hons) Adult and Mental Health Pre-registration Student Nurses. Two focus groups were conducted with 10 student nurses during March 2012. Data was analysed thematically using the framework of McCarthy (1999). Students found the process of reflective writing daunting but valued it over time. Current educational methods, such as assessing reflective accounts, often lead to the 'narrative' being watered down and the student feeling judged. Despite this, reflection made students feel responsible for their own learning and research on the topic. Some students felt the use of models of reflection constricting, whilst poetry freed up their expression allowing them to demonstrate the compassion for their patient under their care. Poetry writing gives students the opportunity for freedom of expression, personal satisfaction and a closer connection with their patients, which the more formal approach to reflective writing did not offer. There is a need for students to have a safe and supportive forum in which to express and have their experiences acknowledged without the fear of being judged. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Needs assessment: blueprint for a nurse graduate orientation employer toolkit.

Science.gov (United States)

Cylke, Katherine

2012-01-01

Southern Nevada nurse employers are resistant to hiring new graduate nurses (NGNs) because of their difficulties in making the transition into the workplace. At the same time, employers consider nurse residencies cost-prohibitive. Therefore, an alternative strategy was developed to assist employers with increasing the effectiveness of existing NGN orientation programs. A needs assessment of NGNs, employers, and nursing educators was completed, and the results were used to develop a toolkit for employers.

Concordancers and Dictionaries as Problem-Solving Tools for ESL Academic Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Choongil

2016-01-01

The present study investigated how 6 Korean ESL graduate students in Canada used a suite of freely available reference resources, consisting of Web-based corpus tools, Google search engines, and dictionaries, for solving linguistic problems while completing an authentic academic writing assignment in English. Using a mixed methods design, the…

Reading and writing academic practices in the phonoaudiology program at the University of Cauca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilar Mirely Chois-Lenis

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This article presents some results of an investigation aimed to characterize the academic literacy practices that are developed in the Phonoaudiology program at the University of Cauca. In this descriptive study, a sample of 24 students was taken from those in the last semester of the first academic period of 2009, who answered a survey of 26 multiple choice questions. The results indicate that the academic moment for which the students write and read the most is for the courses, who develop these practices primarily to be assessed and predominantly read and write their own lecture notes and the materials prepared by their faculty, to the detriment of scientific articles or papers for publication. It is expected, from these results, to generate reflexion processes and actions that qualify the practices of academic literacy within the program for the benefit of academic and professional performance of their students and graduates.

Preparing International Medical Graduates for Psychiatry Residency: A Multi-Site Needs Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Sockalingam, Sanjeev; Hawa, Raed; Al-Battran, Mazin; Abbey, Susan E.; Zaretsky, Ari

2012-01-01

Objective: Despite the growing number of international medical graduates (IMGs) training in medicine in Canada and the United States, IMG-specific challenges early in psychiatry residency have not been fully explored. Therefore, the authors conducted a needs-assessment survey to determine the needs of IMGs transitioning into psychiatry residency.…

ROAST: Peer Review as a Learning and Assessment Tool in Graduate Education

Science.gov (United States)

Somerville, R. C.

2003-12-01

Constructivist learning theory and inquiry-based educational practice stress the parallels between learning and research. Although peer review has long been a central feature of the working lives of research scientists, it has rarely found its way into the classroom. Motivated by this thought, an imaginary journal, Reviews of Atmospheric Science Topics (ROAST), has been integrated into a graduate-level course in atmospheric thermodynamics. The instructor acts as editor of ROAST. Students in the class are divided into teams and assigned topics on which to write survey papers and give in-class presentations, using the text, the Internet, the library, and other resources. The assigned topics range over the subject matter of the course. The submitted survey papers are sent by the ROAST editor to other members of the class, acting as anonymous reviewers. Just as in the case of real research journals, the editor asks the authors to respond to criticisms of reviewers and then sends the revised papers back to the reviewers. Each student is thus a researcher and co-author of one paper as well as an anonymous reviewer of several others. ROAST has proven to be not only a useful means of fostering learning, but also a natural and effective assessment tool. The peer review mechanism allows the student authors to address the defects in their papers, and hence in their learning, as pointed out not by an authority figure or an examination but by their own peers. As an important side benefit, the students gain experience with the peer review process itself and come to appreciate its strengths and weaknesses in evaluating scientific papers.

Adding Value to a Graduate Physiology Seminar by Focusing on Public Communication Skills

Science.gov (United States)

LaRocca, Thomas J.; Justice, Jamie N.; Seals, Douglas R.; Martens, Christopher R.

2016-01-01

A major goal of graduate education is the development of students as "stewards of the discipline," scholars who can create and preserve knowledge and responsibly translate it through writing, teaching, and practical applications. These qualities are consistent with the American Physiological Society's list of professional skills for…

Teaching Technical Writing - Towards Technical Writing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kastberg, Peter

2000-01-01

In this paper I will present key aspects of the curriculum for the university degree in technical translation that I have designed for and subsequently implemented at the German Department of the Aarhus School of Business, Denmark. My starting point will be a critical discussion of the norm that ...... of technical writing.......In this paper I will present key aspects of the curriculum for the university degree in technical translation that I have designed for and subsequently implemented at the German Department of the Aarhus School of Business, Denmark. My starting point will be a critical discussion of the norm...... that used to govern what the quality of an LSP text should be as opposed to the standpoint, which I advocate. By way of summing up, I will show how a university curriculum is designed so that - upon graduation - the technical translator could also be methodological quite well suited to take on the challenge...

Composition Medium Comparability in a Direct Writing Assessment of Non-Native English Speakers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward W. Wolfe

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL contains a direct writing assessment, and examinees are given the option of composing their responses at a computer terminal using a keyboard or composing their responses in handwriting. This study sought to determine whether performance on a direct writing assessment is comparable for examinees when given the choice to compose essays in handwriting versus word processing. We examined this relationship controlling for English language proficiency and several demographic characteristics of examinees using linear models. We found a weak two-way interaction between composition medium and English language proficiency with examinees with weaker English language scores performing better on handwritten essays while examinees with better English language scores performing comparably on the two testing media. We also observed predictable differences associated with geographic region, native language, gender, and age.

An Evaluation of ChalleNGe Graduates DOD Employability

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-22

initial reading and applied math TABE scores are more likely to complete ChalleNGe. In addition, those graduates who begin ChalleNGe with higher TABE...each site is given discretion in how it structures its program. As a result, the academic goals of the ChalleNGe sites vary. Some seek to have...students arrive at ChalleNGe at low levels of reading comprehension, writing, and basic math ; they simply are not ready to acquire a second language

Learning to improve: using writing to increase critical thinking performance in general education biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Quitadamo, Ian J; Kurtz, Martha J

2007-01-01

Increasingly, national stakeholders express concern that U.S. college graduates cannot adequately solve problems and think critically. As a set of cognitive abilities, critical thinking skills provide students with tangible academic, personal, and professional benefits that may ultimately address these concerns. As an instructional method, writing has long been perceived as a way to improve critical thinking. In the current study, the researchers compared critical thinking performance of students who experienced a laboratory writing treatment with those who experienced traditional quiz-based laboratory in a general education biology course. The effects of writing were determined within the context of multiple covariables. Results indicated that the writing group significantly improved critical thinking skills whereas the non-writing group did not. Specifically, analysis and inference skills increased significantly in the writing group but not the non-writing group. Writing students also showed greater gains in evaluation skills; however, these were not significant. In addition to writing, prior critical thinking skill and instructor significantly affected critical thinking performance, whereas other covariables such as gender, ethnicity, and age were not significant. With improved critical thinking skill, general education biology students will be better prepared to solve problems as engaged and productive citizens.

NDA National Graduate Programme 'nucleargraduates'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, Carl

2010-01-01

, Environmental Sciences, Finance, Procurement and Project Controls. These disciplines were expanded for the later cohorts to include areas such as materials, electrical engineering, health physics, safety case writing and chemistry. The graduates have gone through a series of four secondments. Throughout the programme four periods of training have been conducted. All secondments are in a specific work discipline and have had defined projects. Training has been structured and aligned with relevant 'Institute' competencies to ensure a route through to chartered status for any graduates wishing to follow this line. There is also an emphasis on behavioural and technical training to ensure a broad experience for those going through the programme. Attraction and recruitment was formed from two areas: Recruitment of second jobbers and traditional 'milk-round' recruitment. An online Applicant Tracking System has been used to streamline much of the application and assessment phases of the recruitment phase and capture graduates not suitable for the NDA programme that may be of interest to stakeholders. A bespoke Socio-Economic Programme, named Footprints, has delivered: '10% Time' - a voluntary work in the community programme, which compliments other training areas, focussing on 'the skills agenda' and bringing the NDA into the heart of the community; Society 'programme days' introducing the graduates to the role of the industry in society through bespoke away days. These have included visits to facilities such as the UK Government, coal mines, schools, meat markets, churches etc. The 'Footprints' programme is themed around specific strands such as education, innovation, community and governance and is targeted at geographical areas aligned to NDA's socio economic plan. (authors)

Journaling as a mechanism to facilitate graduate nurses' role transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sewell, Erika A

2008-01-01

Staff educators continue to develop creative solutions to improve critical thinking, increase confidence, improve organizational acculturation, and reduce the frustrations that challenge the novice nurse. Traditionally, journal writing is used by nursing faculty as a method to link the student nurses' lived clinical experience to nursing theory. Expanding journaling into new graduate nurse orientation programs may benefit new nurses on their journey to professional practice.

Assessment of graduate public health education in Nepal and perceived needs of faculty and students

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Despite the large body of evidence suggesting that effective public health infrastructure is vital to improving the health status of populations, many universities in developing countries offer minimal opportunities for graduate training in public health. In Nepal, for example, only two institutions currently offer a graduate public health degree. Both institutions confer only a general Masters in Public Health (MPH), and together produce 30 graduates per year. The objective of this assessment was to identify challenges in graduate public health education in Nepal, and explore ways to address these challenges. Methods The assessment included in-person school visits and data collection through semi-structured in-depth interviews with primary stakeholders of Nepal’s public health academic sector. The 72 participants included faculty, students, alumni, and leaders of institutions that offered MPH programs, and the leadership of one government-funded institution that is currently developing an MPH program. Data were analyzed through content analysis to identify major themes. Results Six themes characterizing the challenges of expanding and improving graduate public health training were identified: 1) a shortage of trained public health faculty, with consequent reliance on the internet to compensate for inadequate teaching resources; 2) teaching/learning cultures and bureaucratic traditions that are not optimal for graduate education; 3) within-institution dominance of clinical medicine over public health; 4) a desire for practice–oriented, contextually relevant training opportunities; 5) a demand for degree options in public health specialties (for example, epidemiology); and 6) a strong interest in international academic collaboration. Conclusion Despite an enormous need for trained public health professionals, Nepal’s educational institutions face barriers to developing effective graduate programs. Overcoming these barriers will require: 1

Writing-to-Learn

Science.gov (United States)

Balachandran, Shreedevi; Venkatesaperumal, Ramesh; Clara, Jothi; Shukri, Raghda K.

2014-01-01

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the attitude of Omani nursing students towards writing-to-learn (WTL) and its relationship to demographic variables, self-efficacy and the writing process Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate attitudes towards WTL by Sultan Qaboos University nursing students. A convenience sample of 106 students was used and data collected between October 2009 and March 2010. A modified version of the WTL attitude scale developed by Dobie and Poirrier was used to collect the data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Results: Senior and junior students had more positive attitudes to WTL than mid-level students who tended to have negative attitudes towards writing. Although 52.8% students had negative attitudes towards the writing process, the median was higher for attitudes to the writing process compared to the median for self-efficacy. There was a positive correlation between self-efficacy and writing process scores. Conclusion: Overall, students had negative attitudes towards WTL. Attitudes are learnt or formed through previous experiences. The incorporation of WTL strategies into teaching can transform students’ negative attitudes towards writing into positive ones. PMID:24516740

The Psychology of Writing Development--And Its Implications for Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, Heather

2012-01-01

This article reviews key developmental theories that have been adopted by writing development researchers over the last fifty years. It describes how researchers have translated these theories into definitions of writing development capable of influencing curricular design and interpretations of student writing and explores the implications for…

Microteaching Writing on YouTube for Pre-Service Teacher Training: Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yu-Chih

2014-01-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate how pre-service teachers adopt YouTube technology into their microteaching as part of their assignments. The participants were twelve Taiwanese pre-service teachers in a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages graduate program. They enrolled in a Second Language Writing course and worked in groups…

Voices of Chinese Post-­80s Students in English Academic Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Que, Hua; Li, Xuemei

2015-01-01

This study looks into the changing voice of Chinese Post-80s' students in English academic writing. Data were collected qualitatively through interviews with four Chinese Post-80s overseas graduate students and through an examination of their English essays with a focus on discursive features. Findings indicate that Chinese Post-80s' voice is…

A pilot Tuning Project-based national study on recently graduated medical students' self-assessment of competences--the TEST study.

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Grilo Diogo, Pedro; Barbosa, Joselina; Ferreira, Maria Amélia

2015-12-19

The Tuning Project is an initiative funded by the European Commission that developed core competences for primary medical degrees in Europe. Students' grouped self-assessments are used for program evaluation and improvement of curricula. The TEST study aimed to assess how do Portuguese medical graduates self-assess their acquisition of core competences and experiences of contact with patients in core settings according to the Tuning framework. Translation of the Tuning's competences (Clinical Practice - CP), Knowledge (K) items and Clinical Settings (CS) was performed. Questionnaires were created in paper and electronic formats and distributed to 1591 graduates from seven Portuguese medical schools (July 2014). Items were rated in a 6-point Likert scale (0-5) of levels of competence. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted and Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate the internal consistency of the questionnaire. Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's tests were used for multiple comparisons. Three hundred eighty seven questionnaires were analyzed, corresponding to 24% of the target population. EFA yielded an 11-factor solution for CP and a 6-factor solution for K items. The median value of CP factors was 2.8 (p25 = 2.0; p75 = 3.5) and the median value of K factors was 2.6 (2.0; 3.2). Factor scores ranged from 1.3 (Legal principles) to 4.0 (Ethical principles). Clinical presentations, psychological aspects of illness, evidence-based medicine and promotion of health showed the highest results. Lower scores were detected in medical emergencies, practical procedures, prescribing drugs and legal principles. More than 90% of graduates experienced having contact with patients in 8 CS but only 24% of graduates had contact in all 14 CS. Graduates had the least contact with patients in the emergency rooms, intensive care units, palliative, rehabilitation and anesthetic care. Significant differences (p competences in medical education. Results suggest that Portuguese

Using a student-faculty collaborative learning model to teach grant development in graduate nursing education.

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Falk, Nancy L; Phillips, Kathleen M; Hymer, Regina; Acquaviva, Kimberly D; Schumann, Mary Jean

2014-05-01

Graduate nurses are employed in clinical, research, educational, and policy roles. As leaders, they are expected to develop and sustain projects that support translating research to practice and policy. Funding to support initiatives is tight and requires innovative solutions to cover salaries, benefits, equipment purchases, and other program expenses. In an effort to teach grant writing while developing skilled leaders who are effective and competitive in securing funds, the George Washington University School of Nursing offers a graduate-level grant writing course. In the summer of 2011, a collaborative learning model was developed within the course. The joint approach was foundational to securing an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grant to support development and implementation of a patient engagement project by the Nursing Alliance for Quality Care. This article describes the project and offers hints for those seeking to develop a collaborative educational experience that affords new leadership skills for RNs from all backgrounds. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Preparation in the business and practice of medicine: perspectives from recent gynecologic oncology graduates and program directors.

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Schlumbrecht, Matthew; Siemon, John; Morales, Guillermo; Huang, Marilyn; Slomovitz, Brian

2017-01-01

Preparation in the business of medicine is reported to be poor across a number of specialties. No data exist about such preparation in gynecologic oncology training programs. Our objectives were to evaluate current time dedicated to these initiatives, report recent graduate perceptions about personal preparedness, and assess areas where improvements in training can occur. Two separate surveys were created and distributed, one to 183 Society of Gynecologic Oncology candidate members and the other to 48 gynecologic oncology fellowship program directors. Candidate member surveys included questions about perceived preparedness for independent research, teaching, job-hunting, insurance, and billing. Program director surveys assessed current and desired time dedicated to the topics asked concurrently on the candidate survey. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-squared (or Fisher's exact test if appropriate) and logistic regression. Survey response rates of candidate members and program directors were 28% and 40%, respectively. Candidate members wanted increased training in all measures except retrospective protocol writing. Female candidates wanted more training on writing letters of intent (LOI) ( p  = 0.01) and billing ( p  communication between the two may serve to achieve the educational goals of each.

Evaluating undergraduate nursing students' self-efficacy and competence in writing: Effects of a writing intensive intervention.

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Miller, Louise C; Russell, Cynthia L; Cheng, An-Lin; Skarbek, Anita J

2015-05-01

While professional nurses are expected to communicate clearly, these skills are often not explicitly taught in undergraduate nursing education. In this research study, writing self-efficacy and writing competency were evaluated in 52 nontraditional undergraduate baccalaureate completion students in two distance-mediated 16-week capstone courses. The intervention group (n = 44) experienced various genres and modalities of written assignments set in the context of evidence-based nursing practice; the comparison group (n = 8) received usual writing undergraduate curriculum instruction. Self-efficacy, measured by the Post Secondary Writerly Self-Efficacy Scale, indicated significant improvements for all self-efficacy items (all p's = 0.00). Writing competency, assessed in the intervention group using a primary trait scoring rubric (6 + 1 Trait Writing Model(®) of Instruction and Assessment), found significant differences in competency improvement on five of seven items. This pilot study demonstrated writing skills can improve in nontraditional undergraduate students with guided instruction. Further investigation with larger, culturally diverse samples is indicated to validate these results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing Graduate Assistant Teacher Communication Concerns.

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Feezel, Jerry D.; Myers, Scott A.

1997-01-01

Finds that graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) experience eight interrelated types of communication concern (self, task, impact, role conflict, teaching, area knowledge, procedural knowledge, and time management). Shows that GTA variables of expected duties, prior teaching experience, newness to area, foreign or domestic birth, and age are likely…

Assessing Cultural Competence in Graduating Students

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Kohli, Hermeet K.; Kohli, Amarpreet S.; Huber, Ruth; Faul, Anna C.

2010-01-01

Twofold purpose of this study was to develop a framework to understand cultural competence in graduating social work students, and test that framework for appropriateness and predictability using multivariate statistics. Scale and predictor variables were collected using an online instrument from a nationwide convenience sample of graduating…

Norming a VALUE rubric to assess graduate information literacy skills.

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Turbow, David J; Evener, Julie

2016-07-01

The study evaluated whether a modified version of the information literacy Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubric would be useful for assessing the information literacy skills of graduate health sciences students. Through facilitated calibration workshops, an interdepartmental six-person team of librarians and faculty engaged in guided discussion about the meaning of the rubric criteria. They applied the rubric to score student work for a peer-review essay assignment in the "Information Literacy for Evidence-Based Practice" course. To determine inter-rater reliability, the raters participated in a follow-up exercise in which they independently applied the rubric to ten samples of work from a research project in the doctor of physical therapy program: the patient case report assignment. For the peer-review essay, a high level of consistency in scoring was achieved for the second workshop, with statistically significant intra-class correlation coefficients above 0.8 for 3 criteria: "Determine the extent of evidence needed," "Use evidence effectively to accomplish a specific purpose," and "Access the needed evidence." Participants concurred that the essay prompt and rubric criteria adequately discriminated the quality of student work for the peer-review essay assignment. When raters independently scored the patient case report assignment, inter-rater agreement was low and statistically insignificant for all rubric criteria (kappa=-0.16, p>0.05-kappa=0.12, p>0.05). While the peer-review essay assignment lent itself well to rubric calibration, scorers had a difficult time with the patient case report. Lack of familiarity among some raters with the specifics of the patient case report assignment and subject matter might have accounted for low inter-rater reliability. When norming, it is important to hold conversations about search strategies and expectations of performance. Overall, the authors found the rubric to be appropriate for

A Bayesian computational model for online character recognition and disability assessment during cursive eye writing

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Julien eDiard

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This research involves a novel apparatus, in which the user is presented with an illusion inducing visual stimulus. The user perceives illusory movement that can be followed by the eye, so that smooth pursuit eye movements can be sustained in arbitrary directions. Thus, free-flow trajectories of any shape can be traced. In other words, coupled with an eye-tracking device, this apparatus enables "eye writing", which appears to be an original object of study. We adapt a previous model of reading and writing to this context. We describe a probabilistic model called the Bayesian Action-Perception for Eye On-Line model (BAP-EOL. It encodes probabilistic knowledge about isolated letter trajectories, their size, high-frequency components of the produced trajectory, and pupil diameter. We show how Bayesian inference, in this single model, can be used to solve several tasks, like letter recognition and novelty detection (i.e., recognizing when a presented character is not part of the learned database. We are interested in the potential use of the eye writing apparatus by motor impaired patients: the final task we solve by Bayesian inference is disability assessment (i.e., measuring and tracking the evolution of motor characteristics of produced trajectories. Preliminary experimental results are presented, which illustrate the method, showing the feasibility of character recognition in the context of eye writing. We then show experimentally how a model of the unknown character can be used to detect trajectories that are likely to be new symbols, and how disability assessment can be performed by opportunistically observing characteristics of fine motor control, as letter are being traced. Experimental analyses also help identify specificities of eye writing, as compared to handwriting, and the resulting technical challenges.

Preparing Graduate Students as Science Communicators

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Knudson, K.; Gutstein, J.

2012-12-01

Our presentation introduces our interdisciplinary curriculum that teaches graduate students at our R-1 university to translate their research to general audiences. We also discuss the challenges we have faced and strategies we have employed to broaden graduate education at our campus to include preparation in science communication. Our "Translating Research beyond Academia" curriculum consists of three separate thematically based courses taught over the academic year: Education and Community Outreach, Science Communication and Writing, Communicating with Policy- and Decision-makers. Course goals are to provide professional development training so that graduate students become more capable professionals prepared for careers inside and outside academia while increasing the public understanding of science and technology. Open to graduate students of any discipline, each course meets weekly for two hours; students receive academic credit through a co-sponsoring graduate program. Students learn effective strategies for communicating research and academic knowledge with the media, the general public, youth, stakeholders, and decision- and policy-makers. Courses combine presentations from university and regional experts with hands-on work sessions aimed towards creating effective communications, outreach and policy plans, broader impacts statements, press releases, blogs, and policy briefs. A final presentation and reflections are required. Students may opt for further training through seminars tailored to student need. Initial results of our analyses of student evaluations and work indicate that students appreciate the interdisciplinary, problem-based approach and the low-risk opportunities for learning professional development skills and for exploring non-academic employment. Several students have initiated engaged work in their disciplines, and several have secured employment in campus science communication positions. Two have changed career plans as a direct result of

The Effect of Portfolio Assessment on Learning Idioms in Writing

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Abdorreza Tahriri

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The present study sought to investigate the effect of portfolio assessment on idiom competence of Iranian EFL learners. For the purpose of this study, 30 students from upper-intermediate level of English proficiency took part in this study. They were chosen through convenience sampling from a language institute in Rasht, Iran. They were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. A TOEFL test and a test of idioms were given to the students to ensure their homogeneity in terms of language proficiency and knowledge of idioms, respectively. The experimental group was intended to create a portfolio and put their writing samples, in which idioms were used, in the portfolio. They were involved in the process of self-and-peer assessment. The teacher also provided them with feedback and comments. However, the control group received a kind of traditional instruction. In other words, the control group used the idioms in their writing without receiving any comments and delivered it to their teacher to be scored. The treatment lasted for 10 sessions and a post-test was administered in the end. Independent samples t-tests were used to analyze the data gathered from the pretests and the posttest. The findings indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of idioms and portfolio was found to be able to improve students’ knowledge of idioms. The results of this study have some implications for teaching and learning idioms.

An Ecological Approach to Understanding Assessment for Learning in Support of Student Writing Achievement

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Bronwen Cowie

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we report on a project conducted in a New Zealand primary school that aimed to enhance the writing achievement of primary school boys who were achieving just below the national standard for their age or level through the use of peer feedback and information and communication technologies (ICTs. The project involved a teacher collaborative inquiry approach where all seven teachers in the school and the school principal participated to achieve the project aim. We adopt an ecological approach as a lens to offer a holistic and comprehensive view of how peer assessment and use of ICTs can be facilitated to improve writing achievement. Data were collected through teacher interviews and written reflections of practice and student learning, teacher analysis of student work, team meeting notes, classroom observations, and student focus group interviews. Findings from the thematic analysis of textual data illustrate the potential of adopting an ecological approach to consider how teacher classroom practices are shaped by the school, community, and wider policy context. At the classroom level, our ecological analysis highlighted a productive synergy between commonplace writing pedagogy strategies and assessment for learning (AfL practices as part of teacher orchestration of an ensemble of interdependent routines, tools, and activities. Diversity, redundancy, and local adaptations of resources to provide multiple pathways and opportunities—social and material and digital—emerged as important in fostering peer assessment and ICT use in support of writing achievement. Importantly, these practices were made explicit and taken up across the school and in the parent community because of whole staff involvement in the project. The wider policy context allowed for and supported teachers developing more effective pedagogy to impact student learning outcomes. We propose that an ecological orientation offers the field a productive insight into the

Research and Teaching: Assessment of Graduate Teaching Assistants Enrolled in a Teaching Techniques Course

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Zehnder, Caralyn

2016-01-01

At the authors' public liberal arts institution, biology masters students are required to enroll in BIOL 5050: Teaching Techniques. Course topics include designing effective lectures, assessment, classroom management, diversity in the classroom, and active learning strategies. The impact of this type of training on graduate students' attitudes and…

Characterizing and Assessing Co-Curricular Activities for Graduate and Professional-School Students: Exploring the Value of Intentional Assessment Planning and Practice

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Waryas, Diane E.

2015-01-01

This chapter explores the importance of systematic evaluation of co-curricular activities directed at graduate- and professional- school students. Approaches to assessment and benefits of sound practice are presented along with the critical role that institutional researchers can play.

Improving Undergraduates' Argumentative Group Essay Writing through Self-Assessment

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Fung, Yong Mei; Mei, Hooi Chee

2015-01-01

When writing an argumentative essay, writers develop and evaluate arguments to embody, initiate, or simulate various kinds of interpersonal and textual interaction for reader consideration (Wu & Allison, 2003). This is quite challenging for English as a second language (ESL) learners. To improve the quality of their writing, students need to…

Rubrics: Heuristics for Developing Writing Strategies

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De La Paz, Susan

2009-01-01

Rubrics are an integral part of many writing programs, and they represent elements of good writing in essays, stories, poems, as well as other genres and forms of text. Although it is possible to use rubrics to teach students about the processes underlying effective writing, a more common practice is to use rubrics as a means of assessment, after…

The Implementation of Self-Assessment in Writing Class: A Case Study at STBA LIA Jakarta

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Purwanti, Theresia Tuti

2015-01-01

Self-assessment has become a means of realizing the goals of learner-centered education. It is conducted to help students grow to be independent learners. With regard to this point, this case study is aimed at investigating the implementation of the self-assessment as a learning tool in writing class. Its purpose is to examine students' reactions…

Assessing the Overall Value of an Online Writing Community

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Mohapatra, Sanjay; Mohanty, Sukriti

2017-01-01

The advent of internet has brought in changes to many existing stable business models. With the technological shift, the concept of community writing has undergone several changes. Using a sample of 181 participants, it was found that online community, of late, has been greatly impacted by technology. Community writing involves amalgamation of…

Teaching graduate students The Art of Being a Scientist

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Snieder, Roel

2011-03-01

Graduate education in the classroom traditionally focuses on disciplinary topics, with non-disciplinary skills only marginally discussed, if at all, between graduate student and adviser. Given the wide range of advisers with different types and quality of communication skill (or lack thereof), the professional coaching delivered to students often is restricted to just the technical aspects of research. Yet graduate students have a great need to receive professional training aimed at, among other things, helping their graduate career be more efficient, less frustrating and less needlessly time-consuming. We have addressed this gap in graduate education by developing the one-credit course ``The Art of Being a Scientist.'' This course covers a diverse range of topics of importance to being an effective and creative researcher. Topics covered include the following: What is science? Choosing a research topic, department, and adviser. The adviser and thesis committee. Making a work plan. Setting goals. Ethics of research. Using the scientific literature. Perfecting oral and written communication. Publishing papers and writing proposals. Managing time effectively. Planning a scientific career. Applying for jobs in academia or industry. In evaluations of the course, students invariably comment that they could have avoided significant problems in their graduate study and saved valuable time if they would have taken the course earlier on. This is an indication that the course not only useful for students, but also that it is best taken early in a their graduate career. The material covered in the course is captured in the book ``The Art of Being a Scientist: A Guide for Graduate Students and Their Mentors,'' published by Cambridge University Press; more information can be found at: www.mines.edu/~rsnieder/Art_of_Science.html From this website one can download a description of the curriculum used in the class, including homework exercises. Currently we are expanding of

The role of gender in MPH graduates' salaries.

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Bradley, E H; White, W; Anderson, E; Mattocks, K; Pistell, A

2000-01-01

Several studies have demonstrated that workforce roles and salaries differ substantially between men and women in administrative positions within the health care industry. Recent studies of graduates with masters of business administration (MBA) and masters of health administration (MHA) degrees have indicated that women tend to experience lower salaries, given like responsibilities. However, the impact of gender on salary has been less studied among masters of public health (MPH) graduates in the health care field. Our objective was to assess the impact of gender on salary among MPH degree graduates. Using a cross-sectional survey of all graduates from the MPH program at Yale University between 1991-1997 (n = 201, response rate = 51%), we ascertained graduates' reported salary in the first job post-graduation and reported salary in their current position. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the unadjusted and adjusted associations between gender and salary. Salaries in both the first job post-graduation and in the current job differed significantly by gender, with women earning less than men (p-values salary gap widened as the years since graduation increased, although the sample size did not allow comprehensive testing of this trend.

The Flip Side of the Attrition Coin: Faculty Perceptions of Factors Supporting Graduate Student Success

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Joanna A Gilmore

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Doctoral attrition consistently hovers around 50% with relevant literature identifying several mediating factors, including departmental culture, student demographics, and funding. To advance this literature, we interviewed 38 graduate faculty advisors in science, engineering, or mathematics disciplines at a research-extensive university to capture their perceptions of factors supporting graduate student success. Using a constant-comparison method, we found that faculty perceptions aligned within three major categories, termed: motivated student behaviors, formative student learning experiences, and essential student knowledge and skills. Student motivation was most prominently represented in findings. This aligns with prior studies showing that faculty tend to identify the cause of graduate student failure as lying within the students themselves and rarely discuss their role or the department’s contribution to attrition. Thus findings offer an opportunity to reflect and improve upon practice. The study also highlights actions graduate students can take to increase success, such as developing collegial relationships and early involvement in research and scholarly writing. We encourage graduate faculty advisors and others to identify ways to help graduate students overcome common obstacles to enduring and succeeding within graduate programs. Faculty perceptions are also examined by discipline and faculty rank, and directions for future research are offered.

A Writing Intensive Course in "Natural Disasters: Geoethics and the Layman"

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Fryer, P.

2011-12-01

One course with a contemporary ethics focus is a graduation requirement under the University of Hawaii at Manoa's General Education rules. The goal of the University of Hawaii General Education Committee is to encourage faculty to design ethics-focus courses for each field of undergraduate concentration. Undergraduate students are also required to take 5 writing intensive courses. It is permitted to combine the ethics and writing intensive foci in a given course, as long as one third of the course is devoted to each focus. The course I designed uses current disasters as the subject matter, thus course content varies from year to year. The prerequisite for enrollment is one introductory course in geoscience, to ensure students are familiar with basic geologic processes. I bring in geo-professionals, active in the fields we study, to discuss with students the realities of dealing with civil authorities, elected officials, the media, and the public during a natural disaster. This is one of the aspects of the course the students most enjoy. Such a course could be designed for any locality. Learning outcomes by which the students' work is assessed are as follows. The best student: (1) clearly identifies the inherent ethical choices and implications involved in the professional geoscientist's role during contemporary natural hazard situations; (2) gives evidence of understanding the effects of perspective, context, personal views as pertains to natural hazards; (3) specifies the decision-makers and stakeholders involved in hazard situations; (4) integrates clear descriptions of relevant ethical ambiguities/dilemmas into the overall analysis of a given hazard situation; (5) draws upon frameworks, principles of ethics to develop pertinent arguments and/or positions; (6) develops and presents alternate arguments/positions; (7) discusses and/or debates ethical issues with sensitivity to others' perspectives and the context, while also defending own position with logic and

Assessments of the Third Kind--Do Graduate Research Students Change Their Perceptions of Research Barriers from the Beginning to the End of a Graduate Course in Research Strategies?

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Cleeton, Gilbert; Cleeton, Lorraine

2011-01-01

Available assessments of our graduate research strategies course were (i) traditional pre- and post-test evaluation instruments, and (ii) student evaluations. We felt a need for a third kind of assessment to measure any changes in attitude to research, though we did not expect detectable changes in a 15 week course. Students were asked to rank…

Predictors of writing competence in 4- to 7-year-old children.

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Dunsmuir, Sandra; Blatchford, Peter

2004-09-01

This longitudinal study sought to improve understanding of the factors at home and school that influence children's attainment and progress in writing between the ages of 4 and 7 years. (i) To investigate the relationship between home variables and writing development in preschool children; (ii) to determine associations between child characteristics and writing development (iii) to conduct an analysis of the areas of continuity and discontinuity between variables at home and at school, and influences on subsequent writing development. Sixty children attending four urban primary schools participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, observation schedules and standardized assessments were used. Writing samples were collected each term. Associations between measures and continuity over time were assessed using multiple regression analysis. Preschool variables that were found to be significantly associated with writing proficiency at school entry included mother's educational level, family size, parental assessment of writing and a measure of home writing. Child characteristics, skills and competencies were measured at school entry and those found to be significantly associated with writing at 7 years included season of birth, vocabulary score, pre-reading skills, handwriting and proficiency in writing name. The only preschool variable that maintained its significant relationship to writing at 7 years was home writing. Teacher assessments of pupil attitudes to writing were consistently found to be significantly associated with writing competence. This comprehensive study explored the complex interaction of cognitive, affective and contextual processes involved in learning to write, and identified specific features of successful writers. Results are discussed in relation to educational policy and practice issues.

Cross-cultural analysis of the verbal conflict behavior of the graduate mining engineers

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Pevneva Inna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the crucial issue of the interpersonal communication skills of engineering graduates and studies the verbal behavior of the graduates majoring in mining engineering in conflict professional communication considered in a cross-cultural aspect. The research is based on the needs that future mining engineers have for conducting successful communication, work in teams and run an effective discourse both verbally and in writing. Verbal communication involves a strategic process by which a speaker defines the language resources for its implementation. By choosing a strategy which should contribute to the goals and objectives of the interaction a speaker makes the process of communication either successful or leading to a communicative failure. The scientific importance of this work is in multidiscipline approach and cross-cultural study of ethnic and cultural influences, gender and other characteristics of the verbal behavior of Russian and American engineering graduates.

The SEA-change Model in Information Literacy: Assessing Information Literacy Development with Reflective Writing

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Barbara Anne Sen

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Reflective writing is a key professional skill, and the University of Sheffield Information School seeks to develop this skill in our students through the use of reflective assessments. Reflection has been used as a means of supporting Information Literacy development in the Higher Education context and recent pedagogical IL frameworks highlight the important role of reflection. This paper presents an analysis of Undergraduate students’ reflective writing on one module. The writing is mapped against two models of reflection to understand the nature and depth of the students’ reflection and through this understand their Information literacy development, with the overall aim of improving the teaching and learning experience for the future. Key findings are that students did reflect deeply and identified a number of ways in which they felt their IL had developed (e.g. developing a knowledge of specialist sources, ways they could have improved their information literacy practices (e.g. through storing information in a more organised fashion, and ways that we could improve our teaching (e.g. by providing appropriate scaffolding for the activities.

Preparing Graduate Students for Non-Academic Careers

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Woolf, Lawrence

2014-03-01

One of the primary topics discussed at the conference concerned career development, since most graduate students will not have the academic careers of their advisors. Goals included reviewing the primary functions of physicists in industry, evaluating how students are currently prepared for these careers, and identifying how to fill gaps in preparation. A number of non-academic physicists provided insight into meeting these goals. Most physics graduate programs in general do not purposely prepare students for a non-academic career. Strategies for overcoming this shortcoming include advising students about these careers and providing training on broadly valued professional skills such as written and verbal communication, time and project management, leadership, working in teams, innovation, product development, and proposal writing. Alumni and others from industry could provide guidance on careers and skills and should be invited to talk to students. Academic training could also better prepare students for non-academic careers by including engineering and cross disciplinary problem solving as well as incorporating software and toolsets common in industry.

NDA National Graduate Programme 'nucleargraduates'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dawson, Carl

2010-07-01

of partners. The first cohort targeted graduates from the following disciplines areas: Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Finance, Procurement and Project Controls. These disciplines were expanded for the later cohorts to include areas such as materials, electrical engineering, health physics, safety case writing and chemistry. The graduates have gone through a series of four secondments. Throughout the programme four periods of training have been conducted. All secondments are in a specific work discipline and have had defined projects. Training has been structured and aligned with relevant 'Institute' competencies to ensure a route through to chartered status for any graduates wishing to follow this line. There is also an emphasis on behavioural and technical training to ensure a broad experience for those going through the programme. Attraction and recruitment was formed from two areas: Recruitment of second jobbers and traditional 'milk-round' recruitment. An online Applicant Tracking System has been used to streamline much of the application and assessment phases of the recruitment phase and capture graduates not suitable for the NDA programme that may be of interest to stakeholders. A bespoke Socio-Economic Programme, named Footprints, has delivered: '10% Time' - a voluntary work in the community programme, which compliments other training areas, focussing on 'the skills agenda' and bringing the NDA into the heart of the community; Society 'programme days' introducing the graduates to the role of the industry in society through bespoke away days. These have included visits to facilities such as the UK Government, coal mines, schools, meat markets, churches etc. The 'Footprints' programme is themed around specific strands such as education, innovation, community and governance and is targeted at geographical areas aligned to NDA's socio economic plan. (authors)

Assessing Self-Regulated Strategies for School Writing: Cross-Cultural Validation of a Triadic Measure

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Malpique, Anabela Abreu; Veiga Simão, Ana Margarida

2015-01-01

This study reports on the construction of a questionnaire to assess ninth-grade students' use of self-regulated strategies for school writing tasks. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses were conducted to validate the factor structure of the instrument. The initial factor analytic stage (n = 296) revealed a 13-factor scale, accounting…

Peer-Formativity: A Framework for Academic Writing

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Murray, Rowena; Thow, Morag

2014-01-01

The system currently deployed to assess research outputs in higher education can influence what, how and for whom academics write; for some it may determine whether or not they write at all. This article offers a framework for negotiating this performative context--the writing meeting. This framework uses the established theoretical underpinning…

Repurposing "Lost," Discarded, or Forgotten Objects into a "Found" Treasure Trove of Creative Writing Instructional Ideas

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McDonald, Denise

2013-01-01

Through her years as an elementary teacher and now a university professor in teacher education, the author has developed many creative writing instructional ideas for use with all learners (i.e., elementary through graduate level). Resourcefulness and imaginative thinking proves invaluable to teaching artists' pedagogy in current economic…

Writing to Learn and Learning to Write across the Disciplines: Peer-to-Peer Writing in Introductory-Level MOOCs

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Denise K. Comer

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate how peer-to-peer interactions through writing impact student learning in introductory-level massive open online courses (MOOCs across disciplines. This article presents the results of a qualitative coding analysis of peer-to-peer interactions in two introductory level MOOCs: English Composition I: Achieving Expertise and Introduction to Chemistry. Results indicate that peer-to-peer interactions in writing through the forums and through peer assessment enhance learner understanding, link to course learning objectives, and generally contribute positively to the learning environment. Moreover, because forum interactions and peer review occur in written form, our research contributes to open distance learning (ODL scholarship by highlighting the importance of writing to learn as a significant pedagogical practice that should be encouraged more in MOOCs across disciplines.

Writing Retreat Increases Productivity And Community For Women Geoscientists

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O'Connell, S.; Holmes, M.

2011-12-01

Five, weeklong geoscientist writing retreats have been completed with an NSF ADANCE PAID grant. During the five nights and four and a half days, eight to twenty-four academics have gathered in a rural setting outside of Boston to get to focus on writing papers and proposals while getting to know each other. Participants range in age and experience from graduate students to emeritus professors. Over twenty papers and proposals acknowledge their production, in part to this writing retreat. Impact extends beyond papers as informal mentoring and discussions at meals and in the evenings centers on succeeding in academia. Research and teaching are foremost in the conversation. Post-docs learn strategies for applying for jobs and grants, and senior professors discuss strategies for working with academic administrations, running departments and mentoring students. They also learn new technologies and perspectives from younger participants. Particularly helpful are discussions on work-life balance. Networking opportunities extend beyond the retreat as participants join each other at their home institutions to give seminars, develop research projects and mentor each other's students. All weeks follow the same format. Participants arrive Sunday and meet during an evening welcome reception. Monday is devoted to writing. Tuesday a writing coach is available. In the morning, using examples from the scientific literature, she discusses strategies and techniques for writing clearly at a group session. During the afternoon, participants work with the coach individually or in small groups to improve their own writing projects. Wednesday evening a skill session is offered on a topic of interest. These have included undergraduate research, NSF funding, productive techniques for dealing with conflict, and generational characteristics and attitudes, which can hamper communication. A Thursday evening wrap-up session prepares participants for Friday's departure. We believe that this model

ComSciCon: The Communicating Science Workshop for Graduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Nathan; Drout, Maria; Kohler, Susanna; Cook, Ben; ComSciCon Leadership Team

2018-01-01

ComSciCon (comscicon.com) is a national workshop series organized by graduate students, for graduate students, focused on leadership and training in science communication. Our goal is to empower young scientists to become leaders in their field, propagating appreciation and understanding of research results to broad and diverse audiences. ComSciCon attendees meet and interact with professional communicators, build lasting networks with graduate students in all fields of science and engineering from around the country, and write and publish original works. ComSciCon consists of both a flagship national conference series run annually for future leaders in science communication, and a series of regional and specialized workshops organized by ComSciCon alumni nationwide. We routinely receive over 1000 applications for 50 spots in our national workshop. Since its founding in 2012, over 300 STEM graduate students have participated in the national workshop, and 23 local spin-off workshops have been organized in 10 different locations throughout the country. This year, ComSciCon is working to grow as a self-sustaining organization by launching as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit. In this poster we will discuss the ComSciCon program and methods, our results to date, potential future collaborations between ComSciCon and AAS, and how you can become involved.

Psychiatric/ psychological forensic report writing.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Gerald

Approaches to forensic report writing in psychiatry, psychology, and related mental health disciplines have moved from an organization, content, and stylistic framework to considering ethical and other codes, evidentiary standards, and practice considerations. The first part of the article surveys different approaches to forensic report writing, including that of forensic mental health assessment and psychiatric ethics. The second part deals especially with psychological ethical approaches. The American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct (2002) provide one set of principles on which to base forensic report writing. The U.S. Federal Rules of Evidence (2014) and related state rules provide another basis. The American Psychological Association's Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (2013) provide a third source. Some work has expanded the principles in ethics codes; and, in the third part of this article, these additions are applied to forensic report writing. Other work that could help with the question of forensic report writing concerns the 4 Ds in psychological injury assessments (e.g., conduct oneself with Dignity, avoid the adversary Divide, get the needed reliable Data, Determine interpretations and conclusions judiciously). One overarching ethical principle that is especially applicable in forensic report writing is to be comprehensive, scientific, and impartial. As applied to forensic report writing, the overall principle that applies is that the work process and product should reflect integrity in its ethics, law, and science. Four principles that derive from this meta-principle concern: Competency and Communication; Procedure and Protection; Dignity and Distance; and Data Collection and Determination. The standards or rules associated with each of these principles are reviewed. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Workplace-based assessment for vocational registration of international medical graduates.

Science.gov (United States)

Lillis, Steven; Van Dyk, Valencia

2014-01-01

Medical regulatory authorities need efficient and effective methods of ensuring the competence of immigrating international medical graduates (IMGs). Not all IMGs who apply for specialist vocational registration will have directly comparable qualifications to those usually accepted. As general licensure examinations are inappropriate for these doctors, workplace-based assessment (WBA) techniques would appear to provide a solution. However, there is little published data on such outcomes. All cases of WBA (n = 81) used for vocational registration of IMGs in New Zealand between 2008 and 2013 were collated and analyzed. The successful completion rate of IMGs through the pathway was 87%. The majority (64%) undertook the year of supervised practice and the final assessment in a provincial center. For those unsuccessful in the pathway, inadequate clinical knowledge was the most common deficit found, followed by poor clinical reasoning. A WBA approach for assessing readiness of IMGs for vocational registration is feasible. The constructivist theoretical perspective of WBA has particular advantages in assessing the standard of practice for experienced practitioners working in narrow scopes than traditional methods of assessment. The majority of IMGs undertook both the clinical year and the assessment in provincial hospitals, thus providing a workforce for underserved areas. © 2014 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

TRAVEL WRITING: AN APPLICATION OF WRITING WORKSHOP TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’S CREATIVE WRITING

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Prayudias Margawati

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Writing is often assumed as uneasy skill to either learn or teach. For students, they find it difficult to develop ideas in writing. On the other hand, teachers, many of them, only ready with the materials but confuse with the appropriate ways to teach. This paper intends to describe and discuss a method of teaching writing namely writing workshop to improve students’ writing skill through travel writing. Writing workshop proposed by Calkins that consists of mini lesson, work time, peer conferring and/or response groups, share sessions, and publication celebration is applied in writing class for methodological purposes. In mini lesson, teacher offers something to the class that is meant to introduce a writing strategy done at the beginning of the workshop. During work time point, students start their new piece of writing. Teacher moves among students conferring with them while checking their works. Peer conferences or response groups provide a forum for students to talk about works in progress. When students work in group, one of them could arrange his/ her group needs during the work time. A share session may be varied, one possible way is each group shares their process of writing to other students. At the end of writing class, student writers come together to publish and/ or celebrate their final work. The publication could be in the form of portfolio, students’ diary, blog, or others. Travel writing genre is chosen as it could develop students’ creativity in describing/ narrating their own stories during, let say holiday or things they used to see on the way home weekly or monthly. Furthermore, travel writing as the product of creative writing teaches the readers of values, characteristics, and way of life. Last but not least, a professional writing teacher should set the writing workshop components in variety ways to achieve effective running-class.

Investigating IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 : Relationships between cognitive writing processes, text quality, and working memory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Révész, Andrea; Michel, Marije; Lee, MinJin

2017-01-01

This project examined the cognitive processes and online behaviours of second language writers while performing IELTS Academic Writing Test Task 2, and the ways in which the online behaviours of test-takers relate to the quality of the text produced. An additional aim was to assess whether writing

Information behaviour of graduate students: a qualitative user study

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Gorazd Vodeb

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents a qualitative user study exploring information behaviour of graduate students. The study is conceptually based on Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology. The information behaviour is conceptualised as a process. The author conducted 13 interviews using the time-line micro moment interview technique. Data were transcribed and then condensed using the ATLAS/ti program for qualitative analysis. The basic approach to the analysis was to compare the moments of sense making instances within the situation of the same actor and also a comparison of moments across situations of different actors. The characteristics of actors’ situations was described. The most intensive information activity of graduate students was found during the completion of their studies. The proposed model consisted of three successive types of gaps: topic selection gap, topic ignorance gap and literature collecting gap. The article also presents findings about the process of writing and information habits.

Increasing Skills in Writing Literature Study on Research-Based Learning Through Authentical Assessment Lecturing in Innovation Class of Social Science Learning

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Naniek Sulistya Wardani

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine whether the improvement of literature review skills on research-based learning can be pursued through the authentic assessment of the lectures of the Innovation of Learning IPS of PGSD students. This type of research is a classroom action research, using a spiral model of C. Kemmis and Robin Mc. Taggart. The research procedure uses 2 cycles, each cycle consists of 3 stages namely, 1 action planning 2 implementation of action and observation, 3 reflection. The subjects of the study were all students of PGSD Class 2014 E of the subjects of Innovation of IPS Learning as much as 27 students consisting of 7 male students and 20 female students. Data collection techniques use observation and product assessment. Data analysis technique is a percentage technique that compares literacy review writing skills through authentic assessment in IPS lectures between cycles. The result of the research shows that there is an improvement of writing skill of study lecture study of IPS learning innovation, which is pursued through authentic assessment. This is evident from the improvement of writing skills worthy of achievement from cycle 1 to cycle 2 ie from 62.14% of 27 students increased to 72.60% of all students in cycle 2. Writing skills in research-based learning is a skill to express the idea of the problem , Organizing facts, concepts and principles, use of EYD grammar and grammar. Authentic assessment is an assessment consisting of connection aspects, reflection aspects, and feedback aspects

Using Institutional Resources and Agency to Support Graduate Students’ Success at a Hispanic Serving Institution

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Natalie A. Tran

2016-08-01

Full Text Available There is a growing body of evidence that links increased social capital to minority student success in college. This paper seeks to expand specifically on the graduate experience of underrepresented minorities (URM at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI using the social capital framework. In a cross-sectional survey, 198 graduate students retrospectively considered the role of institutional resources and agents in their success towards graduation. Data revealed that motivational factors such as a sense of personal achievement, family support, peer support, career promotion, supportive faculty, program satisfaction, and faculty mentor played critical roles in the success of graduate students at HSI. Specifically, Latino students are more likely to report that faculty mentors played a significant role in their success compared to their non-Latino peers χ2(1, N = 195 = 5.33, p = 0.02. Latinos/as were also more likely to use writing support services than their non-Latino/a peers χ2(2, N = 190 = 7.59, p = 0.02. By identifying and increasing access to institutional resources and agents, underrepresented minorities in post-baccalaureate programs may encounter less barriers to graduate degree success.

New Jersey City University's College of Education Writing Assessment Program: Profile of a Local Response to a Systemic Problem

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Fisch, Audrey

2017-01-01

This profile presents New Jersey City University's Writing Assessment Program from its creation in 2002 to its elimination in 2017. The program arose as an attempt to raise the writing skills of the diverse, first generation teacher certification candidates in the College of Education. Despite political missteps, the program gained greater…

A Study of Students’ Assessment in Writing Skills of the English Language

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Muhammad Javed

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses to evaluate and assess the students’ competency in writing skills at Secondary school level in the English Language focusing five major content areas: word completion, sentence making/syntax, comprehension, tenses/ grammar and handwriting. The target population was the male and female students of grade 10 of urban and rural Secondary schools from public and private sector. Forty (40 Secondary schools of District Bahawalnagar, Pakistan were taken using stratified sampling. A sample consisting of 440 students (11students from each school was randomly selected using a table of random numbers. An achievement test consisting of different items was developed to assess the students’ competency and capability in sub-skills of writing such as word completion, sentence making/syntax, comprehension, tenses/grammar and handwriting. Mean score and standard deviation were used to analyze the students’ proficiency in each sub-skill. The t-test was applied to make the comparison on the bases of gender, density and public and private sector. The overall performance of all the students was better in comprehension as compared to other sub-skills namely word completion, sentence making/syntax, tenses/grammar and handwriting. The analysis, based on t-value, revealed no significant difference between the performance of male and female students and the students of public and private schools, whereas there was a significant difference between the performance of urban and rural students.

Credibility and Accountability in Academic Discourse: Increasing the Awareness of Ghanaian Graduate Students

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Adika Gordon S. K.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Drawing from a social constructionist perspective to written scholarly communication, this paper argues that training in academic writing for students in higher education especially in second language contexts should go beyond emphasis on grammatical correctness and paragraphing strategies, and also focus on the rhetorical character of academic discourse together with the mastery of its communicative protocols. Using the University of Ghana as a reference point, the paper reviews a selection of Ghanaian graduate students’ awareness of the protocols that govern academic discourses in scholarly writing, and in consideration of their unique educational and socio-cultural circumstances, the paper proposes strategies, from the pedagogical and institutional standpoints, aimed at increasing students’ awareness of the relevant communicative practices that engender credibility and accountability.

A guide of scientific writing in English

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Bang Geun

1987-10-01

This book introduces reference while writing English paper, how to use letters, punctuation, how to use articles, similar word phrases and verbs used in scientific writings, auxiliary verbs, nouns deeply related to scientific writings, expressions about experiment tools and equipment, expressions of chemicals, how to mark numbers, adjectives and pronouns relevant to numbers, how to make plural form, expressions about multiple, surface area, depth, width, time, period, temperature, humidity. It also adds expressions about sensible assessment, statistics, deviation, signs, abbreviations, and how to write letters in English.

Assessment of graduate orthodontic programs in North America.

Science.gov (United States)

Burk, Thomas; Orellana, Maria

2013-04-01

This study collected information on four main aspects of U.S. and Canadian orthodontic programs: demographic profiles of residents, requirements for graduation, graduate curriculum, and number of faculty and staff members. Program directors at seventy U.S. and Canadian orthodontic programs were invited to participate in a twenty-question survey and to distribute a ten-question survey to their residents. Twenty program directors and eighty-four residents completed the anonymous, online surveys on Qualtrics.com in July-August 2010. The average age of surveyed residents was 29.6 years of age; 73 percent were non-Hispanic white, with 14 percent Asian/Asian-American, 5 percent Hispanic, and 1 percent African American. A small percentage of residents (13 percent) were foreign-trained. The majority of residents (64 percent) were male. There was a wide variety of clinical and didactic requirements in the programs. Almost all programs emphasized treatment with functional appliances and clear aligners. An average of three full-time and ten part-time faculty members were dedicated to each residency program. This survey reveals a potential shortage of minority orthodontic residents currently being trained in orthodontic programs, in addition to several commonalities and differences among the programs' curricula, graduation requirements, and numbers of faculty and staff members. This preliminary survey will hopefully inspire measures to address the discrepancies revealed, particularly the lack of minority students and full-time faculty members.

Preparing Master of Public Health Graduates to Work in Local Health Departments.

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Hemans-Henry, Calaine; Blake, Janice; Parton, Hilary; Koppaka, Ram; Greene, Carolyn M

2016-01-01

To identify key competencies and skills that all master of public health (MPH) graduates should have to be prepared to work in a local health department. In 2011-2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene administered electronic surveys to 2 categories of staff: current staff with an MPH as their highest degree, and current hiring managers. In all, 312 (77%) staff members with an MPH as their highest degree and 170 (57%) hiring managers responded to the survey. Of the respondents with an MPH as their highest degree, 85% stated that their MPH program prepared them for work at the New York City Health Department. Skills for which MPH graduates most often stated they were underprepared included facility in using SAS® statistical software, quantitative data analysis/statistics, personnel management/leadership, and data collection/database management/data cleaning. Among the skills hiring managers identified as required of MPH graduates, the following were most often cited as those for which newly hired MPH graduates were inadequately prepared: quantitative data analysis, researching/conducting literature reviews, scientific writing and publication, management skills, and working with contracts/requests for proposals. These findings suggest that MPH graduates could be better prepared to work in a local health department upon graduation. To be successful, new MPH graduate hires should possess fundamental skills and knowledge related to analysis, communication, management, and leadership. Local health departments and schools of public health must each contribute to the development of the current and future public health workforce through both formal learning opportunities and supplementary employment-based training to reinforce prior coursework and facilitate practical skill development.

Personal Identification and the Assessment of the Psychophysiological State While Writing a Signature

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Pavel Lozhnikov

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the problem of user identification and psychophysiological state assessment while writing a signature using a graphics tablet. The solution of the problem includes the creation of templates containing handwriting signature features simultaneously with the hidden registration of physiological parameters of a person being tested. Heart rate variability description in the different time points is used as a physiological parameter. As a result, a signature template is automatically generated for psychophysiological states of an identified person. The problem of user identification and psychophysiological state assessment is solved depending on the registered value of a physiological parameter.

Applying the PDCA Cycle to the Complex Task of Teaching and Assessing Public Relations Writing

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Knight, John E.; Allen, Sandra

2012-01-01

Teaching skills, knowledge and abilities appropriate for career-ready graduates and assessing learning are complex issues. Developing a valid and reliable approach is often by trial and error. Instead, the authors employed Deming's PDCA Cycle of continuous improvement as a systematic procedure to incrementally move closer to their goal. This paper…

"There and Back Again" in the Writing Classroom: A Graduate Student's Recursive Journey through Pedagogical Research and Theory Development

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Mori, Miki

2013-01-01

This article discusses my (recursive) process of theory building and the relationship between research, teaching, and theory development for graduate students. It shows how graduate students can reshape their conceptual frameworks not only through course work, but also through researching classes they teach. Specifically, while analyzing the…

Graduate School and You: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidwell, Clara Sue; LaPidus, Jules B.

This pamphlet guides the college graduate in determining whether graduate school is an appropriate choice in career planning. Chapter titles include: "Why Graduate School?,""What is Graduate Education?,""Preparation for Graduate School,""Career Options with a Graduate Degree,""Making the Decision,""Financing a Graduate Education,""Choosing a…

Differences Across Levels in the Language of Agency and Ability in Rating Scales for Large-Scale Second Language Writing Assessments

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Anderson Salena Sampson

2017-12-01

Full Text Available While large-scale language and writing assessments benefit from a wealth of literature on the reliability and validity of specific tests and rating procedures, there is comparatively less literature that explores the specific language of second language writing rubrics. This paper provides an analysis of the language of performance descriptors for the public versions of the TOEFL and IELTS writing assessment rubrics, with a focus on linguistic agency encoded by agentive verbs and language of ability encoded by modal verbs can and cannot. While the IELTS rubrics feature more agentive verbs than the TOEFL rubrics, both pairs of rubrics feature uneven syntax across the band or score descriptors with either more agentive verbs for the highest scores, more nominalization for the lowest scores, or language of ability exclusively in the lowest scores. These patterns mirror similar patterns in the language of college-level classroom-based writing rubrics, but they differ from patterns seen in performance descriptors for some large-scale admissions tests. It is argued that the lack of syntactic congruity across performance descriptors in the IELTS and TOEFL rubrics may reflect a bias in how actual student performances at different levels are characterized.

Colorado Student Assessment Program: 2001 Released Passages, Items, and Prompts. Grade 4 Reading and Writing, Grade 4 Lectura y Escritura, Grade 5 Mathematics and Reading, Grade 6 Reading, Grade 7 Reading and Writing, Grade 8 Mathematics, Reading and Science, Grade 9 Reading, and Grade 10 Mathematics and Reading and Writing.

Science.gov (United States)

Colorado State Dept. of Education, Denver.

This document contains released reading comprehension passages, test items, and writing prompts from the Colorado Student Assessment Program for 2001. The sample questions and prompts are included without answers or examples of student responses. Test materials are included for: (1) Grade 4 Reading and Writing; (2) Grade 4 Lectura y Escritura…

Writing a Research Proposal to The Research Council of Oman.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shukaili, Ahmed; Al-Maniri, Abdullah

2017-05-01

Writing a research proposal can be a challenging task for young researchers. This article explains how to write a strong research proposal to apply for funding, specifically, a proposal for The Research Council (TRC) of Oman. Three different research proposal application forms are currently used in TRC, including Open Research Grant (ORG), Graduate Research Support Program (GRSP), and Faculty-mentored Undergraduate Research Award Program (FURAP). The application forms are filled and submitted electronically on TRC website. Each of the proposals submitted to TRC is selected through a rigorous reviewing and screening process. Novelty and originality of the research idea is the most crucial element in writing a research proposal. Performing an in-depth review of the literature will assist you to compose a good researchable question and generate a strong hypothesis. The development of a good hypothesis will offer insight into the specific objectives of a study. Research objectives should be focused, measurable, and achievable by a specific time using the most appropriate methodology. Moreover, it is essential to select a proper study design in-line with the purpose of the study and the hypothesis. Furthermore, social/economic impact and reasonable budget of proposed research are important criteria in research proposal evaluation by TRC. Finally, ethical principles should be observed before writing a research proposal involving human or animal subjects.

Writing a Research Proposal to The Research Council of Oman

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Ahmed Al-Shukaili

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Writing a research proposal can be a challenging task for young researchers. This article explains how to write a strong research proposal to apply for funding, specifically, a proposal for The Research Council (TRC of Oman. Three different research proposal application forms are currently used in TRC, including Open Research Grant (ORG, Graduate Research Support Program (GRSP, and Faculty-mentored Undergraduate Research Award Program (FURAP. The application forms are filled and submitted electronically on TRC website. Each of the proposals submitted to TRC is selected through a rigorous reviewing and screening process. Novelty and originality of the research idea is the most crucial element in writing a research proposal. Performing an in-depth review of the literature will assist you to compose a good researchable question and generate a strong hypothesis. The development of a good hypothesis will offer insight into the specific objectives of a study. Research objectives should be focused, measurable, and achievable by a specific time using the most appropriate methodology. Moreover, it is essential to select a proper study design in-line with the purpose of the study and the hypothesis. Furthermore, social/economic impact and reasonable budget of proposed research are important criteria in research proposal evaluation by TRC. Finally, ethical principles should be observed before writing a research proposal involving human or animal subjects.

On-the-job, real-time professional development for graduate students and early career scientists at the University of Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, B. C.; Guannel, M.; Wood-Charlson, E.; Choy, A.; Wren, J.; Chang, C.; Alegado, R.; Leon Soon, S.; Needham, H.; Wiener, C.

2015-12-01

Here we present an overview of inter-related programs designed to promote leadership and professional development among graduate students and early career scientists. In a very short time, these young scientists have developed into an impressive cohort of leaders. Proposal Writing. The EDventures model combines proposal-writing training with the incentive of seed money. Rather than providing training a priori, the EDventures model encourages students and post-docs to write a proposal based on guidelines provided. Training occurs during a two-stage review stage: proposers respond to panel reviews and resubmit their proposal within a single review cycle. EDventures alumni self-report statistically significant confidence gains on all questions posed. Their subsequent proposal success is envious: of the 12 proposals submitted by program alumni to NSF, 50% were funded. (Wood Charlson & Bruno, in press; cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/education/edventures.htm)Mentoring. The C-MORE Scholars and SOEST Maile Mentoring Bridgeprograms give graduate students the opportunity to serve as research mentors and non-research mentors, respectively, to undergraduates. Both programs aim to develop a "majority-minority" scientist network, where Native Hawaiians and other underrepresented students receive professional development training and personal support through one-on-one mentoring relationships (Gibson and Bruno, 2012; http://cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/scholars; http://maile.soest.hawaii.edu).Outreach & Science Communication. Ocean FEST (Families Exploring Science Together), Ocean TECH (Technology Explores Career Horizons) and the Kapiolani Community College summer bridge program provide opportunities for graduate students and post-docs to design and deliver outreach activities, lead field trips, communicate their research, and organize events (Wiener et al, 2011, Bruno & Wren, 2014; http://oceanfest.soest.hawaii.edu; http://oceantech.soest.hawaii.edu)Professional Development Course. In this

Clinical writing and the documentary construction of schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, R J

1988-09-01

Psychiatric practice involves writing as much as it involves talking. This study examines the interpretive processes of reading, writing and interviewing which are central to the clinical interaction. It is part of a broader ethnographic study of an Australian psychiatric hospital (which specializes in the treatment of patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia). The paper examines two major types of written assessment of patients--the admission assessment and the 'complete work-up.' Writing is analyzed as performance, thereby focusing on the transformations that are effected in patients, their perceptions of their schizophrenia, and their total identity. One crucial transformation is from 'person suffering from schizophrenia' to 'schizophrenic.' The paper aims to show that as much as psychiatry is a 'talking cure' it is also a 'writing cure.'

Does Automated Feedback Improve Writing Quality?

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Joshua; Olinghouse, Natalie G.; Andrada, Gilbert N.

2014-01-01

The current study examines data from students in grades 4-8 who participated in a statewide computer-based benchmark writing assessment that featured automated essay scoring and automated feedback. We examined whether the use of automated feedback was associated with gains in writing quality across revisions to an essay, and with transfer effects…

Investigation of Writing Strategies, Writing Apprehension, and Writing Achievement among Saudi EFL-Major Students

Science.gov (United States)

Al Asmari, AbdulRahman

2013-01-01

The tenet of this study is to investigate the use of writing strategies in reducing writing apprehension and uncovering its effect on EFL students' writing achievement. It also attempts to explore associations between foreign language apprehension, writing achievement and writing strategies. The primary aims of the study were to explore the…

University writing

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Miguel Zabalza Beraza

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Writing in the University is a basic necessity and a long-range educational purpose. One of the basic characteristics of the university context is that it requires writing both as a tool of communication and as a source of intellectual stimulation. After establishing the basic features of academic writing, this article analyzes the role of writing for students (writing to learn and for teachers (write to plan, to reflect, to document what has been done. The article also discusses the contributions of writing for both students and teachers together: writing to investigate. Finally, going beyond what writing is as academic tool, we conclude with a more playful and creative position: writing for pleasure and enjoyment.

Using PELA to Predict International Business Students' English Writing Performance with Contextualised English Writing Workshops as Intervention Program

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Caroline; Delante, Nimrod Lawsin; Wang, Pengji

2017-01-01

This study examines the effectiveness of Post-Entry English Language Assessment (PELA) as a predictor of international business students' English writing performance and academic performance. An intervention involving the implementation of contextualised English writing workshops was embedded in a specific business subject targeted at students who…

Graduates Performance in the Workplace: Employers‟ Perspective

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Ariel M. Plantilla

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper is an assessment of the employers feedback on the performance of business graduates of University of Rizal System Pililla from batch 2010 – 2014 in the workplace with respect to knowledge and understanding, skills and personal qualities. The researcher used descriptive method of research utilizing the employers and managers of employed graduates as key informants of the study. The findings revealed that employers were very much satisfied on the performance of graduates in terms of knowledge and understanding of the job, general skills, specialized skills and personal qualities demonstrated in the workplace. There was significant difference on the performance of graduates in terms of positions and length of service as revealed by the variations on the level of satisfaction of the employers on graduates’ performance in work. Relationship exists between the degree of importance of the four aspects of job performance and the level of satisfaction on the performance of business graduates. Employers placed a strong preference to the business graduates of the campus. There is no mismatch of knowledge and skills of graduates and what the employers are expecting among the business graduates.

Towards a more explicit writing pedagogy: The complexity of teaching argumentative writing

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Jacqui Dornbrack

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Advances in technology, changes in communication practices, and the imperatives of the workplace have led to the repositioning of the role of writing in the global context. This has implications for the teaching of writing in schools. This article focuses on the argumentative essay, which is a high-stakes genre. A sample of work from one Grade 10 student identified as high performing in a township school in Cape Town (South Africa is analysed. Drawing on the work of Ormerod and Ivanic, who argue that writing practices can be inferred from material artifacts, as well as critical discourse analysis, we show that the argumentative genre is complex, especially for novice first additional language English writers. This complexity is confounded by the conflation of the process and genre approaches in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS document. Based on the analysis we discuss the implications of planning, particularly in relation to thinking and reasoning, the need to read in order to write argument and how social and school capital are insufficient without explicit instruction of the conventions of this complex genre. These findings present some insights into particular input needed to improve writing pedagogy for specific genres.

The Effect of Keyboard-Based Word Processing on Students With Different Working Memory Capacity During the Process of Academic Writing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Steen, Steffie; Samuelson, Dianne; Thomson, Jennifer M.

This study addresses the current debate about the beneficial effects of text processing software on students with different working memory (WM) during the process of academic writing, especially with regard to the ability to display higher-level conceptual thinking. A total of 54 graduate students

Assessment of narrative writing by Persian-speaking students with hearing impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamani, P; Soleymani, Z; Mousavi, S M; Akbari, N

2018-02-16

Previous studies have highlighted that narrative skill is critical to the development of the literacy skills by children. Children with cochlear implants (CI) and hearing aids (HA) may have problems in narrative development compared to peers with healthy hearing (HH). There is no exact data about the narrative writing ability of Persian-speaking students who are hearing-impaired. This study was undertaken to compare the microstructure and macrostructure scores for narrative writing of Persian-speaking students who are hearing-impaired and peers with HH. This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. The subjects were recruited from elementary schools in the city of Tehran. A total of 144 elementary school students were participated. The written narratives were elicited using a wordless pictorial storybook story. Three-way ANOVA with post hoc adjusted Bonferroni test was applied to determine the main effects and interactions of grounded variables on the microstructure and macrostructure components of narrative writing. No significant differences were observed in the macrostructure components of narrative writing between hearing-impaired and HH students. Factors analysis showed that the 4th grade HH students had significantly the highest scores, and the 3rd grade HA students had significantly the lowest scores in microstructure components of narrative writing. The findings revealed that hearing-impaired students similarly to their HH peers can transmit the main idea (macrostructure) of narrative writing, but show critical difficulties when using complete grammatical elements (microstructures) to form sentences to convey the idea in the narrative. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

ENHANCING WRITING SKILL THROUGH WRITING PROCESS APPROACH

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M. Zaini Miftah

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The study is aimed at developing the implementation of Writing Process Approach (WPA to enhance the students’ skill in writing essay. The study employed Classroom Action Research. The subjects of the study were 15 university students enrolled in the writing class. The data were gained from writing task, observation and field notes. The findings show that the implementation of WPA with the proper model procedures developed can enhance the students’ skill in writing essay. Before the strategy was implemented, the percentage of the students achieving the score greater than or equal to C (56-70 was 40.00% (6 students of the class. However, after the strategy was implemented in Cycle I, it enhanced enough to 60.00% (9 students of the class, but this result did not meet the criteria of success set up in the study. Next, in Cycle II it increased slightly to 86.67% (13 students of the class. Thus, the enhancement of the students’ skill in writing essay can be reached but it should follow the proper model procedures of the implementation of WPA developed. Keywords: writing process approach, writing skill, essay writing

ENHANCING WRITING SKILL THROUGH WRITING PROCESS APPROACH

OpenAIRE

M. Zaini Miftah

2015-01-01

The study is aimed at developing the implementation of Writing Process Approach (WPA) to enhance the students’ skill in writing essay. The study employed Classroom Action Research. The subjects of the study were 15 university students enrolled in the writing class. The data were gained from writing task, observation and field notes. The findings show that the implementation of WPA with the proper model procedures developed can enhance the students’ skill in writing essay. Before the strategy ...

An Assessment of Naval ROTC Graduate Performance in Post-Accession Training

Science.gov (United States)

1982-10-01

multiversity ; letters, arts, sciences (LAS); technical), geographic location, and various characteristics of student populations. Additional institutional...significant probably because of the low Ns in the samples. Multiversity NROTC graduates and NROTC graduates from private institutions did produce...Barron’s competitive levels of entering students), Type ( multiversity , technical emphasis, liberal arts emphasis) and Ethnic Predominance were most

A Three-Year Reflective Writing Program as Part of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences

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Vaughn, Jessica; Kerr, Kevin; Zielenski, Christopher; Toppel, Brianna; Johnson, Lauren; McCauley, Patrina; Turner, Christopher J.

2013-01-01

Objectives. To implement and evaluate a 3-year reflective writing program incorporated into introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) in the first- through third-year of a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program. Design. Reflective writing was integrated into 6 IPPE courses to develop students’ lifelong learning skills. In their writing, students were required to self-assess their performance in patient care activities, identify and describe how they would incorporate learning opportunities, and then evaluate their progress. Practitioners, faculty members, and fourth-year PharmD students served as writing preceptors. Assessment. The success of the writing program was assessed by reviewing class performance and surveying writing preceptor’s opinions regarding the student’s achievement of program objectives. Class pass rates averaged greater than 99% over the 8 years of the program and the large majority of the writing preceptors reported that student learning objectives were met. A support pool of 99 writing preceptors was created. Conclusions. A 3-year reflective writing program improved pharmacy students’ reflection and reflective writing skills. PMID:23788811

Learning Potential in Narrative Writing: Measuring the Psychometric Properties of an Assessment Tool.

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Gurgel, Léia G; de Oliveira, Mônica M C; Joly, Maria C R A; Reppold, Caroline T

2017-01-01

Objective: The Computerized and Dynamic Writing Test (TIDE) is designed to examine the learning potential of adolescents in narrative writing. This was a validation study of the TIDE based on its internal structure. Learning potential is responsible for cognitive modifiabilty according to the Theory of Cognitive Structural Modifiability (CSM) developed by Feüerstein. Method: Included 304 participants between 10 and 17 years of age from schools in the South of Brazil. The data collection involved student groups that were divided according to age and school grade. Each participant reponded to the TIDE for an average of 50 min in the school's computer lab. The participants' selection criteria were: being regularly enrolled in the fifth to eighth grade and providing an informed consent form signed by a responsible caregiver. The exclusion criteria included: neurological problems, having been held back in school for two or more years, not cooperating, not completing the test for any reason and physical conditions impeding the assessment. Results: The Kendall test indicated agreement between two evaluators, who corrected the participants' first and second texts that resulted from applying the TIDE. The TIDE is divided into three modules. Factor analysis was applied to the first module (pre-test), which revealed a division in two factors, and to the second module (instructional module), which was divided in three factors. The reliability of the TIDE items was verified using Cronbach's Alpha with coefficients >0.7. The analysis of the third module (post-test) was based on McNemar's Test and showed statistically significant results that demonstrated an evolution in the participants' learning potential. Conclusion: The TIDE proved to be valid and is considered a relevant tool for speech, language, hearing, psychological and educational assessment. The original nature of the tool presented here is highlighted, based on the dynamic assessment method, offering data on a

Learning Potential in Narrative Writing: Measuring the Psychometric Properties of an Assessment Tool

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Léia G. Gurgel

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: The Computerized and Dynamic Writing Test (TIDE is designed to examine the learning potential of adolescents in narrative writing. This was a validation study of the TIDE based on its internal structure. Learning potential is responsible for cognitive modifiabilty according to the Theory of Cognitive Structural Modifiability (CSM developed by Feüerstein.Method: Included 304 participants between 10 and 17 years of age from schools in the South of Brazil. The data collection involved student groups that were divided according to age and school grade. Each participant reponded to the TIDE for an average of 50 min in the school's computer lab. The participants' selection criteria were: being regularly enrolled in the fifth to eighth grade and providing an informed consent form signed by a responsible caregiver.The exclusion criteria included: neurological problems, having been held back in school for two or more years, not cooperating, not completing the test for any reason and physical conditions impeding the assessment.Results: The Kendall test indicated agreement between two evaluators, who corrected the participants' first and second texts that resulted from applying the TIDE. The TIDE is divided into three modules. Factor analysis was applied to the first module (pre-test, which revealed a division in two factors, and to the second module (instructional module, which was divided in three factors. The reliability of the TIDE items was verified using Cronbach's Alpha with coefficients >0.7. The analysis of the third module (post-test was based on McNemar's Test and showed statistically significant results that demonstrated an evolution in the participants' learning potential.Conclusion: The TIDE proved to be valid and is considered a relevant tool for speech, language, hearing, psychological and educational assessment. The original nature of the tool presented here is highlighted, based on the dynamic assessment method, offering data

The national survey of health administration program graduates on management information systems education.

Science.gov (United States)

Zalkind, D; Malec, B

1988-01-01

A national survey of alumni of AUPHA programs from the classes of 1983, 1984, and 1985 was undertaken to assess their experiences in management information systems education, both formally and on the job. The survey covered 38 AUPHA graduate member programs and resulted in 1,181 responses. Over 40 percent of the alumni indicated that they had had an introductory management information systems (MIS) course in a health administration program. Since graduation, almost 90 percent have had some significant on-the-job involvement with computers, computer-generated information, or MIS. More than one-third of the respondents felt that their MIS course work did not adequately prepare them for what was expected on the job. Alumni stressed that microcomputer software applications, such as spreadsheets and data bases, are important areas for student hands-on experiences. When asked the importance of certain areas to be included in a required introductory MIS course, the alumni also recommended spreadsheet analysis and design, report writing and data presentation, and other management areas. Additional comments suggested more access to personal computers (PCs), more relevance in the curriculum to the "real world," and the importance of MIS to the career paths of alumni. Faculty suggestions from a 1984-85 survey are compared with alumni responses in order to identify curricular changes needed. Recommendations are outlined for consideration.

Writing Skill and Categorical Error Analysis: A Study of First Year Undergraduate University Students

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Adnan Satariyan

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study identifies and analyses the common errors in writing skill of the first year students of Azad University of South Tehran Branch in relation to their first language (L1, the type of high school they graduated, and their exposure to media and technology in order to learn English. It also determines the categories in which the errors are committed (content, organisation/discourse, vocabulary, mechanics, or syntax and whether or not there is a significant difference in the percentage of errors committed and these categories. Participants of this study are 190 first year students that are asked to write an essay. An error analysis model adapted from Brown (2001 and Gayeta (2002 is then used to evaluate the essay writings in terms of content, organisation, vocabulary, mechanics, and syntax or language use. The results of the study show that the students have greater difficulties in organisation, content, and vocabulary and experience less difficulties in mechanics and syntax.

Source-Based Tasks in Writing Independent and Integrated Essays

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Javad Gholami

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Integrated writing tasks have gained considerable attention in ESL and EFL writing assessment and are frequently needed and used in academic settings and daily life. However, they are very rarely practiced and promoted in writing classes. This paper explored the effects of source-based writing practice on EFL learners’ composing abilities and investigated the probable differences between those tasks and independent writing ones in improving Iranian EFL learners’ essay writing abilities. To this end, a quasi-experimental design was implemented to gauge EFL learners’ writing improvements using a pretest-posttest layout. Twenty female learners taking a TOEFL iBT preparation course were randomly divided into an only-writing group with just independent writing instruction and essay practice, and a hybrid-writing-approach group receiving instruction and practice on independent writing plus source-based essay writing for ten sessions. Based on the findings, the participants with hybrid writing practice outperformed their counterparts in integrated essay tests. Their superior performance was not observed in the case of traditional independent writing tasks. The present study calls for incorporating more source-based writing tasks in writing courses.

Bureaucrapathologies: Galloping Regulosis, Assessment Degradosis, and Other Unintended Organizational Maladies in Post-Graduate Medical Education.

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Yager, Joel; Katzman, Jeffrey E

2015-12-01

As decadelong observers of evolving administrative regulations governing academic medicine, the authors have identified several organizational disorders they define as "bureaucrapathologies," pathological conditions caused by dysfunctional bureaucratic processes that generate excesses of wasted time, effort, and other resources. Appearing wherever bureaucratic organizations exist, they have become particularly egregious in health care, research, and education. In past decades, graduate medical education has been beset by proliferating assessment requirements accompanied by corresponding documentation requirements imposed by academic educational regulatory agencies (specifically the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical). Although originating from the best of intentions, these largely untested, unvalidated, and unfunded mandates generate burdensome personnel, time, and resource requirements. As they trickle down organizational levels, the intentions of the originators are inevitably degraded. As motivations and incentives of lower level administrators and faculty differ considerably from those at higher levels, we inevitably encounter debatable assessment practices yielding results of dubious reliability and validity. These processes invariably lead to proliferating reports and paperwork. All of this raises serious questions about the benefits vs. harms of these enterprises. In our view, these pathogenic processes can be recognized as diagnosable subtypes of bureaucrapathology. Here the authors briefly describe two, Galloping Regulosis and Assessment Degradosis, which reflect on their pathogenesis and offer preliminary thoughts for potential remedies. Several other recently identified bureaucrapathological syndromes awaiting future delineation are noted.

Using gamification to develop academic writing skills in dental undergraduate students.

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El Tantawi, Maha; Sadaf, Shazia; AlHumaid, Jehan

2018-02-01

To assess the satisfaction of first-year dental students with gamification and its effect on perceived and actual improvement of academic writing. Two first-year classes of dental undergraduate students were recruited for the study which extended over 4 months and ended in January 2015. A pre-intervention assessment of students' academic writing skills was performed using criteria to evaluate writing. The same criteria were used to evaluate the final writing assignment after the intervention. Students' satisfaction with game aspects was assessed. The per cent change in writing score was regressed on scores of satisfaction with game aspects controlling for gender. Perceived improvement in writing was also assessed. Data from 87 (94.6%) students were available for analysis. Students' overall satisfaction with the gamified experience was modest [mean (SD) = 5.9 (2.1)] and so was their overall perception of improvement in writing [mean (SD) = 6.0 (2.2)]. The per cent score of the first assignment was 35.6 which improved to 80 in the last assignment. Satisfaction with playing the game was significantly associated with higher percentage of improvement in actual writing skills [regression coefficient (95% confidence interval) = 21.1 (1.9, 40.2)]. Using gamification in an obligatory course for first-year dental students was associated with an improvement in academic writing skills although students' satisfaction with game aspects was modest and their willingness to use gamification in future courses was minimal. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Wor(l)d Apart: Understanding Cultural Differences in an International Student Graduate Writing Workshop

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Kyser, Christine; McKenna, Kelly

2017-01-01

This paper introduces and describes a mixed methods research project conducted with international doctoral students from Non-Western countries that explored students and faculty members' experiences in a writing workshop. In this "Perspectives" piece, we offer insight into our journey of fostering relationships with our students and…

Innovative Outcome Assessment in Graduate Business Education and Continuous Improvement

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Chattopadhyay Satya P.

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The changed environment of global economy with painful austerity and restructuring measures causing severe economic dislocations in many diverse parts of the world have brought into focus the usefulness and value of management education in general and graduate management education in particular. The various accrediting bodies in America, Europe and Asia in recent years have shifted their emphasis to ensuring that learning outcomes of students in the program are tied to the goals and missions of the academic institution and meet the needs of the external partners of the academic enterprise that the students go on to serve. This has resulted in rapid advances in the field of innovative outcome assessment, and measurement of competency in performing higher order tasks as well as demonstration of traits related to successful transition into the business world and contribution to the success of the enterprise where the students are employed. The mere assessment/measurement of traits is not the end, but rather the first step in the cycle of continuous improvement in the tradition of the Plan-Do-Study-Act tradition of TQM. The goal is to identify shortcomings or opportunities for improvement via the assessment process and then to “close the loop” by introducing planned changes to improve system performance.

We learn to write by reading, but writing can make you smarter We learn to write by reading, but writing can make you smarter

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Stephen Krashen

2008-04-01

Full Text Available My goal in this paper is to make Iwo points: Writing style does not come from writing or from direct instruction, but from reading. Actual writing can help us solve problems and can make us smarter. Writing Style Comes from Readino, A substantial amount of research strongly suggests that we learn to write by reading. To be more precise, we acquire writing style, the special language of writing, by reading. Hypothesizing that writing style comes from reading, not from writing or instniction, is consistent with what is known about language acquisition: Most of language acquisition lakes place subconsciously, not through deliberate study, and it is a result of input (comprehension, not output (production (Krashen, 1982. My goal in this paper is to make Iwo points: Writing style does not come from writing or from direct instruction, but from reading. Actual writing can help us solve problems and can make us smarter. Writing Style Comes from Readino, A substantial amount of research strongly suggests that we learn to write by reading. To be more precise, we acquire writing style, the special language of writing, by reading. Hypothesizing that writing style comes from reading, not from writing or instniction, is consistent with what is known about language acquisition: Most of language acquisition lakes place subconsciously, not through deliberate study, and it is a result of input (comprehension, not output (production (Krashen, 1982.

THE CAREERS OF THE EDUCATION IN TECHNOLOGY GRADUATES

OpenAIRE

Noga, Henryk

2016-01-01

A very important indicator of the usefulness of studies is the graduates’ career advancement. It indicates to what extent studies facilitate or speed up the professional career. The research concerned the careers of Education in Technology graduates and their professional adaptation. An attempt to assessment the quality of education has also been made. After graduation students are able to assess the quality of education and its impact on their lives and professional careers.  

Perceptions of College Graduates and College Non-Graduates Regarding the Impact of Career and Technical Education on Their Lives

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Summers, Arrita W.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine college graduates and college non-graduates who enrolled in one of the 27 Tennessee Technology Centers, which during the process of this dissertation was renamed the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology. This study was designed to assess the respondents for their: (a) motives for enrollment in…

Engaging Sources through Reading-Writing Connections across the Disciplines

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Carillo, Ellen C.

2016-01-01

This essay argues that what might otherwise be considered "plagiarism" in student writing is a symptom of the difficulties students encounter in their reading and writing, moments in which students' inabilities to critically assess, read, and respond to sources through the act of writing come to the surface. Expanding the context within…

We learn to write by reading, but writing can make you smarter We learn to write by reading, but writing can make you smarter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Krashen

2008-04-01

Full Text Available My goal in this paper is to make two points: 1. Writing style does not come from writing or from direct instruction, but from reading. 2. Actual writing can help us solve problems and can make us smarter. Writing Style Comes from Reading A substantial amount of research slrongly suggests that wc learn to write by reading. To be more precise, wc acquire writing style, the special language of writing, by reading. Hypothesizing that writing style comes from reading, not from writing or instruction, is consistent with what is known about language acquisition: Most of language acquisition takes place subconsciously, not through deliberate study, and it is a result of input (comprehension, not output (production (Krashen, 1982. Thus, if you wrile a page a day, your writing style or your command of mechanics will not improve. On Ihe other hand, other good things may result from your writing, as we shall see in the second section of this paper. My goal in this paper is to make two points: 1. Writing style does not come from writing or from direct instruction, but from reading. 2. Actual writing can help us solve problems and can make us smarter. Writing Style Comes from Reading A substantial amount of research slrongly suggests that wc learn to write by reading. To be more precise, wc acquire writing style, the special language of writing, by reading. Hypothesizing that writing style comes from reading, not from writing or instruction, is consistent with what is known about language acquisition: Most of language acquisition takes place subconsciously, not through deliberate study, and it is a result of input (comprehension, not output (production (Krashen, 1982. Thus, if you wrile a page a day, your writing style or your command of mechanics will not improve. On Ihe other hand, other good things may result from your writing, as we shall see in the second section of this paper.

Adult Learner Graduation Rates at Four U.S. Community Colleges by Prior Learning Assessment Status and Method

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Hayward, Milan S.; Williams, Mitchell R.

2015-01-01

The completion agenda demands higher community college graduation rates among adult learners, and prior learning assessment (PLA) is a promising solution. PLA permits students to earn credit for college-level learning acquired outside of higher education and is associated with improved student outcomes. However, little is known regarding community…

Designing Higher Education Curriculum to Increase Graduate Outcomes and Work Readiness: The Assessment and Mentoring Program (AMP)

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Jenkinson, Kate A.; Benson, Amanda C.

2016-01-01

Pre-service teacher programs have a responsibility to equip graduating students with more than the minimum skill sets required by governing bodies. The Assessment and Mentoring Program (AMP) is a four-way collaborative mentoring learning community underpinned by social constructivism. Conducted in Victoria, Australia during the 2014-2016 academic…

Integration with Writing Programs: A Strategy for Quantitative Reasoning Program Development

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Nathan D. Grawe

2009-07-01

Full Text Available As an inherently interdisciplinary endeavor, quantitative reasoning (QR risks falling through the cracks between the traditional “silos” of higher education. This article describes one strategy for developing a truly cross-campus QR initiative: leverage the existing structures of campus writing programs by placing QR in the context of argument. We first describe the integration of Carleton College’s Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge initiative with the Writing Program. Based on our experience, we argue that such an approach leads to four benefits: it reflects important aspects of QR often overlooked by other approaches; it defuses the commonly raised objection that QR is merely remedial math; it sidesteps challenges of institutional culture (idiosyncratic campus history, ownership, and inertia; and it improves writing instruction. We then explore the implications of our approach for QR graduation standards. Our experience suggests that once we engaged faculty from across the curriculum in our work, it would have been difficult to adopt a narrowly defined requirement of skills-based courses. The article concludes by providing resources for those who would like to implement this approach at the course and institutional level.

PLAB and UK graduates' performance on MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations: data linkage study.

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McManus, I C; Wakeford, Richard

2014-04-17

To assess whether international medical graduates passing the two examinations set by the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB1 and PLAB2) of the General Medical Council (GMC) are equivalent to UK graduates at the end of the first foundation year of medical training (F1), as the GMC requires, and if not, to assess what changes in the PLAB pass marks might produce equivalence. Data linkage of GMC PLAB performance data with data from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners on performance of PLAB graduates and UK graduates at the MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations. Doctors in training for internal medicine or general practice in the United Kingdom. 7829, 5135, and 4387 PLAB graduates on their first attempt at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments from 2001 to 2012 compared with 18,532, 14,094, and 14,376 UK graduates taking the same assessments; 3160 PLAB1 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP AKT during 2007-12 compared with 14,235 UK graduates; and 1411 PLAB2 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP CSA during 2010-12 compared with 6935 UK graduates. Performance at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments, and MRCGP AKT and CSA assessments in relation to performance on PLAB1 and PLAB2 assessments, as well as to International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. MRCP(UK), MRCGP, and PLAB results were analysed as marks relative to the pass mark at the first attempt. PLAB1 marks were a valid predictor of MRCP(UK) Part 1, MRCP(UK) Part 2, and MRCGP AKT (r=0.521, 0.390, and 0.490; all PIELTS scores correlated significantly with later performance, multiple regression showing that the effect of PLAB1 (β=0.496) was much stronger than the effect of IELTS (β=0.086). Changes to PLAB pass marks that would result in international medical graduate and UK medical graduate equivalence were assessed in two ways. Method 1 adjusted PLAB pass marks to equate median performance of PLAB

Passionate Writing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borgström, Benedikte

With care of writing as a method of inquiry, this paper engages in academic writing such as responsible knowledge development drawing on emotion, thought and reason. The aim of the paper is to better understand emancipatory knowledge development. Bodily experiences and responses shape academic...... writing and there are possibilities for responsible academic writing in that iterative process. I propose that academic writing can be seen as possibilities of passionate as well as passive writing....

Critical thinking evaluation in reflective writing: Development and testing of Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Reflection).

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2017-11-01

develop and test a tool designed for use by academics to evaluate pre-registration midwifery students' critical thinking skills in reflective writing. a descriptive cohort design was used. a random sample (n = 100) of archived student reflective writings based on a clinical event or experience during 2014 and 2015. a staged model for tool development was used to develop a fifteen item scale involving item generation; mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity; inter-rater reliability testing; pilot testing of the tool on 100 reflective writings; and psychometric testing. Item scores were analysed for mean, range and standard deviation. Internal reliability, content and construct validity were assessed. expert review of the tool revealed a high content validity index score of 0.98. Using two independent raters to establish inter-rater reliability, good absolute agreement of 72% was achieved with a Kappa coefficient K = 0.43 (pcritical thinking in reflective writing. Validation with large diverse samples is warranted. reflective practice is a key learning and teaching strategy in undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery programmes and essential for safe, competent practice. There is the potential to enhance critical thinking development by assessingreflective writing with the CACTiM (reflection) tool to provide formative and summative feedback to students and inform teaching strategies. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using tracking software for writing instruction

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Sane M. Yagi

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Writing is a complex skill that is hard to teach. Although the written product is what is often evaluated in the context of language teaching, the process of giving thought to linguistic form is fascinating. For almost forty years, language teachers have found it more effective to help learners in the writing process than in the written product; it is there that they could find sources of writing problems. Despite all controversy evoked by post-process approaches with respect to process writing, information technology has lately offered tools that can shed new light on how writing takes place. Software that can record keyboard, mouse, and screen activities is capable of unraveling mysteries of the writing process. Technology has given teachers and learners the option of examining the writing process as it unfolds, enabling them to diagnose strategy as well as wording problems, thus empowering teachers to guide learners individually in how to think about each of their trouble spots in the context of a specific product of writing. With these advances in information technology, metacognitive awareness and strategy training begin to acquire new dimensions of meaning. Technology lays open aspects of the writing process, offering unprecedented insight into creative text production as well. This paper attempts to explain how tracking software can influence writing instruction. It briefly examines the process and post-process approaches to assess their viability, explains the concept of tracking software, proposes methodology needed for the adoption of this technology, and then discusses the pedagogical implications of these issues.

Relating beliefs in writing skill malleability to writing performance: The mediating role of achievement goals and self-efficacy

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Teresa Limpo

2017-10-01

Full Text Available It is well established that students’ beliefs in skill malleability influence their academic performance. Specifically, thinking of ability as an incremental (vs. fixed trait is associated with better outcomes. Though this was shown across many domains, little research exists into these beliefs in the writing domain and into the mechanisms underlying their effects on writing performance. The aim of this study was twofold: to gather evidence on the validity and reliability of instruments to measure beliefs in skill malleability, achievement goals, and self-efficacy in writing; and to test a path-analytic model specifying beliefs in writing skill malleability to influence writing performance, via goals and self-efficacy. For that, 196 Portuguese students in Grades 7-8 filled in the instruments and wrote an opinion essay that was assessed for writing performance. Confirmatory factor analyses supported instruments’ validity and reliability. Path analysis revealed direct effects from beliefs in writing skill malleability to mastery goals (ß = .45; from mastery goals to self-efficacy for conventions, ideation, and self-regulation (ß = .27, .42, and .42, respectively; and from self-efficacy for self-regulation to writing performance (ß = .16; along with indirect effects from beliefs in writing skill malleability to self-efficacy for self-regulation via mastery goals (ß = .19, and from mastery goals to writing performance via self-efficacy for self-regulation (ß = .07. Overall, students’ mastery goals and self-efficacy for self-regulation seem to be key factors underlying the link between beliefs in writing skill malleability and writing performance. These findings highlight the importance of attending to motivation-related components in the teaching of writing.

Educational Psychologists' Report-Writing: Acts of Justice?

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Attard, Sunaina; Mercieca, Daniela; Mercieca, Duncan P.

2016-01-01

One of the major tasks of educational psychologists is the writing of reports. Often, all involvement, assessment and intervention culminate in the production of a report. This paper explores critically the tensions involved in writing reports which are closed down in their conformity to requirements of different bodies, while looking for…

THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-MAIL LITERACY: FROM WRITING TO PEERS TO WRITING TO AUTHORITY FIGURES

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Chi-Fen Emily Chen

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Though e-mail has become a common interpersonal communication medium, it does not mean that this medium is used without difficulty. While people can write e-mails to peers in any manner they like, writing e-mails to authority figures requires higher pragmatic competence and critical language awareness of how discourse shapes and reflects power asymmetry in an institutional context. For L2 learners, the challenge of composing this type of e-mail can be greater due not only to their limited linguistic ability but also their unfamiliarity with the target culture's norms and values. To provide a deeper understanding of how an L2 learner develops e-mail literacy in the target language environment, this paper presents a longitudinal case study of a Taiwanese graduate student’s e-mail practice in English during her studies at a U.S. university for two and a half years. Using a critical discourse analysis approach, the study reveals the complexity of an L2 learner’s evolving e-mail practice and struggle for appropriateness, particularly in her e-mail communication with professors. Her development of e-mail literacy is discussed in relation to her evolving understanding of the e-mail medium, changing performance of student identity, increasing knowledge of student-professor interaction and realization of culture-specific politeness.

Applications of the Wilkinson Model of Writing Maturity to College Writing.

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Sternglass, Marilyn

1982-01-01

Examines the four-category model developed by Andrew Wilkinson at the University of Essex (England) to assess growth in writing maturity. The four measures of development are stylistic, affective, cognitive, and moral. Each has several subcategories. Includes college student essays to illustrate the model. (HTH)

The Effect of Peer-Assisted Mediation vs. Tutor-Intervention within Dynamic Assessment Framework on Writing Development of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

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Erfani, Shiva Seyed; Nikbin, Sareh

2015-01-01

Dynamic assessment originates in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Practicing dynamic assessment necessarily requires the development of ZPD. This study aimed to investigate the effect of peer-assisted mediation vs. tutor-intervention within dynamic assessment framework on writing development and the attitude of Iranian intermediate EFL…

What Can We Learn from the Word Writing CAFE?

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Bromley, Karen; Vandenberg, Amy; White, Jennifer

2007-01-01

Building on the work of an earlier article ["The Word Writing CAFE: Assessing Student Writing for Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency," Dorothy J. Leal, "Reading Teacher," 59 (4) Dec 2005 (EJ738016)], these authors investigated the use of a simple assessment tool with a different audience to yield similar useful results. (Contains 3 figures and 4…

A Writing Bookshelf (Professional Resources).

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Sharon Arthur; Moore, David W.

1990-01-01

Recommends 14 recently published books on writing. Groups the books in 6 categories: assessment, classroom publishing, foundations, insights from writers, classroom descriptions, and general information. (MG)

Writing by the Book, Writing beyond the Book

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Johnson, Kristine

2017-01-01

Writing has become more visible in academia through writing advice manuals and the faculty development activities they inspire. In this article, I examine writing advice manuals and argue they are epistemologically current traditional, which limits how well and how far they can support scholarly writers. Writing advice manuals and composition…

Assessing a Science Graduate School Recruitment Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Espada, Wilson; Díaz-Muñoz, Greetchen; Feliú-Mójer, Mónica; Flores-Otero, Jacqueline; Fortis-Santiago, Yaihara; Guerrero-Medina, Giovanna; López-Casillas, Marcos; Colón-Ramos, Daniel A; Fernández-Repollet, Emma

2015-12-01

Ciencia Puerto Rico, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting science, research and scientific education among Latinos, organized an educational symposium to provide college science majors the tools, opportunities and advice to pursue graduate degrees and succeed in the STEM disciplines. In this article we share our experiences and lessons learned, for others interested in developing large-scale events to recruit underrepresented minorities to STEM and in evaluating the effectiveness of these efforts.

Perspectives and Plans for Graduate Studies. 14. Physics and Astronomy 1974.

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Ontario Council on Graduate Studies, Toronto. Advisory Committee on Academic Planning.

On the instruction of the Council of Ontario Universities, the Advisory Committee on Academic Planning has conducted a planning assessment for graduate studies in physics and astronomy. Contents of the report encompass future enrollment projections in physics graduate studies, the distribution of physics graduate students among the universities,…

Enhancing Professional Writing Skills of Veterinary Technology Students: Linking Assessment and Clinical Practice in a Communications Course

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Clarke, Patricia; Schull, Daniel; Coleman, Glen; Pitt, Rachael; Manathunga, Catherine

2013-01-01

Veterinary technology is an emerging profession within the veterinary and allied animal health fields in Australia and affords graduates the opportunity to contribute to the small but growing body of literature within this discipline. This study describes the introduction of a contextualised assessment task to develop students' research…

A Leadership Elective Course Developed and Taught by Graduate Students

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Garza, Oscar W.; Witry, Matthew J.; Chang, Elizabeth H.; Letendre, Donald E.; Trewet, CoraLynn B.

2013-01-01

Objective. To develop and implement a flexible-credit elective course to empower student pharmacists to develop lifelong leadership skills and provide teaching practice opportunities for graduate students. Design. An elective course focusing on leadership development for second- and third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students was designed and taught by 4 graduate students under the mentorship of 2 faculty members. Student pharmacists could enroll in a 1-, 2-, or 3-credit-hour version of the course. Assessment. Attainment of course objectives was measured using student pharmacist reflection papers and continuing professional development portfolios. Additionally, self-assessments of graduate students and faculty members delivering the course were conducted. In their responses on course evaluations, student pharmacists indicated they found the course a valuable learning experience. Graduate students found course development to be challenging but useful in developing faculty skills. Conclusion. This flexible-credit elective course taught by graduate students was an innovative way to offer formal leadership instruction using limited college resources. PMID:24371347

76 FR 9004 - Public Comment on Setting Achievement Levels in Writing

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-16

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Public Comment on Setting Achievement Levels in Writing AGENCY: U.S... Achievement Levels in Writing. SUMMARY: The National Assessment Governing Board (Governing Board) is... for NAEP in writing. This notice provides opportunity for public comment and submitting...

Test Writing and Speaking at GCE Ordinary Level

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Harding, Ann

1974-01-01

Discusses diversity which has arisen in testing of productive skills at GCE O level. Criteria to apply in assessment of foreign language acquisition, and writing and speaking tests in particular, are discussed, as well as the weighting of writing and speaking at O level. (RM)

Early Gender Gaps among University Graduates

OpenAIRE

Francesconi, Marco; Parey, Matthias

2018-01-01

We use data from six cohorts of university graduates in Germany to assess the extent of gender gaps in college and labor market performance twelve to eighteen months after graduation. Men and women enter college in roughly equal numbers, but more women than men complete their degrees. Women enter college with slightly better high school grades, but women leave university with slightly lower marks. Immediately following university completion, male and female full-timers work very similar numbe...

Informing Writing: The Benefits of Formative Assessment. A Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York

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Graham, Steve; Harris, Karen; Hebert, Michael

2011-01-01

During this decade there have been numerous efforts to identify instructional practices that improve students' writing. These include "Reading Next" (Biancarosa and Snow, 2004), which provided a set of instructional recommendations for improving writing, and "Writing Next" (Graham and Perin, 2007) and "Writing to Read" (Graham and Hebert, 2010),…

Technical writing versus technical writing

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Dillingham, J. W.

1981-01-01

Two terms, two job categories, 'technical writer' and 'technical author' are discussed in terms of industrial and business requirements and standards. A distinction between 'technical writing' and technical 'writing' is made. The term 'technical editor' is also considered. Problems inherent in the design of programs to prepare and train students for these jobs are discussed. A closer alliance between industry and academia is suggested as a means of preparing students with competent technical communication skills (especially writing and editing skills) and good technical skills.

A pilot Tuning Project-based national study on recently graduated medical students? self-assessment of competences - the TEST study

OpenAIRE

Grilo Diogo, Pedro; Barbosa, Joselina; Am?lia Ferreira, Maria

2015-01-01

Background The Tuning Project is an initiative funded by the European Commission that developed core competences for primary medical degrees in Europe. Students' grouped self-assessments are used for program evaluation and improvement of curricula. The TEST study aimed to assess how do Portuguese medical graduates self-assess their acquisition of core competences and experiences of contact with patients in core settings according to the Tuning framework. Methods Translation of the Tuning's co...

Cognitive and Motivational Challenges in Writing: Studying the Relation with Writing Performance across Students' Gender and Achievement Level

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De Smedt, Fien; Merchie, Emmelien; Barendse, Mariska; Rosseel, Yves; De Naeghel, Jessie; Van Keer, Hilde

2018-01-01

In the past, several assessment reports on writing repeatedly showed that elementary school students do not develop the essential writing skills to be successful in school. In this respect, prior research has pointed to the fact that cognitive and motivational challenges are at the root of the rather basic level of elementary students' writing…

From Classroom to Workplace: An Exploration of How Teachers and Employers of Accounting Graduates Define and Assess Critical Thinking in Action

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Jagannathan, Christine

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how 2 important stakeholder groups of Southern California business education, regional faculty and employers of accounting graduates, defined and assessed critical thinking skills. Methods: A literature review identified 2 key variables--conceptualization and operational assessment of critical…

The Graduating European Dentist: Contemporaneous Methods of Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Dental Undergraduate Education.

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Field, J C; Walmsley, A D; Paganelli, C; McLoughlin, J; Szep, S; Kavadella, A; Manzanares Cespedes, M C; Davies, J R; DeLap, E; Levy, G; Gallagher, J; Roger-Leroi, V; Cowpe, J G

2017-12-01

It is often the case that good teachers just "intuitively" know how to teach. Whilst that may be true, there is now a greater need to understand the various processes that underpin both the ways in which a curriculum is delivered, and the way in which the students engage with learning; curricula need to be designed to meet the changing needs of our new graduates, providing new, and robust learning opportunities, and be communicated effectively to both staff and students. The aim of this document is to draw together robust and contemporaneous methods of teaching, learning and assessment that help to overcome some of the more traditional barriers within dental undergraduate programmes. The methods have been chosen to map specifically to The Graduating European Dentist, and should be considered in parallel with the benchmarking process that educators and institutions employ locally. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Examining Fourth-Grade Mathematics Writing: Features of Organization, Mathematics Vocabulary, and Mathematical Representations

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Hebert, Michael A.; Powell, Sarah R.

2016-01-01

Increasingly, students are expected to write about mathematics. Mathematics writing may be informal (e.g., journals, exit slips) or formal (e.g., writing prompts on high-stakes mathematics assessments). In order to develop an effective mathematics-writing intervention, research needs to be conducted on how students organize mathematics writing and…

Stop. Write! Writing Grounded Theory

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Barney G. Glaser, PhD, Hon. PhD

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The message in this book, the dictum in this book, is to stop and write when the Grounded Theory (GT methodology puts you in that ready position. Stop unending conceptualization, unending data coverage, and unending listening to others who would egg you on with additional data, ideas and/or requirements or simply wait too long. I will discuss these ideas in detail. My experience with PhD candidates is that for the few who write when ready, many do not and SHOULD. Simply put, many write-up, but many more should.

Self-Assessment Methods in Writing Instruction: A Conceptual Framework, Successful Practices and Essential Strategies

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Nielsen, Kristen

2014-01-01

Student writing achievement is essential to lifelong learner success, but supporting writing can be challenging for teachers. Several large-scale analyses of publications on writing have called for further study of instructional methods, as the current literature does not sufficiently address the need to support best teaching practices.…

Writing Workshop.

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Novelli, Joan

2001-01-01

Six ideas for writing autobiographies with elementary school students include: model the writing process to get students started; read examples of autobiographies; brainstorm writing ideas; free-write the first draft; edit and revise; and publish the stories. Suggestions for mini-lessons are included. A student reproducible offers an editing…

Learning to Write with Interactive Writing Instruction

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Williams, Cheri

2018-01-01

Interactive writing is a process-oriented instructional approach designed to make the composing and encoding processes of writing overt and explicit for young students who are learning to write. It is particularly suitable for students who struggle with literacy learning. This article describes one first-grade teacher's use of interactive writing…

The Effect of Keyboard-Based Word Processing on Students with Different Working Memory Capacity during the Process of Academic Writing

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Van Der Steen, Steffie; Samuelson, Dianne; Thomson, Jennifer M.

2017-01-01

This study addresses the current debate about the beneficial effects of text processing software on students with different working memory (WM) during the process of academic writing, especially with regard to the ability to display higher-level conceptual thinking. A total of 54 graduate students (15 male, 39 female) wrote one essay by hand and…

Graduates: Perceptions of MBA Value

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Bledsoe, Maynard T.; Oatsvall, Rebecca

2009-01-01

MBA worth--who decides? Much of the current assessment comes from market driven and/or institutional perspectives. This research examines responses from Meredith College MBA graduates to determine their perceptions of the worth and value of their MBA experience.

University Student Conceptions of Learning Science through Writing

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Ellis, Robert A.; Taylor, Charlotte E.; Drury, Helen

2006-01-01

First-year undergraduate science students experienced a writing program as an important part of their assessment in a biology subject. The writing program was designed to help them develop both their scientific understanding as well as their written scientific expression. Open-ended questionnaires investigating the quality of the experience of…

Self-efficacy and Its Relation to ESL Writing Proficiency and Academic Disciplines

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Saeid Raoofi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Writing is an essential skill for academic development within any disciplinary area. Despite the rapidly growing body of research on the various aspects of second language writing, research on writing self-efficacy remains scarce. This study investigated the relationship the between writing self-efficacy and writing proficiency in English as a second language. In this cross-sectional study, 304 Malaysian undergraduate students completed a writing self-efficacy questionnaire. The participants’ writing proficiency was assessed using two different writing tasks. The results showed that there was a significant difference in writing self-efficacy among the three writing proficiency groups. It was also found that science students had significantly higher writing self-efficacy than those in social sciences. Limitations of the study and Implications for second language writing instruction are also discussed.

Writing Inspired

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Tischhauser, Karen

2015-01-01

Students need inspiration to write. Assigning is not teaching. In order to inspire students to write fiction worth reading, teachers must take them through the process of writing. Physical objects inspire good writing with depth. In this article, the reader will be taken through the process of inspiring young writers through the use of boxes.…

An Exploration of Changes in First-Year College Students' Writing Skills between High School and the Conclusion of the Composition Course

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Prior, Susan Vivienne

2012-01-01

Effective writing skills are important for success in college, work, and for society. Although there is little argument about the importance of communication skills, there is more debate about whether or not students and graduates are actually attaining these skills. An examination of the impact of completing the college composition course on…

Handwriting versus Keyboard Writing: Effect on Word Recall

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Anne Mangen

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to explore effects of writing modality on word recall and recognition. The following three writing modalities were used: handwriting with pen on paper; typewriting on a conventional laptop keyboard; and typewriting on an iPad touch keyboard. Thirty-six females aged 19-54 years participated in a fully counterbalanced within-subjects experimental design. Using a wordlist paradigm, participants were instructed to write down words (one list per writing modality read out loud to them, in the three writing modalities. Memory for words written using handwriting, a conventional keyboard and a virtual iPad keyboard was assessed using oral free recall and recognition. The data was analyzed using non-parametric statistics. Results show that there was an omnibus effect of writing modality and follow-up analyses showed that, for the free recall measure, participants had significantly better free recall of words written in the handwriting condition, compared to both keyboard writing conditions. There was no effect of writing modality in the recognition condition. This indicates that, with respect to aspects of word recall, there may be certain cognitive benefits to handwriting which may not be fully retained in keyboard writing. Cognitive and educational implications of this finding are discussed.

The Predictive Validity of CBM Writing Indices for Eighth-Grade Students

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Amato, Janelle M.; Watkins, Marley W.

2011-01-01

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an alternative to traditional assessment techniques. Technical work has begun to identify CBM writing indices that are psychometrically sound for monitoring older students' writing proficiency. This study examined the predictive validity of CBM writing indices in a sample of 447 eighth-grade students.…

Best practices in writing instruction

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Fitzgerald, Jill; MacArthur, Charles A

2014-01-01

An indispensable teacher resource and course text, this book presents evidence-based practices for helping all K-12 students develop their skills as writers. Every chapter draws clear connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Leading authorities describe how to teach the skills and strategies that students need to plan, draft, evaluate, and revise multiple types of texts. Also addressed are ways for teachers to integrate technology into the writing program, use assessment to inform instruction, teach writing in the content areas, and tailor instruction for English language learner

Putting Words in Their Mouth: Writing Dialogue for Case Studies

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Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2018-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This issue discusses dialogue writing guidelines most relevant to case writing.

Handwriting or Typewriting? The Influence of Pen- or Keyboard-Based Writing Training on Reading and Writing Performance in Preschool Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiefer, Markus; Schuler, Stefanie; Mayer, Carmen; Trumpp, Natalie M; Hille, Katrin; Sachse, Steffi

2015-01-01

Digital writing devices associated with the use of computers, tablet PCs, or mobile phones are increasingly replacing writing by hand. It is, however, controversially discussed how writing modes influence reading and writing performance in children at the start of literacy. On the one hand, the easiness of typing on digital devices may accelerate reading and writing in young children, who have less developed sensory-motor skills. On the other hand, the meaningful coupling between action and perception during handwriting, which establishes sensory-motor memory traces, could facilitate written language acquisition. In order to decide between these theoretical alternatives, for the present study, we developed an intense training program for preschool children attending the German kindergarten with 16 training sessions. Using closely matched letter learning games, eight letters of the German alphabet were trained either by handwriting with a pen on a sheet of paper or by typing on a computer keyboard. Letter recognition, naming, and writing performance as well as word reading and writing performance were assessed. Results did not indicate a superiority of typing training over handwriting training in any of these tasks. In contrast, handwriting training was superior to typing training in word writing, and, as a tendency, in word reading. The results of our study, therefore, support theories of action-perception coupling assuming a facilitatory influence of sensory-motor representations established during handwriting on reading and writing.

Using Reflections of Recent Resident Graduates and their Pediatric Colleagues to Evaluate a Residency Program

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Robert K. Kamei, M.D.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Purposes: In response to the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME mandate for residency programs to use feedback to improve its educational program, we piloted a novel evaluation strategy of a residency program using structured interviews of resident graduates working in a primary care practice and their physician associates. Methods: A research assistant performed a structured telephone interview. Quantitative data assessing the graduate’s self-assessment and the graduate’s clinical practice by the associate were analyzed. In addition, we performed a qualitative analysis of the interviews. Results: Thirteen resident graduates in primary care practice and seven physician practice associates participated in the study. Graduate self-assessment revealed high satisfaction with their residency training and competency. The associates judged our graduates as highly competent and mentioned independent decision-making and strong interpersonal skills (such as teamwork and communication as important. They specifically cited the graduate’s skills in intensive care medicine and adolescent medicine as well as communication and teamwork skills as important contributions to their practice. Conclusions: The ACGME Outcomes Project, which increases the emphasis on educational outcomes in the accreditation of residency education programs, requires programs to provide evidence of its effectiveness in preparing residents for practice. Direct assessment of the competency of our physician graduates in practice using structured interviews of graduates and their practice associates provide useful feedback information to a residency program as part of a comprehensive evaluation plan of our program’s curriculum and can be used to direct future educational initiatives of our training program

Differentiating Writing Instruction: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Authors in a Classroom

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Shea, Mary

2015-01-01

This article outlines a rational for responsive, differentiated writing instruction that targets students' identified needs with respect to various dimensions of the writing process. Discussed is a cycle that requires ongoing assessment, instructional decision-making, responsive, differentiated instruction, guided practice, and assessment.…

Teaching Science Writing in an Introductory Lab Course

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Holstein, Sarah E.; Mickley Steinmetz, Katherine R.; Miles, John D.

2015-01-01

One challenge that many neuroscience instructors face is how to teach students to communicate within the field. The goal of this project was to improve students’ scientific writing in an introductory psychology laboratory course that serves as a feeder course into the neuroscience curriculum. This course included a scaffolded approach - breaking assignments into different sections that build upon each other to allow for more direction and feedback on each section. Students were also provided with examples of scientific writing, given direction on finding and reading journal articles, and were taught how to effectively peer review a paper. Research papers were assessed before (Year 1) and after (Year 2) this scaffolded approach was instituted. The assessment included measures of “Genre Knowledge” for each section of a research paper (abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion) as well as measures of “Writing Elements” (grammar, formatting, clarity, transitions, building to the hypothesis, using evidence). The results indicated that there was an improvement for Genre Knowledge scores when comparing Year 1 to Year 2. However, there was no systematic improvement in Writing Elements. This suggests that this teaching technique was most effective in improving students’ ability to write within the scientific genre. The logistics of implementing such an approach are discussed. PMID:25838801

Students’ expectations of feedback given on draft writing

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Zach Simpson

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Academic writing is the primary means of assessing university students and feedback (oral or written responses on writing can contribute significantly to student learning and success (Ferris, 2003; Hyland & Hyland, 2006. This study explores students’ expectations of feedback on draft writing. The research design was two-pronged. The initial quantitative aspect employed a questionnaire which students completed after receiving feedback from Writing Centre consultants who aim to give developmental feedback. A subsequent phase involved focus groups with volunteer students. This mixed methods design allowed for greater depth of understanding as the qualitative findings extended the quantitative results. The study concludes that students expect feedback to be understandable, encouraging and to focus on both positive and negative aspects of their writing. Importantly, students expect feedback to ‘unpack’ the conventions of academic literacy while still encouraging independence and originality.

Linguistic Feature Development Across Grades and Genre in Elementary Writing.

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Hall-Mills, Shannon; Apel, Kenn

2015-07-01

As children develop skills in writing across academic contexts, clinicians and educators need to have a fundamental understanding of typical writing development as well as valid and reliable assessment methods. The purpose of this study was to examine the progression of linguistic elements in school-age children's narrative and expository writing development. Narrative and expository writing samples produced by 89 children in Grades 2 through 4 were analyzed at the microstructure and macrostructure levels. Measures of receptive vocabulary, word-level reading, and reading comprehension were obtained. Exploratory factor analyses revealed 4 microstructure factors (e.g., productivity, grammatical complexity, grammatical accuracy, and lexical density) and 1 macrostructure factor (e.g., a combination of organization, text structure, and cohesion). Multivariate analyses of covariance with reading comprehension as a covariate showed that productivity and macrostructure were sensitive to grade-level and genre differences and that expository grammatical complexity was sensitive to grade-level differences. Findings are discussed in light of grade-level standards for narrative and expository writing and current practices in writing assessment. Multiple suggestions are offered for clinical and educational implications, and specific directions are provided for future research.

Do writing and storytelling skill influence assessment of reflective ability in medical students' written reflections?

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Aronson, Louise; Niehaus, Brian; DeVries, Charlie D; Siegel, Jennifer R; O'Sullivan, Patricia S

2010-10-01

Increasingly, students are asked to write reflections as part of their medical education, but some question the influence of other factors on the evaluation of these reflections. In this pilot study, the investigators determined whether scores from a validated rubric to measure reflective ability were affected by irrelevant variance resulting from writing or storytelling ability. Students in clerkships wrote reflections on professionalism. All were given identical prompts, with half receiving additional structured guidelines on reflection. Sixty reflections, 30 from each group, were randomly chosen and scored for reflection, writing, and storytelling by trained raters using validated rubrics. There was no correlation between reflection and either writing (r = 0.049, P = .35) or storytelling (r = 0.14, P = .13). The guidelines increased reflection, but not writing or storytelling scores. Reflection is a distinct construct unaffected by learners' writing or storytelling skills. These findings support reflective ability as a distinct skill.

Writing on the board as students' preferred teaching modality in a physiology course.

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Armour, Chris; Schneid, Stephen D; Brandl, Katharina

2016-06-01

The introduction of PowerPoint presentation software has generated a paradigm shift in the delivery of lectures. PowerPoint has now almost entirely replaced chalkboard or whiteboard teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This study investigated whether undergraduate biology students preferred to have lectures delivered by PowerPoint or written on the board as well as the reasons behind their preference. Two upper-division physiology courses were surveyed over a period of 7 yr. A total of 1,905 students (86.7%) indicated they preferred lectures delivered by "writing on the board" compared to 291 students (13.3%) who preferred PowerPoint. Common themes drawn from explanations reported by students in favor of writing on the board included: 1) more appropriate pace, 2) facilitation of note taking, and 3) greater alertness and attention. Common themes in favor of PowerPoint included 1) increased convenience, 2) focus on listening, and 3) more accurate and readable notes. Based on the students' very strong preference for writing on the board and the themes supporting that preference, we recommend that instructors incorporate elements of the writing on the board delivery style into whatever teaching modality is used. If instructors plan to use PowerPoint, the presentation should be paced, constructed, and delivered to provide the benefits of lectures written on the board. The advantages of writing on the board can be also incorporated into instruction intended to occur outside the classroom, such as animated narrated videos as part of the flipped classroom approach. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Clinical capabilities of graduates of an outcomes-based integrated medical program

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Scicluna Helen A

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The University of New South Wales (UNSW Faculty of Medicine replaced its old content-based curriculum with an innovative new 6-year undergraduate entry outcomes-based integrated program in 2004. This paper is an initial evaluation of the perceived and assessed clinical capabilities of recent graduates of the new outcomes-based integrated medical program compared to benchmarks from traditional content-based or process-based programs. Method Self-perceived capability in a range of clinical tasks and assessment of medical education as preparation for hospital practice were evaluated in recent graduates after 3 months working as junior doctors. Responses of the 2009 graduates of the UNSW’s new outcomes-based integrated medical education program were compared to those of the 2007 graduates of UNSW’s previous content-based program, to published data from other Australian medical schools, and to hospital-based supervisor evaluations of their clinical competence. Results Three months into internship, graduates from UNSW’s new outcomes-based integrated program rated themselves to have good clinical and procedural skills, with ratings that indicated significantly greater capability than graduates of the previous UNSW content-based program. New program graduates rated themselves significantly more prepared for hospital practice in the confidence (reflective practice, prevention (social aspects of health, interpersonal skills (communication, and collaboration (teamwork subscales than old program students, and significantly better or equivalent to published benchmarks of graduates from other Australian medical schools. Clinical supervisors rated new program graduates highly capable for teamwork, reflective practice and communication. Conclusions Medical students from an outcomes-based integrated program graduate with excellent self-rated and supervisor-evaluated capabilities in a range of clinically-relevant outcomes. The program

A Behavior Focused Assessment of Co-Op Performance: A Comparison of Co-Op and Non-Co-Op Graduating Students

Science.gov (United States)

Pennaforte, Antoine

2016-01-01

This paper investigates how student-workers' performance can be assessed through the notion of work-role performance, on the basis of three behavioral-related dimensions (proficiency, adaptivity, and proactivity), and proposes a definition of performance prior to graduation. By taking into account the accumulation of work experience, this article…

Science + Writing = Super Learning. Writing Workshop.

Science.gov (United States)

Bower, Paula Rogovin

1993-01-01

Article presents suggestions for motivating elementary students to learn by combining science and writing. The strategies include planning the right environment; teaching the scientific method; establishing a link to literature; and making time for students to observe, experiment, and write. (SM)

Writing anxiety: an affective filter for essay writing instruction among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study which adopted the descriptive research design investigated the relationship between writing anxiety and students' achievement in essay writing. SS2 Students from six schools in Ibadan Metropolis were used for the study. The instruments used were Essay Writing Achievement Test(r=0.81) and Writing Anxiety ...

High school boys' and girls' writing conceptions and writing self-efficacy beliefs : what is their role in writing performance?

OpenAIRE

Villalón Molina, Ruth; Mateos, Mar; Cuevas, Isabel

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT: This study investigated the conceptions about writing and writing self-efficacy beliefs held by high school students in relation to the students’ gender as well as their associations with writing achievement. The results show that female students have more sophisticated writing conceptions than their male counterparts but no gender differences were found in writing self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, results reveal that writing self-efficacy beliefs and gender play an important role...

Executive functions in becoming writing readers and reading writers: note taking and report writing in third and fifth graders.

Science.gov (United States)

Altemeier, Leah; Jones, Janine; Abbott, Robert D; Berninger, Virginia W

2006-01-01

Results are reported for a study of 2 separate processes of report writing-taking notes while reading source material and composing a report from those notes-and related individual differences in executive functions involved in integrating reading and writing during these writing activities. Third graders (n = 122) and 5th graders (n = 106; overall, 127 girls and 114 boys) completed two reading-writing tasks-read paragraph (mock science text)-write notes and use notes to generate written report, a reading comprehension test, a written expression test, four tests of executive functions (inhibition, verbal fluency, planning, switching attention), and a working memory test. For the read-take notes task, the same combination of variables was best (explained the most variance and each variable added unique variance) for 3rd graders and 5th graders: Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II) Reading Comprehension, Process Assessment of the Learner Test for Reading and Writing (PAL) Copy Task B, WIAT-II Written Expression, and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Inhibition. For the use notes to write report task, the best combinations of variables depended on grade level: For 3rd graders, WIAT-II Reading Comprehension, WIAT-II Written Expression, D-KEFS Verbal Fluency, and Tower of Hanoi; for 5th graders, WIAT-II Reading Comprehension, D-KEFS Verbal Fluency, WIAT-II Written Expression, and PAL Alphabet Task. These results add to prior research findings that executive functions contribute to the writing development of elementary-grade students and additionally support the hypothesis that executive functions play a role in developing reading-writing connections.

Handwriting or Typewriting? The Influence of Pen- or Keyboard-Based Writing Training on Reading and Writing Performance in Preschool Children

Science.gov (United States)

Kiefer, Markus; Schuler, Stefanie; Mayer, Carmen; Trumpp, Natalie M.; Hille, Katrin; Sachse, Steffi

2015-01-01

Digital writing devices associated with the use of computers, tablet PCs, or mobile phones are increasingly replacing writing by hand. It is, however, controversially discussed how writing modes influence reading and writing performance in children at the start of literacy. On the one hand, the easiness of typing on digital devices may accelerate reading and writing in young children, who have less developed sensory-motor skills. On the other hand, the meaningful coupling between action and perception during handwriting, which establishes sensory-motor memory traces, could facilitate written language acquisition. In order to decide between these theoretical alternatives, for the present study, we developed an intense training program for preschool children attending the German kindergarten with 16 training sessions. Using closely matched letter learning games, eight letters of the German alphabet were trained either by handwriting with a pen on a sheet of paper or by typing on a computer keyboard. Letter recognition, naming, and writing performance as well as word reading and writing performance were assessed. Results did not indicate a superiority of typing training over handwriting training in any of these tasks. In contrast, handwriting training was superior to typing training in word writing, and, as a tendency, in word reading. The results of our study, therefore, support theories of action-perception coupling assuming a facilitatory influence of sensory-motor representations established during handwriting on reading and writing. PMID:26770286

Teaching English Medical Writing in a Blended Setting

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Jafar Asgari Arani

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Medical writing activities which may have a context and seem to be engaging may be perceived as demotivating by the students of medicine. This opinion was confirmed by the learners' responses to the open-ended question given to them prior to this study. In their responses students evaluated the writing section of English course negatively. The negative views about the writing course posed a problem to the class teacher. The computer technology and the Internet can easily be integrated into language classroom if activities are designed carefully, and carried out systematically. These attempts brought about a new understanding to teaching and learning: blended learning (BL. The purpose of this research was to investigate students of medicine attitude to blended writing classes. It was conducted with second year learners in the Faculty of Medicine at Kashan University of Medical Sciences. The first reflection aimed at finding out medical students' attitude toward blended writing lessons. Although learners' attitude to writing lessons was negative in the first reflections, they changed into positive in the latter ones. The findings indicated that blended writing class had changed students' perception of writing lessons positively. Therefore, this kind of classes may help students develop a positive attitude towards writing by providing meaningful writing opportunities. Like the student portfolio before it, the weblog faces challenges with practicality and security, but ultimately provides an alternative way to teach and assess authentic writing and reading skills. Blog Assisted Language Learning not only provides teachers with an exciting new way to approach communicative language learning, it also gives the students a new reason to enjoy writing! The paper concludes that Internet tools have the potential to be a transformational technology for teaching and learning writing, and teachers ought to give strong consideration to the setting up their

AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH THESIS WRITING: A Case Study of English Department of UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

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Andang Saehu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This is a report of a study designed to examine the process of thesis—a final (research-based paper for undergrads prior to academic completion—writing of English Department students who graduated in Academic Year 2007/2008. Using a descriptive method, this case study aimed to describe the stages, to identify the problems, and to explore the techniques of solving problems used by respondents in the thesis writing by involving six students who had engaged in writing and research project course. The data concerning writing stages, problems, and coping with strategies were collected by using questionnaires, interviews, and documentation (thesis. The results showed that all participants went through the thesis writing stages determined by Faculty of Adab of UIN Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, namely: 1 Starting process; 2 Researching; 3 Reporting; and 4 Doing consultation. These also showed that all respondents encountered: 1 Procedural problems, which were likely to be the major problems shared by all respondents; 2 Academic problems; and 3 Nonacademic problems. However, whatever problems they dealt with, each of them had his/her own strategies to cope with. The procedural and academic problems were coped with by reading, doing consultation, and peer-collaboration. Meanwhile, non-academic problems were solved by having a rest and managing time.

Urban Revival and College Writing: Writing to Promote Communities

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Miriam Chirico

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Service-learning classes, because they emphasize the creation of product that has value outside the confines of the college classroom, offer students an experience in professional formation, a practice that may prove anathema to the ethos of “service.” The desire to counteract this individualistic attitude has led instructors to promulgate an activist agenda within their classrooms, teaching students to critique hierarchical power structures, redress social inequities, or challenge lines of societal exclusion. And yet, such practitioners repeatedly acknowledge the difficulty of this instructional aim and attest to the students’ inability to envision themselves as advocates for societal change. I hold that this objective of transforming students into activists based on the experience of service-learning classes may not be feasible due the economic dynamic of a college classroom, where students pay tuition for their education and engage in work that is assessed and evaluated. Consequently, rather than create service-learning projects around theoretical positions of dissent and critique, I have designed a service-learning class on the topic of urban revitalization that involves students in promotional and collaborative partnerships with non-profit organizations in town. In other words, by tapping into a pragmatic, national movement such as urban renewal, I have aimed to raise the students’ awareness of how they might become agents of change and how their particular skill set of writing could be of service to the community. Drawing upon my experiences with students in a Business and Professional Writing class, I discuss specific readings and writing assignments in this article, chiefly the writing products that were commissioned by different non-profit groups in town. The discussion examines some of the theoretical implications behind reinforcing college students’ awareness of civic commitment while developing their written and rhetorical

Cerebral Activations Related to Writing and Drawing with Each Hand

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Potgieser, Adriaan R. E.; van der Hoorn, Anouk; de Jong, Bauke M.

2015-01-01

Background Writing is a sequential motor action based on sensorimotor integration in visuospatial and linguistic functional domains. To test the hypothesis of lateralized circuitry concerning spatial and language components involved in such action, we employed an fMRI paradigm including writing and drawing with each hand. In this way, writing-related contributions of dorsal and ventral premotor regions in each hemisphere were assessed, together with effects in wider distributed circuitry. Given a right-hemisphere dominance for spatial action, right dorsal premotor cortex dominance was expected in left-hand writing while dominance of the left ventral premotor cortex was expected during right-hand writing. Methods Sixteen healthy right-handed subjects were scanned during audition-guided writing of short sentences and simple figure drawing without visual feedback. Tapping with a pencil served as a basic control task for the two higher-order motor conditions. Activation differences were assessed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). Results Writing and drawing showed parietal-premotor and posterior inferior temporal activations in both hemispheres when compared to tapping. Drawing activations were rather symmetrical for each hand. Activations in left- and right-hand writing were left-hemisphere dominant, while right dorsal premotor activation only occurred in left-hand writing, supporting a spatial motor contribution of particularly the right hemisphere. Writing contrasted to drawing revealed left-sided activations in the dorsal and ventral premotor cortex, Broca’s area, pre-Supplementary Motor Area and posterior middle and inferior temporal gyri, without parietal activation. Discussion The audition-driven postero-inferior temporal activations indicated retrieval of virtual visual form characteristics in writing and drawing, with additional activation concerning word form in the left hemisphere. Similar parietal processing in writing and drawing pointed at a

Cerebral activations related to writing and drawing with each hand.

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Potgieser, Adriaan R E; van der Hoorn, Anouk; de Jong, Bauke M

2015-01-01

Writing is a sequential motor action based on sensorimotor integration in visuospatial and linguistic functional domains. To test the hypothesis of lateralized circuitry concerning spatial and language components involved in such action, we employed an fMRI paradigm including writing and drawing with each hand. In this way, writing-related contributions of dorsal and ventral premotor regions in each hemisphere were assessed, together with effects in wider distributed circuitry. Given a right-hemisphere dominance for spatial action, right dorsal premotor cortex dominance was expected in left-hand writing while dominance of the left ventral premotor cortex was expected during right-hand writing. Sixteen healthy right-handed subjects were scanned during audition-guided writing of short sentences and simple figure drawing without visual feedback. Tapping with a pencil served as a basic control task for the two higher-order motor conditions. Activation differences were assessed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). Writing and drawing showed parietal-premotor and posterior inferior temporal activations in both hemispheres when compared to tapping. Drawing activations were rather symmetrical for each hand. Activations in left- and right-hand writing were left-hemisphere dominant, while right dorsal premotor activation only occurred in left-hand writing, supporting a spatial motor contribution of particularly the right hemisphere. Writing contrasted to drawing revealed left-sided activations in the dorsal and ventral premotor cortex, Broca's area, pre-Supplementary Motor Area and posterior middle and inferior temporal gyri, without parietal activation. The audition-driven postero-inferior temporal activations indicated retrieval of virtual visual form characteristics in writing and drawing, with additional activation concerning word form in the left hemisphere. Similar parietal processing in writing and drawing pointed at a common mechanism by which such visually

Validity of Simulation-Based Assessment for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestone Achievement.

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Isaak, Robert S; Chen, Fei; Martinelli, Susan M; Arora, Harendra; Zvara, David A; Hobbs, Gene; Stiegler, Marjorie P

2018-01-25

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires biannual evaluation of anesthesiology residents on 25 subcompetency milestones. Some milestone domains are particularly challenging to repeatedly and reliably observe during clinical care. Simulation-Based Milestones Assessment (SBMA) may help overcome these challenges. However, few studies have examined the external validation of simulation assessment scores (ie, the relationships between simulation-based assessment scores and other standard measures of ability) for milestones. This study analyzed whether SBMA scores (1) discriminate by postgraduate year, (2) improve over time, and (3) correlate with traditional measures of performance. This is a retrospective analysis of 55 residents' SBMA data from 30 scenarios for two academic years. Each scenario was evaluated for time-in-training discrimination. Scenarios were then analyzed for SBMA scoring trends over time, and SBMA scores were compared with residents' clinical evaluations. Twenty-four SBMA scenarios discriminated by postgraduate year. Repeated measure analysis of variance showed statistically significant between-session score improvements (F (3, 54) = 17.79, P Medical Education milestone competencies.

See, Say, Write: A Writing Routine for the Preschool Classroom

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Copp, Stefanie B.; Cabell, Sonia Q.; Tortorelli, Laura S.

2016-01-01

See, Say, Write is an adaptable classroom writing routine that teachers can use across a range of activities in the preschool classroom. This preschool writing routine offers an opportunity for teachers to build on a shared experience through engagement in rich conversation and writing. After a shared experience, teachers will provide a visual…

Writing for publication Part II--The writing process.

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Clarke, L K

1999-01-01

You have selected a topic, gathered resources, and identified your target audience. The next step is to begin to write and organize your ideas. Initiating the actual writing process can be intimidating, especially for a novice author. This portion of the writing for publication series focuses on helping the writer to organize ideas and get started.

Academic writing

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Eremina, Svetlana V.

2003-10-01

The series of workshops on academic writing have been developed by academic writing instructors from Language Teaching Centre, Central European University and presented at the Samara Academic Writing Workshops in November 2001. This paper presents only the part dealing with strucutre of an argumentative essay.

A framework for a process-driven common foundation programme for graduates.

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Jasper, M; Rolfe, G

1993-10-01

This paper discusses some of the problems encountered in writing a shortened Common Foundation Programme in nursing for graduates, and outlines a course which takes as its starting point the particular educational needs and requirements of the student group. Thus, the first question to be addressed by the curriculum writers when designing the course was "How can we teach these students?", rather than "What can we teach them?". The resulting process-driven course is heavily influenced by the student-centred philosophy of Carl Rogers, and utilizes a variety of large- and small-group methods to facilitate the students in gradually taking responsibility for, and making decisions about, their learning needs. The paper continues with some strategies for ensuring a smooth transition from a tutor-led, syllabus-driven start to the course, to a student-led, process-driven finish for both the theoretical and clinical components, and for the assessment schedule. Finally, a student-centred approach to evaluation is briefly outlined, and the paper concludes by suggesting that the principles employed in designing and implementing this course could be successfully transferred to a wide variety of other educational settings.

Thinking and writing at Masters level: a reflective passage.

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Fowler, John

This article identifies key characteristics of Masters level writing and the underpinning relationship of these characteristics to reflective thought. Classical models of reflective writing are reviewed and their focus on reflection as a progressive process is debated. A linear model of reflection is proposed and its application to reflective writing for Masters level assessments is examined. The classical authors tend to present reflection as a process in which the outcomes of reflection becomes deeper at advanced levels. While this is an appropriate application of the concept of reflection for the traditional academic essay, it might not always be so appropriate for other more applied aspects of thinking and writing particularly in the development of advanced nursing practice. A linear model of reflective writing which offers a more pragmatic perspective on reflection is developed.

Re-Framing Race in Teaching Writing across the Curriculum

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Poe, Mya

2013-01-01

Although faculty across the curriculum are often faced with issues of racial identity in the teaching of writing, WAC has offered little support for addressing race in assignment design, classroom interactions, and assessment. Through examples from teaching workshops, I offer specific ways that we can engage discussions about teaching writing and…

On gender and writing On gender and writing

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Arnold Gordenstein

2008-04-01

Full Text Available In the introduction to this collection of 22 essays on gender and writing the editor confesses: I was never interested in including articles which would attack the idea of whether gender and the writing process had anything in common. I wasn't interested in anyone who held an 'androgyny' view of the writing process or in anyone who had anti-feminist views. The people I asked were all people who had something positive to say about how they saw gender and the writing process coming together in their work. (p.9 Consequently one finishes this book with the impression that almost all these writers know one another and share views on politics, literature and sex. The largest group of essays is from single mothers or gay women who write fiction, theater or poetry. Of the 22 writers almost all are British, all but 3 1/2 are female (the half because he "shares" a doubled personality with his wife, all but a few speak of being formed by the turbulent 1960's. In the introduction to this collection of 22 essays on gender and writing the editor confesses: I was never interested in including articles which would attack the idea of whether gender and the writing process had anything in common. I wasn't interested in anyone who held an 'androgyny' view of the writing process or in anyone who had anti-feminist views. The people I asked were all people who had something positive to say about how they saw gender and the writing process coming together in their work. (p.9 Consequently one finishes this book with the impression that almost all these writers know one another and share views on politics, literature and sex. The largest group of essays is from single mothers or gay women who write fiction, theater or poetry. Of the 22 writers almost all are British, all but 3 1/2 are female (the half because he "shares" a doubled personality with his wife, all but a few speak of being formed by the turbulent 1960's.

A "CASE" Study on Developing Science Communication and Outreach Skills of University Graduate Student Researchers in Alaska

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Tedesche, M. E.; Conner, L.

2015-12-01

Well rounded scientific researchers are not only experts in their field, but can also communicate their work to a multitude of various audiences, including the general public and undergraduate university students. Training in these areas should ideally start during graduate school, but many programs are not preparing students to effectively communicate their work. Here, we present results from the NSF-funded CASE (Changing Alaska Science Education) program, which was funded by NSF under the auspices of the GK-12 program. CASE placed science graduate students (fellows) in K-12 classrooms to teach alongside of K-12 teachers with the goal of enhancing communication and teaching skills among graduate students. CASE trained fellows in inquiry-based and experiential techniques and emphasized the integration of art, writing, and traditional Alaska Native knowledge in the classroom. Such techniques are especially effective in engaging students from underrepresented groups. As a result of participation, many CASE fellows have reported increased skills in communication and teaching, as well as in time management. These skills may prove directly applicable to higher education when teaching undergraduate students.

PROCESS WRITING: SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL WRITERS; DISCOVERING WRITING BEHAVIOURS

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Ismail Baroudy

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Successful and unsuccessful strategies practically complied with in the act of writing have been so far experimentally tapped and scholastically rehearsed by several authors. In this study, a complementary task using a questionnaire worked out to comprehensively specify and cover almost all types of writing behaviours has been inquisitively manipulated. By analysing and inspecting the findings elicited from student-writers’ response sheets, successful and unsuccessful writing strategies are then contrastively identified, categorised and demonstrated. Based on the awareness accomplished, writing teachers’ consciousness will be raised and boosted, thus, helping their poor student-writers justifiably quit their debilitative habits and adopt instead, facilitative ones, those competent writers implement while writing. In the questionnaire, the student-writers would reflect upon their creeping experience and pass informative judgements about their own strategies. Student-writers will respond to fact-finding statements regarding five writing components delineated as rehearsing, drafting, revising, student-writers’ role and the role of instructional materials

Effects of Writing Instruction on Kindergarten Students' Writing Achievement: An Experimental Study

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Jones, Cindy D'On

2015-01-01

This full-year experimental study examined how methods of writing instruction contribute to kindergarten students' acquisition of foundational and compositional early writing skills. Multiple regression with cluster analysis was used to compare 3 writing instructional groups: an interactive writing group, a writing workshop group, and a…

Graduate Education in a Small Business Environment

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Bering, E. A., III; Longmier, B.; Giambusso, M.

2015-12-01

This paper reports on the issues that confront a professor when supervising graduate students and postdocs whose research work is done on site at a small business. The advantages include relative freedom from having to write proposals; the excitement of working on topics that have clear, direct uses; more extensive engineering support than many students get; and hands on day to day mentoring from the rest of the team. Students get direct instruction in technology transfer and small business processes. The disadvantages include isolation from the rest of the students in your Department and campus life, physical isolation from resources such as the seminar program, library, health center, and other student services. In addition, students who need "introduction to research" practicum instruction in electronics and computer skills will not do well. Finally, care must be taken to avoid including proprietary data in the core argument of the work.

Using Part-Time Working to Support Graduate Employment: Needs and Perceptions of Employers

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Evans, Carl; Maxfield, Tim; Gbadamosi, Gbolahan

2015-01-01

An exploration of the value attached to the work experience of graduates, and particularly the value of part-time working whilst studying for a degree, from an employer's perspective, is reported. A documentary analysis of graduate recruiters was conducted to assess the extent to which work experience was specified for graduate employment…

Electronic outlining as a writing strategy: Effects on students' writing products, mental effort and writing process

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De Smet, Milou; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Leijten, Mariëlle; Kirschner, Paul A.

2018-01-01

This study addresses to what extent and how electronic outlining enhances students' writing performance. To this end, the focus of this study is not only on students' final writing products but also on the organisation of the writing process (i.e., planning, translating, and reviewing) and perceived

“Read-To-Write-Tasks” in English for Specific Purposes Classes

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Galina Kavaliauskienė

2011-04-01

Full Text Available At university level students face demanding tasks of reading an enormous amount of professional materials in English. Writing various assignments is another challenging part of higher education. Online activities are the priority for conducting assignments at tertiary level. Students usually start doing the English for Specific Purposes (ESP course before learning subject-matters of the future profession, i.e. in their first year. The cornerstone of the ESP is unfamiliar lexis and numerous concepts of subject-matter. In order to succeed, students need to develop proficiency in reading professional texts and writing skillfully on relevant subject issues. The aim of this paper is to study, first, learners‘ attitudes to online reading of professional materials as well as to writing various assignments online and, second, to examine learners‘ self-assessment of proficiency in these skills. Our research employed brief written surveys designed in accordance with the standards in Social Sciences, which were administered to the students doing the ESP course, and the verbal data obtained during individual interviews intended to assess learners‘ success and achievements throughout the academic year. The respondents were the students specializing in psychology at Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania. All the participants were unanimous in the importance of writing and reading skills for the ESP tasks. 100% of respondents support reading professional materials, and 80% of respondents support exercising online writing. Self-assessment of reading proficiency demonstrates that 90% of students believe they possess very good or good skills of reading, and 70% of learners are sure of their good skills in writing. Respondents’ performance in these skills is less impressive. Some recommendations towards perfecting students’ proficiency in “read-to-write-tasks” are suggested. It is important to help learners develop better rates of reading

Expressive/Exploratory Technical Writing (XTW) in Engineering: Shifting the Technical Writing Curriculum

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Warnock, Scott; Kahn, Michael

2007-01-01

While the importance of "expressive writing," or informal, self-directed writing, has been well established, teachers underutilize it, particularly in technical writing courses. We introduce the term expressive/exploratory technical writing (XTW), which is the use of informal, self-directed writing to problem-solve in technical fields. We describe…

Graduate entry to medicine: widening psychological diversity

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Munro Don

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background At Nottingham University more than 95% of entrants to the traditional 5-year medical course are school leavers. Since 2003 we have admitted graduate entrants (GEM to a shortened (4-year course to 'widen access to students from more disadvantaged backgrounds'. We have recently shown that the GEM course widens academic and socio-demographic diversity of the medical student population. This study explored whether GEM students also bring psychological diversity and whether this could be beneficial. Methods We studied: a 217 and 96 applicants to the Nottingham 5- and 4-year courses respectively, applying in the 2002-3 UCAS cycle, and, b 246 school leavers starting the 5-year course and 39 graduate entrants to the 4-year course in October 2003. The psychological profiles of the two groups of applicants and two groups of entrants were compared using their performance in the Goldberg 'Big 5' Personality test, the Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA; measuring interpersonal traits and interpersonal values, and the Lovibond and Lovibond measure of depression, anxiety and stress. For the comparison of the Entrants we excluded the 33 school leavers and seven graduates who took the tests as Applicants. Statistical analyses were undertaken using SPSS software (version 16.0. Results Graduate applicants compared to school leaver applicants were significantly more conscientious, more confident, more self controlled, more communitarian in moral orientation and less anxious. Only one of these differences was preserved in the entrants with graduates being less anxious. However, the graduate entrants were significantly less empathetic and conscientious than the school leavers. Conclusion This study has shown that school leaver and graduate entrants to medical school differ in some psychological characteristics. However, if confirmed in other studies and if they were manifest in the extreme, not all the traits brought by graduates would be

Emergent Writing in Preschoolers: Preliminary Evidence for a Theoretical Framework

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Puranik, Cynthia S.; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2014-01-01

Researchers and educators use the term emergent literacy to refer to a broad set of skills and attitudes that serve as foundational skills for acquiring success in later reading and writing; however, models of emergent literacy have generally focused on reading and reading-related behaviors. Hence, the primary aim of this study was to articulate and evaluate a theoretical model of the components of emergent writing. Alternative models of the structure of individual and developmental differences of emergent writing and writing-related skills were examined in 372 preschool children who ranged in age from 3- to 5-years using confirmatory factor analysis. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis provide evidence that these emergent writing skills are best described by three correlated but distinct factors, (a) Conceptual Knowledge, (b) Procedural Knowledge, and (c) Generative Knowledge. Evidence that these three emergent writing factors show different patterns of relations to emergent literacy constructs is presented. Implications for understanding the development of writing and assessment of early writing skills are discussed. PMID:25316955

Through Rubrics and Scaffolded Instruction: A Programmatic Self-Study of Writing Expectations

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Hanfu Mi

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Colleagues in a teacher education program describe their journey of programmatic self-study as they examine how they teach and assess teacher candidates’ writing in a series of three required and sequenced undergraduate literacy courses. They lead the reader through the questions they asked themselves about their instruction and their reflective process with a goal of improving teacher candidates’ technical, reflective, and creative writing. Readers are encouraged to reflect on their expectations for teacher candidates’ writing in light of instruction and assessment. Implications for teacher education are explored.

Writing for publication in medical education: the benefits of a faculty development workshop and peer writing group.

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Steinert, Yvonne; McLeod, Peter J; Liben, Stephen; Snell, Linda

2008-01-01

Although educational innovations in medical education are increasing in number, many educators do not submit their ideas for publication. The goal of this initiative was to assist faculty members write about their educational innovations. Twenty-four faculty members participated in this intervention, which consisted of a half-day workshop, three peer writing groups, and independent study. We assessed the impact of this intervention through post-workshop evaluations, a one-year follow-up questionnaire, tracking of manuscript submissions, and an analysis of curriculum vitae. The workshop evaluations and one-year follow-up demonstrated that participants valued the workshop small groups, self-instructional workbook, and peer support and feedback provided by the peer writing groups. One year later, nine participants submitted a total of 14 manuscripts, 11 of which were accepted for publication. In addition, 10 participants presented a total of 38 abstracts at educational meetings. Five years later, we reviewed the curriculum vitae of all participants who had published or presented their educational innovation. Although the total number of publications remained the same, the number of educationally-related publications and presentations at scientific meetings increased considerably. A faculty development workshop and peer writing group can facilitate writing productivity and presentations of scholarly work in medical education.

Natural language processing in an intelligent writing strategy tutoring system.

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McNamara, Danielle S; Crossley, Scott A; Roscoe, Rod

2013-06-01

The Writing Pal is an intelligent tutoring system that provides writing strategy training. A large part of its artificial intelligence resides in the natural language processing algorithms to assess essay quality and guide feedback to students. Because writing is often highly nuanced and subjective, the development of these algorithms must consider a broad array of linguistic, rhetorical, and contextual features. This study assesses the potential for computational indices to predict human ratings of essay quality. Past studies have demonstrated that linguistic indices related to lexical diversity, word frequency, and syntactic complexity are significant predictors of human judgments of essay quality but that indices of cohesion are not. The present study extends prior work by including a larger data sample and an expanded set of indices to assess new lexical, syntactic, cohesion, rhetorical, and reading ease indices. Three models were assessed. The model reported by McNamara, Crossley, and McCarthy (Written Communication 27:57-86, 2010) including three indices of lexical diversity, word frequency, and syntactic complexity accounted for only 6% of the variance in the larger data set. A regression model including the full set of indices examined in prior studies of writing predicted 38% of the variance in human scores of essay quality with 91% adjacent accuracy (i.e., within 1 point). A regression model that also included new indices related to rhetoric and cohesion predicted 44% of the variance with 94% adjacent accuracy. The new indices increased accuracy but, more importantly, afford the means to provide more meaningful feedback in the context of a writing tutoring system.

An Assessment of the Employability Skills Needed by Graduates in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri

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Robinson, J. Shane; Garton, Bryan L.

2008-01-01

The purposes of this descriptive study were to assess graduates' perception of the importance and competence levels of performing identified transferable skills in the workplace and use the Borich (1980) needs assessment model to identify the skills most in need to enhance the curriculum. The findings revealed that solving problems, working…

Unpacking the Value of Writing: Exploring College Students' Perceptions of Writing

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Zumbrunn, Sharon; Carter, Yvette M.; Conklin, Sarah

2014-01-01

This study explored college students' beliefs about the value of writing, their past experiences with writing, and the relationship between students' prior experiences with writing and writing value beliefs. One hundred fourteen undergraduates from a public Southeastern university participated in the study. Using expectancy-value theory as a…

Autobiographical Writing in the Technical Writing Course

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Gellis, Mark

2011-01-01

Professionals in the workplace are rarely asked to write autobiographical essays. Such essays, however, are an excellent tool for helping students explore their growth as professionals. This article explores the use of such essays in a technical writing class.

The modest but growing Brazilian presence in psychiatric, psychobiological and mental health research: assessment of the 1998-2002 period

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Bressan R.A.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present survey was to assess the Brazilian scientific production in psychiatry, psychobiology, and mental health during the 1998-2002 period. The universities' graduate programs concentrate the vast majority of the scientific production in Brazil. We assessed the annual reports from the graduate programs to the Brazilian Ministry of Education concerning master's and doctoral theses and the articles published in journals indexed by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI. There are nine Master's and Doctoral graduate programs dedicated to research in psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, psychobiology, and mental health in the country, seven being located in southern states. During the 5-year period, from 1998 to 2002, 186 students received their doctorate degree (37/year. The programs published 637 articles in journals indexed by ISI, the majority of them in journals with an impact factor higher than 2. The research advisors' productivity varied among graduate programs, ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 articles per year in ISI-indexed journals. Despite the substantial barriers faced by the Brazilian scientific community (mainly financial and writing difficulties, Brazil's scientific mental health production is on the rise. The number of articles published in ISI-indexed journals has doubled without a significant increase in the number of graduate theses, suggesting that there was an improvement in both the quality of the scientific production and the productivity of the graduate programs. Based on these data, it is reasonable to predict a tendency to an increase in production over the next few years.

Influence of training changes on the stability of specialty choices of UK medical graduates: surveys of the graduates of 2002 and 2008.

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Svirko, Elena; Lambert, Trevor W; Goldacre, Michael J

2015-01-01

To explore the impact of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) training on the stability of medical career choices in the UK. Graduates of 2002 and 2008 from all UK medical schools, 1 and 3 years postgraduation. Questionnaire surveys were conducted of 2002 and 2008 graduates from all UK medical schools 1 and 3 years post graduation. Doctors gave their specialty choice(s) and rated the influence of each of 11 factors on their career choice. 2008 graduates were a little more likely than graduates of 2002 to retain their year 1 choice in year 3 (77.3% vs. 73.3%; p = 0.002). Among 2008 graduates, the percentage retaining their year 1 choice varied between 42% (clinical oncology) and 79% (general practice). Enthusiasm for a specialty, student experience and inclinations before medical school were associated with choice retention; consideration of domestic circumstances and hours/working conditions were associated with changes of choice. 2008 graduates were more likely than 2002s to be influenced by enthusiasm for a specialty, self-appraisal of their skills, working hours and their domestic circumstances; and less likely to be influenced by their experience of jobs, a particular teacher/department or eventual financial prospects. Post-MMC, graduates were less likely to change their career choice and more likely to be motivated by personal factors and self-assessment of their suitability to a particular area of work. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Writing to Read: A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Writing and Writing Instruction on Reading

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Graham, Steve; Hebert, Michael

2011-01-01

Reading is critical to students' success in and out of school. One potential means for improving students' reading is writing. In this meta-analysis of true and quasi-experiments, Graham and Herbert present evidence that writing about material read improves students' comprehension of it; that teaching students how to write improves their reading…

Quality of nutrition analysis among graduating classes of elementary and high school students

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Pejčić Ana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Results of numerous studies indicate that young people have improper eating habits. The aim of this study was to determine whether daily intake of vitamins, minerals and energy satisfies nutrition requirements for graduating classes of elementary and high school students. An epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted on 84 students, including 42 students from graduating class of an elementary school and 42 students from graduating class of a high school. The students were asked to write the amount and composition of food consumed over a week, their age, body weight and height. 'USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 25' was used to calculate daily intake of vitamins, minerals and energy. Comparison was made with respect to recommendations of Dietary Reference Intake of the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, US National Academy of Science. The mean, standard deviation and percentiles of daily intake of certain nutrients were determined. For nutrients for which there was defined value of Estimated Average Requirement the results are presented as percentages of individuals with intakes less than the Estimated Average Requirement as estimates of the prevalence of inadequacy, whereas for nutrients for which only Adequate Intake was defined the results are presented as percentages of individuals with intakes at or greater than the Adeqate Intake. Assessment of adequacy of energy intake was done with respect to calculated Estimated Energy Requirement for each participant in the study. It was shown that 47.6% of elementary and 38.1% of high school students have adequate energy intake. Daily intake of students from both elementary and high school does not meet the dietary recommendations for magnesium, calcium, vitamin C and liposoluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of proper nutrition. There is a need for increased intake of milk, dairy products, fresh

Perceptions of desirable graduate competencies for science and technology new graduates

Science.gov (United States)

Coll, Richard K.; Zegwaard, Karsten E.

2006-05-01

Work-integrated learning (WIL) programmes that combine on-campus classroom-based study with off-campus authentic work experience are a growing area of interest internationally. Despite widespread practice of WIL, there are few reports that shed light on appropriate pedagogies for the work experience in particular. As with any form of education, providers hold certain views as to desirable outcomes in terms of graduate profiles and of desirable graduate competencies. A complication for multi-party WIL programmes is that educational stakeholders (e.g., staff working in tertiary education provider institutions and employers) may hold different views as to desirable graduate competencies. Here we argue that an understanding of stakeholder views of desirable graduate competencies is an essential prerequisite of pedagogical design. The research reported here is an intrinsic case study and comprised an investigation of perceptions of 24 desirable graduate competencies for new science and technology graduates entering the workforce both today, and in ten years’ time. Stakeholders for four sector stakeholder groups (n = 458): undergraduate students (n = 71), recent graduates (n = 143), employers of graduates (n = 172), and faculty (n = 72), were surveyed using a previously reported and validated instrument. The research findings suggest that science and technology stakeholders see all 24 competencies as desirable, and see the importance of all skills and some skills in particular as likely to increase in ten years’ time. Despite emphasis on cognitive and technical skills (often termed ‘hard’ skills), the single most desirable skill is ability and willingness to learn, a behavioural skill (often termed ‘soft’ skills). It is proposed that classroom-based instruction is unlikely to produce graduates with the desired skills, and that work-integrated learning may have a role to play in the development of graduate competencies.

Writing a Movie.

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Hoffner, Helen

2003-01-01

Explains a reading and writing assignment called "Writing a Movie" in which students view a short film segment and write a script in which they describe the scene. Notes that this assignment uses films to develop fluency and helps students understand the reading and writing connections. Concludes that students learn to summarize a scene from film,…

A survey of the opinions of recent veterinary graduates and employers regarding early career business skills.

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Bachynsky, E A; Dale, V H M; Kinnison, T; Gazzard, J; Baillie, S

2013-06-08

A questionnaire was designed to assess recent veterinary graduates' proficiency in early career business skills, from the perspectives of graduates of 2006-2008 and employers of recent graduates in the UK. Recent graduates perceived themselves to be generally more competent in financial matters than employers considered them to be. However, when specific skills were assessed, graduates felt less prepared than employers considered them to be competent. Overall, graduates and employers rated recent graduates' preparedness/competence as poor to average for all skills, which were regarded as having average to high importance. Both groups commented on the difficulties faced by new graduates in terms of client communication (generally and financially), and having the confidence to charge clients appropriately for veterinary services. The results of this study indicate that veterinary schools need to take a more active role in the teaching of basic finance skills in order to equip graduates with essential early career competencies. It is anticipated that the information reported will help inform undergraduate curriculum development and highlight the need for increased training at the continuing education level.

High School Boys' and Girls' Writing Conceptions and Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs: What Is Their Role in Writing Performance?

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Villalón, Ruth; Mateos, Mar; Cuevas, Isabel

2015-01-01

This study investigated the conceptions about writing and writing self-efficacy beliefs held by high school students in relation to the students' gender as well as their associations with writing achievement. The results show that female students have more sophisticated writing conceptions than their male counterparts but no gender differences…

Writing for Change — An Interactive Guide to Effective Writing ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

In Writing for Change, you will learn the core skills of effective writing, how to write ... It is full of practical exercises and examples from the field of international development. ... Climate Change, Vulnerability, and Health in Colombia and Bolivia.

Newly graduated nurses' empowerment regarding professional competence and other work-related factors.

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Kuokkanen, Liisa; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Numminen, Olivia; Isoaho, Hannu; Flinkman, Mervi; Meretoja, Riitta

2016-01-01

Although both nurse empowerment and competence are fundamental concepts of describing newly graduated nurses' professional development and job satisfaction, only few studies exist on the relationship between these concepts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how newly graduated nurses assess their empowerment and to clarify professional competence compared to other work-related factors. A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational design was applied. The sample comprised newly graduated nurses (n = 318) in Finland. Empowerment was measured using the 19-item Qualities of an Empowered Nurse scale and the Nurse Competence Scale measured nurses' self-assessed generic competence. In addition to demographic data, the background data included employment sector (public/private), job satisfaction, intent to change/leave job, work schedule (shifts/business hours) and assessments of the quality of care in the workplace. The data were analysed statistically by using Spearman's correlation coefficient as well as the One-Way and Multivariate Analysis of Variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to estimate the internal consistency. Newly graduated nurses perceived their level of empowerment and competence fairly high. The association between nurse empowerment and professional competence was statistically significant. Other variables correlating positively to empowerment included employment sector, age, job satisfaction, intent to change job, work schedule, and satisfaction with the quality of care in the work unit. The study indicates competence had the strongest effect on newly graduated nurses' empowerment. New graduates need support and career opportunities. In the future, nurses' further education and nurse managers' resources for supporting and empowering nurses should respond to the newly graduated nurses' requisites for attractive and meaningful work.

Triangulating Teacher Perception, Classroom Observations, and Student Work to Evaluate Secondary Writing Programs

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Henderson, Daphne Carr; Rupley, William H.; Nichols, Janet Alys; Nichols, William Dee; Rasinski, Timothy V.

2018-01-01

Current professional development efforts in writing at the secondary level have not resulted in student improvement on large-scale writing assessments. To maximize funding resources and instructional time, school leaders need a way to determine professional development content for writing teachers that aligns with specific student outcomes. The…

Learning Science through Writing: Associations with Prior Conceptions of Writing and Perceptions of a Writing Program

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Ellis, Robert A.; Taylor, Charlotte E.; Drury, Helen

2007-01-01

Students in a large undergraduate biology course were expected to write a scientific report as a key part of their course design. This study investigates the quality of learning arising from the writing experience and how it relates to the quality of students' preconceptions of learning through writing and their perceptions of their writing…

Scaffolding EFL Students' Writing through the Writing Process Approach

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Faraj, Avan Kamal Aziz

2015-01-01

This research reports a study conducted at Koya University/English Language Department, and it aims at presenting the effect of scaffolding on EFL students' writing ability through the writing process. In this study, the students have taken the role of writers, so they need to follow the same steps that writers apply during their writing process.…

Process Memos: Facilitating Dialogues about Writing between Students and Instructors

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Parrott, Heather Macpherson; Cherry, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

We have created a new teaching tool--process memos--to improve student writing. Process memos are guided reflections submitted with scaffolded assignments that facilitate a written dialogue between students and instructors about the process of writing. Within these memos, students critically assess available teaching tools, discuss their writing…

Assessment by Employers of Newly Graduated Civil Engineers from the Islamic University of Gaza

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Enshassi, Adnan; Hassouna, Ahmed

2005-01-01

The evaluation process is very important to identify and recognize the strengths and the weaknesses of graduated students. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the newly graduated civil engineers from the Islamic University of Gaza in Palestine. The methodology was based on questionnaires and informal interview. The…

The Effect of Dialogue Journal Writing on EFL Students' Writing Skill

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Ali Gholami Mehrdad

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Despite the role writing plays in learning a foreign language, many students do not show much interest in taking an active part in writing classes (Myint, 1997. Thus different activities have been proposed to motivate students to write one of which is dialogue journal writing, and the present work tries to investigate the possible effect(s of such activity on writing ability of a group of English students at Islamic Azad University- Hamedan branch. To do this, 50 students obtaining 1 and 2 on the TWE scale on the structure section of a TOEFL test were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. After some introductory sessions, the students were asked to write paragraphs on a weekly schedule and hand them in to be corrected. In the experimental group the students were, furthermore, asked to keep journals and hand them in. After 4 months, the students in both groups took part in a writing exam in which they had to write two paragraphs on the topics given. The comparison of the means at p

Practices of reading and writing in five diferent programs of the Sergio Arboleda university

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Blanca González

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of an investigation into the practices of reading and writing present in five courses of different programs assigned at the Sergio Arboleda University (Bogotá. The research derives from the following questions: What is the role of reading and writing process in the course of some programs at the University? How is assign, directed and accompanied the task of reading and writing? and how are assessed the progress and results in the process of reading and writing? The information was obtained from written tests, surveys, classroom observations and interviews with teachers of these programs. After the analysis process, were set up five units of information, which in the case of reading were reading assignment, intervention guidance, intervention to clarify, evaluation and assessments of teachers, and for the case of writing: defining text types, intervention process, intervention in the correction process, evaluation and assessments of teachers.

Teaching Writing Strategies

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Zaououi,Merbouh

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Developing learners’ writing skills has been of concern for a long time in education. Students studying English in our educational institutions have been found to face problems mainly in writing, making them unable to cope with the institution’s literacy expectations. However, these students may be able to develop writing skills significantly with positive instructional attitudes towards the errors they make and awareness on the teachers’ part of learner problems. That is why they should improve classroom writing instruction to address the serious problem of students writing difficult. Teaching strategies has shown a dramatic effect on the quality of students’ writing. Strategy instruction involves explicitly and systematically teaching steps necessary to use strategies independently. The following table will explain the above ideas.

Assessment of medication errors and adherence to WHO prescription writing guidelines in a tertiary care hospital

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Dilnasheen Sheikh

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study is to assess the medication errors and adherence to WHO prescription writing guidelines in a tertiary care hospital. A prospective observational study was carried out for a period of 8 months from June 2015 to February 2016 at tertiary care hospital. At inpatient department regular chart review of patient case records was carried out to assess the medication errors. The observed medication errors were assessed for level of harm by using NCCMERP index. The outpatient prescriptions were screened for adherence to WHO prescription writing guidelines. Out of 200 patients, 40 patients developed medication errors. Most of the medication errors were observed in the age group above 61 years (40%. Majority of the medication errors were observed with drug class of antibiotics 9 (22.5% and bronchodilators 9 (22.5%. Most of the errors were under the NCCMERP index category C. Out of 545 outpatient prescriptions, 51 (9.37% prescriptions did not have prescriber’s name and all of the prescriptions lack prescriber’s personal contact number. Eighteen prescriptions did not have patient’s name and 426 (78.2% prescriptions did not have patient’s age. The prevalence of medication errors in this study was relatively low (20% without any fatal outcome. Omission error was the most frequently observed medication errors 31 (77.5%. In the present study, the patient’s age was missing in 78.2% of the prescriptions and none of the prescriptions had patient’s address and the drug names were not mentioned by their generic names.

Drafting and acting on feedback supports student learning when writing essay assignments.

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Freestone, Nicholas

2009-06-01

A diverse student population is a relatively recent feature of the higher education system in the United Kingdom. Consequently, it may be thought that more "traditional" types of assessment based around essay writing skills for science undergraduates may be of decreasing value and relevance to contemporary students. This article describes a study in which the process of feedback on, and associated redrafting of, an essay was closely supervised to improve essay writing skills and subsequent exam performance. The results of this study show that students can significantly improve their learning and academic performance, as assessed by final examination mark, by a process that more closely mimics a "real-world" situation of review and redrafting. Additionally, the data show that students benefit from feedback only when this is used appropriately by the student. The article also discusses the continuing importance and relevance of essay writing skills so that writing, and acting upon feedback to do with that writing, remains an integral part of the process of learning.

Flexible Graduate is Successful Graduate. Key Factors of Successful Job Interview, Results of a Comparative Analysis

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Vendolska Iva

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The conditions on the labour market have changed dramatically in the last twenty years and the importance of human resources has increased. A company has to find, keep, and educate those workers who are able to adapt quickly to changes in the market. Such a company is then able to innovate constantly, which ensures its long-term competitiveness. Moreover, after finishing their education young people experience problems when seeking suitable employment. University graduates face stronger competition from other graduates when seeking employment. This target risk group of university graduates in particular is included in the primary research, together with the other side of the labour market, employers. The importance of individual criteria that are pivotal for employers during job interviews was examined on the basis of an anonymous questionnaire. 18 criteria were assessed and compared on a scale from 1 to 5. The correlation between the rate of importance of the given criterion and the group of respondents was tested. It was discovered that the criterion employers consider the most important is the flexibility and adaptability of a job candidate. This criterion is followed by willingness to learn, loyalty, and self-reliance. Those considered least important were these criteria: a stay abroad, courses/certificates, and studying at a particular university. On the other hand, the students consider the most important criteria to be foreign language skills, followed by communication skills, and willingness to learn and an internship during their studies. The criteria that were seen as the most important were: self-confidence, experience of a stay abroad, and the particular university that the student graduated from. The most significant difference in the assessment of the criteria between the employers and students was identified as being an internship during one’s studies.

Disparities in new graduate transition from multiple stakeholder perspectives.

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Adamack, Monica; Rush, Kathy L

2014-09-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand multiple stakeholder perspectives of new graduate (NG) transition programs. It was part of a larger mixed-methods study (2011) designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of new graduate nurse transition best practices, across six British Columbia health authorities. Data collection involved individual interviews with academic nurse educators (n=4) and separate focus groups with new graduate (n=48) and front-line nurse leaders (n=69). Disparity emerged as the overriding theme and described differences between stakeholder group perspectives, between expectations and reality, and within and across programs. Four disparities emerged: entry-level education and practice, perspectives on employment and career planning, transition program elements and support. Despite general satisfaction with undergraduate preparation, theory-practice gaps were identified. New Graduates experienced misalignments between their employment expectations and their realities. The employed student nurse program in which many new graduates had participated did not always yield employment, but when it did, differences in transitional expectations arose between new graduates and leaders. There was considerable variation across and within provincial new graduate programs with respect to orientation, supernumerary time and preceptorship characteristics, including lack of training. Disparities arose in the nature, amount of and access to support and the monitoring of new graduate progress. Findings reinforced organizational complexities and the importance of communication across education and practice sectors. This paper uncovers the tensions between the perspectives of new graduates and nurse leaders about transitional programs and opens the opportunity to collaborate in aligning the perspectives.

"Your Writing, Not My Writing": Discourse Analysis of Student Talk about Writing

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Hales, Patrick D.

2017-01-01

Student voice is a difficult concept to capture in research. This study attempts to provide a vehicle for understanding student perceptions about writing and writing instruction through a case study supported by discourse analysis of student talk. The high school students in this study participated in interviews and focus groups about their…

Rubrics as a Mitigating Instrument for Bias in the Grading of Student Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Gerritson, Michael

2013-01-01

The practice of grading student writing often seems arbitrary and unfair to students. It is important to students and educators that writing is fairly and accurately assessed in order to facilitate demonstrable improvement in their composition. This research addressed a specific writing rubric as a method to mitigate implicit or subconscious…

Earnings Expectation and Graduate Employment: Evidence from Recent Chinese College Graduates

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Po, Yang

2011-01-01

Chinese college graduates have faced increasing labor market competition since the expansion of tertiary education. Given rigid market demand, graduates with realistic earnings expectations may experience a more efficient job search. Using the 2008 MYCOS College Graduate Employment Survey, this study finds that a 1000 yuan reduction in a…

Online Reflective Writing Mechanisms and Its Effects on Self-Regulated Learning: A Case of Web-Based Portfolio Assessment System

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Liang, Chaoyun; Chang, Chi-Cheng; Shu, Kuen-Ming; Tseng, Ju-Shih; Lin, Chun-Yu

2016-01-01

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…

The MFA in Creative Writing: The Uses of a “Useless” Credential

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Clayton Childress

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Over half of today’s Masters of Fine Arts programs in creative writing in the United States were founded after the year 2000. Has the MFA-CW become a necessary credential for novelists? Relying on participant observation field research in the American literary field and interviews with authors, publishers, MFA graduates, and instructors, this work focuses on a paradox: Despite widespread agreement that the credential doesn’t “teach” enrollees to be a good writers or open up a pathway to a professional writing career, many involved in the literary field hold an MFA-CW. In this paper, we look at the uses of the MFA-CW, finding that although the degree serves little if any jurisdictional or closure-related functions it is made useful in a variety of ways: for students as a symbolic resource for artistic identity, for working writers as a source of income and community, and for editors in publishing houses as a signal for possible marketing and publicity potential.Keywords: Credentialism, Professions, Literature, Books, Publishing, MFA  

Drawing on Technical Writing Scholarship for the Teaching of Writing to Advanced ESL Students--A Writing Tutorial.

Science.gov (United States)

Zielinska, Dorota

2003-01-01

Outlines the technical writing tutorial (TWT) that precedes an advanced English as a second language (ESL) writing course for students of English Philology at the Jagiellonian University, Poland. Finds a statistically significant increase in the performance of the students who had taken the TWT. Indicates that technical writing books and journals…

Ideation in mathematical writing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Misfeldt, Morten

2007-01-01

This paper considers idea generation during the mathematical writing process. Two contrasting explanations of the creative potential in connection to writing is presented; writing as a process of setting and obtaining rhetorical goals and writing as a process of discovery. These views...... are then related to two empirically found categories of functions that writing serves researchers in the field of mathematics, concluding that both views contributes to understanding the creative potential in relation to mathematical writing....

Finding Basic Writing's Place.

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Sheridan-Rabideau, Mary P.; Brossell, Gordon

1995-01-01

Posits that basic writing serves a vital function by providing writing support for at-risk students and serves the needs of a growing student population that universities accept yet feel needs additional writing instruction. Concludes that the basic writing classroom is the most effective educational support for at-risk students and their writing.…

Graduates' Employability: What Do Graduates and Employers Think?

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Matsouka, Kyriaki; Mihail, Dimitrios M.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to investigate the views of university graduates and human resource managers (HRMs) on graduates' employability in terms of the soft skills required by the labour market. Soft skills (personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects) are necessary in the labour…

Teaching Children to Write: A Meta-analysis of Writing Intervention Research

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Monica Koster

2015-10-01

Full Text Available It has been established that in the Netherlands, as in other countries, a majority of students do not attain the desired level of writing skills at the end of elementary school. Time devoted to writing is limited, and only a minority of schools succeed in effectively teaching writing. An improvement in the way writing is taught in elementary school is clearly required. In order to identify effective instructional practices we conducted a meta-analysis of writing intervention studies aimed at grade 4 to 6 in a regular school setting. Average effect sizes were calculated for ten intervention categories: strategy instruction, text structure instruction, pre-writing activities, peer assistance, grammar instruction, feedback, evaluation, process approach, goal setting, and revision. Five of these categories yielded statistically significant results. Pairwise comparison of these categories revealed that goal setting (ES = 2.03 is the most effective intervention to improve students’ writing performance, followed by strategy instruction (ES = .96, text structure instruction (ES = .76, peer assistance (ES = .59, and feedback (ES = .88 respectively. Further research is needed to examine how these interventions can be implemented effectively in classrooms to improve elementary students’ writing performance.

Mathematical writing

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Vivaldi, Franco

2014-01-01

This book teaches the art of writing mathematics, an essential -and difficult- skill for any mathematics student.   The book begins with an informal introduction on basic writing principles and a review of the essential dictionary for mathematics. Writing techniques are developed gradually, from the small to the large: words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, to end with short compositions. These may represent the introduction of a concept, the abstract of a presentation or the proof of a theorem. Along the way the student will learn how to establish a coherent notation, mix words and symbols effectively, write neat formulae, and structure a definition.   Some elements of logic and all common methods of proofs are featured, including various versions of induction and existence proofs. The book concludes with advice on specific aspects of thesis writing (choosing of a title, composing an abstract, compiling a bibliography) illustrated by large number of real-life examples. Many exercises are included; over 150...

Writing Nature

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Kristin Asdal

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This special issue of the Nordic Journal of Science and Technology Studies is interested in how nature, in different versions and forms, is invited into our studies, analyses, and stories. How is it that we “write nature”? How is it that we provide space for, and actually describe the actors, agents, or surroundings, in our stories and analyses? The articles in the issue each deal with different understandings of both the practices of writing and the introduction of various natures into these. In this introduction to the issue the editors engage with actor-network theory as a material semiotic resource for writing nature. We propose to foreground actor-network theory as a writing tool, at the expense of actor-network theory as a distinct vocabulary. In doing this and pointing out the semiotic origins to material-semiotics we also want to problematize a clear-cut material approach to writing nature.

Foreign Language Writing Fellows Programs: A Model for Improving Advanced Writing Skills

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Snyder, Delys Waite; Nielson, Rex P.; Kurzer, Kendon

2016-01-01

Within the growing field of scholarly literature on foreign language (FL) writing pedagogy, few studies have addressed pedagogical questions regarding the teaching of writing to advanced language learners. Writing fellows peer tutoring programs, although typically associated with first language writing instruction, likely can benefit and support…

Reflective Writing for Medical Students on the Surgical Clerkship: Oxymoron or Antidote?

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Liu, Geoffrey Z; Jawitz, Oliver K; Zheng, Daniel; Gusberg, Richard J; Kim, Anthony W

2016-01-01

Reflective writing has emerged as a solution to declining empathy during clinical training. However, the role for reflective writing has not been studied in a surgical setting. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to assess receptivity to a reflective-writing intervention among third-year medical students on their surgical clerkship. The reflective-writing intervention was a 1-hour, peer-facilitated writing workshop. This study employed a pre-post-intervention design. Subjects were surveyed on their experience 4 weeks before participation in the intervention and immediately afterwards. Surveys assessed student receptivity to reflective writing as well as self-perceived empathy, writing habits, and communication behaviors using a Likert-response scale. Quantitative responses were analyzed using paired t tests and linear regression. Qualitative responses were analyzed using an iterative consensus model. Yale-New Haven hospital, a tertiary care academic center. All medical students of Yale School of Medicine, rotating on their surgical clerkship during a 9-month period (74 in total) were eligible. In all, 25 students completed this study. The proportion of students desiring more opportunities for reflective writing increased from 32%-64%. The proportion of students receptive to a mandatory writing workshop increased from 16%-40%. These differences were both significant (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001). In all, 88% of students also reported new insight as a result of the workshop. In total, 39% of students reported a more positive impression of the surgical profession after participation. Overall, the workshop was well-received by students and improved student attitudes toward reflective writing and the surgical profession. Larger studies are required to validate the effect of this workshop on objective empathy measures. This study demonstrates how reflective writing can be incorporated into a presurgical curriculum. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in

How to write English scientific paper easily

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyeong Sun

2010-07-15

This book covers definition of paper, how to write paper, as well as proofreading of paper and process of publication. It explains necessity and kinds of paper, organizations and form of paper, evaluation of paper, titles, abstracts, introductions, method of study, results, considerations, conclusions, acknowledgement and epilogue, reference, writers, pictures and tables, tense and analysis of sentences, submission of paper and ethics of publication, plagiarism, confirmation of items before writing paper, matters to be attended to drafting, and criteria and assessment of the examination of paper.

How to write English scientific paper easily

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyeong Sun

2010-07-01

This book covers definition of paper, how to write paper, as well as proofreading of paper and process of publication. It explains necessity and kinds of paper, organizations and form of paper, evaluation of paper, titles, abstracts, introductions, method of study, results, considerations, conclusions, acknowledgement and epilogue, reference, writers, pictures and tables, tense and analysis of sentences, submission of paper and ethics of publication, plagiarism, confirmation of items before writing paper, matters to be attended to drafting, and criteria and assessment of the examination of paper.

Modeling the Process of Summary Writing of Chinese Learners of English as a Foreign Language

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiuliang

2016-01-01

In language learning contexts, writing tasks that involve reading of source texts are often used to elicit more authentic integrative language use. Thus, interests in researching these read-to-write tasks in general and as assessment tasks keep growing. This study examined and modeled the process of summary writing as a read-to-write integrated…

Writing Activities of Public Relations Practitioners: The Relationship between Experience and Writing Tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Napoli, Philip M.; Taylor, Maureen; Powers, Gerald

1999-01-01

Surveys 200 public relations practitioners and investigates whether the type of writing and over-all time spent writing vary with years of experience. Finds that higher levels of writing efficiency come with writing experience, and shows that female practitioners spend a higher percentage of their workday on writing tasks than do their male…

THE INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY OF WRITING COURSE AT ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF UMS: A NATURALISTIC STUDY

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Fibrian Anindyawati

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research is to get a thorough description of the teaching learning process of Writing Course at English Department of Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta, covering the syllabuses, the learning objectives, the instructional materials, the teachers’ roles, the students’ roles, the classroom techniques, the classroom procedures, the teaching media, and the assessment models. The data of this research were collected through observation, interview, and documentation. This research was a naturalistic study. The result shows that the syllabus used in Writing I & II is grammatical syllabus and Writing III & IV task-based syllabus. The learning objectives categorized into two namely, general objectives and specific objectives. The instructional materials were divided into three categories: printed materials, visual materials, and materials from the internet. The teachers’ roles were as organizer, consultant, feedback provider, assessor, and motivator. The students’ roles were as active participant, peer reviewer, and peer editor. The classroom techniques consist of brainstorming, discussion, question and answer, self-correction, assignment. The classroom procedures of Writing I & II were BKOF-MOT-ICOT; Writing III were reviewing, gathering ideas, organizing, build writing activity; and Writing IV were reviewing, explaining the materials, gathering ideas, organizing, build writing activity. The media used were LCD Projector, board, slides, and videos. The assessment model consisted of: multiple choices, weekly assignments, quizzes, mid-test, and final-test.     Keywords: Instruction, writing course, teaching writing

The Impact of Peer Review on Writing in a Psychology Course: Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Bhullar, Naureen; Rose, Karen C.; Utell, Janine M.; Healey, Kathryn N.

2014-01-01

The authors assessed the impact of peer review on student writing in four sections of an undergraduate Developmental Psychology course. They hypothesized that peer review would result in better writing in the peer review group compared to the group with no peer review. Writing was rated independently by two instructors who were blind to the…

Exploring the Relationship between Writing Apprehension and Writing Performance: A Qualitative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Badrasawi, Kamal J. I.; Zubairi, Ainol; Idrus, Faizah

2016-01-01

Writing skill is seen as a cornerstone of university students' success in both academic and career life. This qualitative study was conducted to further explore the teachers' and students' perceptions on the relationship between writing apprehension and writing performance, contributing factors of writing apprehension, and strategies to reduce…

Career choices on graduation--a study of recent graduates from University College Cork.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McKenna, Gerald

2010-04-23

INTRODUCTION: Irish dental graduates are eligible to enter general dental practice immediately after qualification. Unlike their United Kingdom counterparts, there is no requirement to undertake vocational training (VT) or any pre-registration training. VT is a mandatory 12-month period for all UK dental graduates who wish to work within the National Health Service. It provides structured, supervised experience in training practices and through organised study days. AIMS: This study aimed to profile the career choices made by recent dental graduates from UCC. It aimed to record the uptake of VT and associate posts, and where the graduates gained employment. METHODOLOGY: A self-completion questionnaire was developed and circulated electronically to recent graduates from UCC. An existing database of email addresses was used and responses were returned by post or by email. A copy of the questionnaire used is included as Appendix 1. RESULTS: Questionnaires were distributed over an eight-week period and 142 were returned, giving a response rate of 68.90%. Responses were gathered from those who graduated between 2001 and 2007; however, the majority came from more recent classes. Overall, the majority of graduates took up associate positions after qualification (71.8%) with smaller numbers undertaking VT (28.2%). Increasing numbers have entered VT in recent years, including 54.3% from the class of 2007. Overall, the majority of graduates initially took up positions in England (43%); however, in recent times more have been employed in Scotland. Subsequent work profiles of the graduates illustrate that the majority are now working as associates in general practice (51.4%) and in Ireland (54.2%). CONCLUSIONS: There has been an increase in the proportion of UCC graduates undertaking VT. Graduates tended to move away from Ireland initially to gain employment. There has been a shift away from employment in England towards Scotland where the majority of new UCC graduates are now

The Utility of Synthetic-based Approach of Writing among Iranian EFL Learners

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Nasrin Derakhshandeh

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The present study intends to examine the utility of synthetic-based approach versus traditional approaches of writing among Iranian EFL learners. To achieve this end, ninety students at Upper-Intermediate level were randomly chosen from the English population of Kish and Gooyesh English Institutes. The students were divided into three groups. Group1 was asked to do a writing task based on product-based approach. A writing task based on process-oriented approach was administered to Group2; later on, Group 3 was invited to write a composition to assess their performance based on synthetic-based approach. The result of the t test and two-way ANOVA revealed that the students performed better in writing using synthetic approach rather than traditional approaches to writing.

Peer Evaluation in CMC Learning Environment and Writing Skill

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Morteza Mellati

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Peer evaluation and technology-based instruction as the various domains of language teaching perspectives might affect language development. Group work in a technology-based environment might be more successful when learners are involved in developing the assessment process particularly peer assessment. This study investigated the effectiveness of peer evaluation in technology-based language environment and its effects on English writing ability. To reach this goal, 70 Iranian learners were participated in English language writing context. They were divided into two groups, one group assigned to CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication language learning context and the other assigned to a traditional learning environment. Both groups were encouraged to evaluate their classmates’ writing tasks. In addition, interviews were conducted with two learners. Comparing these two groups provides comprehensive guidelines for teachers as well as curriculum designers to set adjusted writing language environment for more effective and creative language teaching and learning. E-collaboration classroom tasks have high intrinsic motivation as well as significant effects on learners’ outcomes. Cooperative tasks specifically in technology-based environment lead learners to group working and consequently group learning. Computer-Mediated Communication is meaningful, especially in contexts in which teachers stimulate group work activities.

The Perceived Relevance and Efficacy of a Graduate School Journal among Graduate Faculty and Training Directors

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Doran, Jennifer M.; Antonius, Daniel; Brown, Adam D.; Kriss, Alexander; Lehr, Evangeline Y. C.; Evans, Jason; Steele, Howard

2012-01-01

A total of 35 psychology department members from 21 universities assessed the relevance and efficacy of the "New School Psychology Bulletin" ("NSPB"), a graduate student journal, to training in psychology. Overall, a small sample of psychology department members viewed "NSPB" as an effective vehicle for student training. Perceptions among faculty…

Contributions of Emergent Literacy Skills to Name Writing, Letter Writing, and Spelling in Preschool Children

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Puranik, Cynthia S.; Lonigan, Christopher J.; Kim, Young-Suk

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine which emergent literacy skills contribute to preschool children’s emergent writing (name-writing, letter-writing, and spelling) skills. Emergent reading and writing tasks were administered to 296 preschool children aged 4–5 years. Print knowledge and letter-writing skills made positive contributions to name writing; whereas alphabet knowledge, print knowledge, and name writing made positive contributions to letter writing. Both name-writing and letter-writing skills made significant contributions to the prediction of spelling after controlling for age, parental education, print knowledge, phonological awareness, and letter-name and letter-sound knowledge; however, only letter-writing abilities made a significant unique contribution to the prediction of spelling when both letter-writing and name-writing skills were considered together. Name writing reflects knowledge of some letters rather than a broader knowledge of letters that may be needed to support early spelling. Children’s letter-writing skills may be a better indicator of children’s emergent literacy and developing spelling skills than are their name-writing skills at the end of the preschool year. Spelling is a developmentally complex skill beginning in preschool and includes letter writing and blending skills, print knowledge, and letter-name and letter-sound knowledge. PMID:21927537

Writing by Academics: A Transactional and Systems Approach to Academic Writing Behaviours

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Kempenaar, Larissa Elisabeth; Murray, Rowena

2016-01-01

The literature on academic writing in higher education contains a wealth of research and theory on students' writing, but much less on academics' writing. In performative higher education cultures, discussions of academics' writing mainly concern outputs, rather than the process of producing them. This key component of academic work remains…

Writing Week-Journals to Improve the Writing Quality of Fourth-Graders' Compositions

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Rosário, Pedro; Högemann, Julia; Núñez, José Carlos; Vallejo, Guillermo; Cunha, Jennifer; Oliveira, Vera; Fuentes, Sonia; Rodrigues, Celestino

2017-01-01

Students' writing problems are a global educational concern and is in need of particular attention. This study aims to examine the impact of providing extra writing opportunities (i.e., writing journals) on the quality of writing compositions. A longitudinal cluster-randomized controlled design using a multilevel modeling analysis with 182 fourth…

Professional Writing in the English Classroom: Professional Writing--What You Already Know

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Bush, Jonathan; Zuidema, Leah

2010-01-01

This article presents the first installment of "Professional Writing in the English Classroom." The authors begin by answering the obvious question: What is professional writing? It isn't remedial writing, and it involves much more than writing memos, business letters, and resumes (although it certainly includes those genres). Professional writing…

Preparing a Future Graduate Workforce for Work: An Assessment of the Standard of Graduates from the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training in Kuwait

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Al-Ali, Salah

2013-01-01

This paper reports on a study that examined factors which had a direct impact on the quality of graduates from the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training (PAAE&T) in Kuwait. The study also examined the extent to which the graduates met the requirements of local employers. It consisted of a review of the literature; a questionnaire…

The Los Altos Writing Project.

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Kraft, Richard F.

The intent of this guide is to encourage teachers to have students write, both formally and informally, on a systematic basis. Three types of writing are emphasized: (1) journal writing; (2) research paper writing; and (3) essay writing. The section on journal writing includes a handout for the class explaining the purpose for journal writing and…

Collaborative Writing to Enhance Academic Writing Development through Project Work

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Robayo Lun, Alma Milena; Hernandez Ortiz, Luz Stella

2013-01-01

Advanced students at university level struggle with many aspects of academic writing in English as a foreign language. The purpose of this article is to report on an investigation aimed at analyzing what collaborative writing through project work tells us about students' academic writing development at the tertiary level. The compositions written…

From Minotaurs to Creative Writing.

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Morrison, Paul

1992-01-01

An integrated topic approach (on Theseus and the Minotaur) was used to develop creative writing skills of children (ages 12 and 13) with health- and stress-related disorders at a special school in England. Three elements of the topic (presentation, action, and interaction) were developed through which individual assessment, collaboration, and…

THEMATIC PROGRESSION PATTERN : A TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILL VIEWED FROM WRITING APPREHENSION

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Fitri Nurdianingsih

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of conducting this research was to find out : (1 whether or not the use of thematic progression pattern is more effective than direct instruction in teaching writing to the second semester students at English Education Department; (2 the students who have a low writing apprehension have better writing skill than those who have a high writng apprehension; and (3 there is an interaction between teaching technique and writing apprehension in teaching writing skill. This reasearch was an experimental research design. The population of this research was the second semester students at English Education Department of IKIP PGRI Bojonegoro. Meanwhile the sample of this research was selected by using cluster random sampling. The instruments of data collection were witing test and writing apprehension questionnaire. The findings of this study are: (1 thematic progression pattern is more effective than direct instruction in teaching writing; (2 the students who have low writing apprehension have better writing skill than those who have high writing apprehension; and (3 there is an interaction between teaching technique and writing apprehension in teaching writing skill. It can be summarized that thematic progression pattern is an effective technique in teaching writing skill at the second semester students of English Education Department in IKIP PGRI Bojonegoro. The effectiveness of the technique is affected by writing apprehension.

THE USE OF PAIR COMPOSITION METHOD ON STUDENTS’ DESCRIPTIVE WRITING SKILL

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Maya Nurmayanti

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This research was aimed to find out roles of pair composition method on students’ behaviour in learning processes and their writing assessment, and also to find out students’ attitude toward learning process of pair composition method in writing descriptive text in the classroom. Descriptive qualitative method was used in this research. The participants were 33 students of X grade of Senior High School. The data were collected from observation, the result of analysis showed that 66% of the seriousness of students during learning process was high, 78% of enthusiasm of students in doing task was high, and 58% of students’ participation was high. The increasing of students’ assessment was 18,7 from the average score before. The data collected from interview and questionnaire indicated that pair composition method provided the opportunities for sharing ideas, developing text, corresting writing errors, motivating students being active, and 50% students strongly agreed that pair composition method on writing descriptive text was lively and enjoyable.

The relationship of high school graduation exams to graduation rates and SAT scores.

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Gregory J. Marchant

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The current study examined the effect of high school graduation exams on states' graduation rates, states' aggregated SAT scores, and individual students' SAT scores. Three data sources were used: One source identified states requiring a standardized test for graduation; the NCES provided state aggregated data on graduation rates for the class of 2002; and the College Board provided its 2001 SAT database for all test-takers. After controlling for students' demographic characteristics (e.g., race, family education and income, GPA and class rank, regression analyses revealed that states requiring graduation exams had lower graduation rates and lower SAT scores. Individually, students from states requiring a graduation exam performed more poorly on the SAT than did students from states not requiring an exam. The impact of high stakes tests' on students' motivation to stay in school and on the teaching of critical thinking skills (tested by the SAT are discussed.

Predictive analysis and data mining among the employment of fresh graduate students in HEI

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Rahman, Nor Azziaty Abdul; Tan, Kian Lam; Lim, Chen Kim

2017-10-01

Management of higher education have a problem in producing 100% of graduates who can meet the needs of industry while industry is also facing the problem of finding skilled graduates who suit their needs partly due to the lack of an effective method in assessing problem solving skills as well as weaknesses in the assessment of problem-solving skills. The purpose of this paper is to propose a suitable classification model that can be used in making prediction and assessment of the attributes of the student's dataset to meet the selection criteria of work demanded by the industry of the graduates in the academic field. Supervised and unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithms were used in this research where; K-Nearest Neighbor, Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, Neural Network, Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machine. The proposed model will help the university management to make a better long-term plans for producing graduates who are skilled, knowledgeable and fulfill the industry needs as well.

Write to read: the brain's universal reading and writing network.

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Perfetti, Charles A; Tan, Li-Hai

2013-02-01

Do differences in writing systems translate into differences in the brain's reading network? Or is this network universal, relatively impervious to variation in writing systems? A new study adds intriguing evidence to these questions by showing that reading handwritten words activates a pre-motor area across writing systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of a Resume-Writing Workshop on Resume-Writing Skills

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Tillotson, Kenyon; Osborn, Debra

2012-01-01

What is the best way to teach someone how to write an effective resume? A workshop format was used to teach college students the skills needed to write a successful resume. Archival data consisting of student resumes and rubric score sheets were used to determine the effectiveness of a resume-writing workshop by using a pre-post design evaluating…

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Resources and Strategies for the Use of Writing Projects in Mathematics

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Latulippe, Joe; Latulippe, Christine

2014-01-01

As an often recommended but under-utilized pedagogical strategy, writing in mathematics has many benefits for students. However, creating and grading worthwhile writing projects can be more time-consuming than utilizing more traditional forms of assessment. This paper provides a concrete example of a writing project prompt, questions, directions,…

Evaluating guilt and shame in an expressive writing alcohol intervention.

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Rodriguez, Lindsey M; Young, Chelsie M; Neighbors, Clayton; Campbell, Michelle T; Lu, Qian

2015-08-01

Expressive writing interventions have shown positive physical and psychological health benefits over time, with the presumed mechanism being emotional disclosure. However, work utilizing expressive writing in behavior change has been minimal. The current research applied the expressive writing paradigm to reduce drinking intentions among college students, and evaluated the role of event-related guilt and shame in intervention effects. College students (N=429) completed a baseline survey and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Negative (write about a heavy drinking event that was negative); Positive (write about a heavy drinking event that was positive); or Neutral (write about their first day of college). After writing, readiness to change and future drinking intentions were assessed. Results revealed intervention effects on intended drinks per week and intended number of drinks during peak and typical drinking occasions. Participants in the negative condition also displayed higher levels of event-related guilt and shame. Results showed that guilt mediated intervention effects on readiness to change, which also mediated the association between guilt-reparative behavior and drinking intentions. Results provide initial support for an expressive writing intervention on alcohol use and underscore the importance of eliciting emotions associated with reparative behavior when considering negative past experiences and future behavior change. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Writing more informative letters of reference.

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Wright, Scott M; Ziegelstein, Roy C

2004-05-01

Writing a meaningful and valuable letter of reference is not an easy task. Several factors influence the quality of any letter of reference. First, the accuracy and reliability of the writer's impressions and judgment depend on how well he knows the individual being described. Second, the writer's frame of reference, which is determined by the number of persons at the same level that he has worked with, will impact the context and significance of his beliefs and estimations. Third, the letter-writing skills of the person composing the letter will naturally affect the letter. To support the other components of a candidate's application, a letter of reference should provide specific examples of how an individual's behavior or attitude compares to a reference group and should assess "intangibles" that are hard to glean from a curriculum vitae or from test scores. This report offers suggestions that should help physicians write more informative letters of reference.

Graduate performance of science education department in implementing conservation-based science teaching

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Parmin; Savitri, E. N.; Amalia, A. V.; Pratama, M. R.

2018-04-01

This study aims to measure the performance of graduates in implementing conservation-based science teaching. The study employed a qualitative method by collecting the self-assessment data from alumni and the performance assessment from the headmasters of schools where the graduates are currently teaching. There are nine indicators of conservation insight examined in this study. The study concluded that the 78 alumni, who have become teachers when the study was conducted, perform well in implementing conservative science lessons.

Integrating Assessment into Teaching Practices: Using Checklists for Business Writing Assignments.

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Vice, Janna P.; Carnes, Lana W.

2002-01-01

Explains how to use checklists as a tool for developing, implementing, and evaluating business writing assignments. Gives an example of their use with memoranda, short reports, and analytical field reports. (SK)

Students' Writing "In Transition" from A-Levels to University: How Assessment Drives Students' Understandings, Practices and Discourses

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Baker, Sally

2017-01-01

The lament that "students can't write" remains loud and defiant, even after years of research pointing to the myriad factors that make students' writing challenging, particularly when they move into university. This paper reports on a longitudinal, ethnographic study which explored students' writing "in transition," from…

Importance of Technical Writing in Engineering Education

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Narayanan, M.

2010-12-01

It is important to recognize technical writing as a creative vehicle to communicate with the audience. It is indeed possible to motivate a reluctant learner by encouraging student writing combined with reading and research. John Kosakowski is of the opinion that writing assignments actually help to strengthen the self-confidence of a lethargic learner (Kosakowski, 1998). Researchers in the area of cognitive science and educational psychology are also of the opinion that encouraging students to writing actually helps the learners cultivate a positive attitude toward the subject matter in question. One must also recognize the fact that the students are indeed very reluctant to devote time and effort that requiress descriptive long writing assignments. One has to be more creative towards assignments that utilize problem-solving pedagogy (Saxe, 1988; Senge, 1990; Sims, 1995; Young & Young, 1999). Education World writer Gloria Chaika (Chaika, 2000) states that “Talent is important, but practice creates the solid base that allows that unique talent to soar. Like athletes, writers learn by doing. Good writing requires the same kind of dedicated practice that athletes put in. Young writers often lack the support they need to practice writing and develop their talent to the fullest, though.” Writing assignments have several key elements and the author has outlined below, some ideas for conducting assessment. 1. Identification of a purpose. 2. Focusing on the subject matter. 3. Attracting the attention of audience. 4. Format, flow and familiarity of the structure. 5. Observation of formality, voice and tone. 6. Promotion of critical thinking. 7. Importance of Logic and evidence-based reasoning. 8. Follows a realistic time line. 9. Process and procedure are properly outlined. References: Barr, R. B., & Tagg, J. (1995, November/December). From teaching to learning: A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change: The Magazine of Higher Education, 13-24. Cox, M. D

Connecting Practice and Research: Integrated Reading and Writing Instruction Assessment

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Caverly, David C.; Taylor, Judi Salsburg; Dimino, Renee K.; Lampi, Jodi P.

2016-01-01

The first "Connecting Practice and Research" column (Lampi, Dimino, & Salsburg Taylor, 2015), introduced a Research-to-Practice partnership (Coburn & Penuel, 2016) between two faculty from a community college and a university professor who were aiming to develop effective integrated reading and writing (IRW) instruction through a…

Measuring the Effectiveness of Writing Center Consultations on L2 Writers’ Essay Writing Skills

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Shanthi Tiruchittampalam

2018-02-01

Full Text Available With the international growth of English-medium education, tertiary institutions are increasingly providing academic support services to L2 students, and thus, the number of writing centers working with L2 student writers has also increased. Writing center practices originated in L1 English educational contexts and their appropriateness for L2 English writers requires examination. This study investigated the effect of writing center consultations on the essay writing skills of L1 Arabic foundation level students at an English-medium university in the Gulf region. Analysis was based on quantitative measures of writing ability of two distinct groups of students: an experimental group who participated in tutoring sessions at the university’s writing center and a control group who did not. Findings indicated that students who participated in writing center consultations scored significantly higher in overall essay writing scores, as well as in two aspects of writing: task fulfilment (that is ideas and text organization/coherence. These findings contribute to a limited bank of similar empirical studies on effectiveness of writing center sessions on students’ essay writing ability. They also support the case for the expansion of writing center work beyond the domains of predominantly L1 English academic communities.

Improving the 5th Formers’ Continuous Writing Skills through the Creative Writing Module

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Mohana Ram Murugiah

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Writing is a complex task. The development of students’ writing skill depends on the teacher’s teaching strategy and also the materials used in the writing lesson. In the present study, the effectiveness of a creative writing module was examined that was designed to improve the writing skill of a group of excellent students. It was added with explicit teaching strategies. The selected group of students were students who were in the excellent group but lacked creativity and vocabulary in their writing. The creative writing module was designed to help these students. Students’ improvement was observed through observation in the classrooms during the lessons and through writing task as well as interviews. Two observations were made. One was before the creative writing project was started and another after the completion of the entire task of the module. The interview was carried out to learn about the students’ perception of the module and how do they find the module has helped them.  The result of the research showed that students have shown a great level of improvement in their writing skills. The outcome of this present study could be useful to assist language instructors in helping proficient learners to undergo a more effective second language learning experience.

Writing the Ties that Bind: Service-Learning in the Writing Classroom.

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Cooper, David D.; Julier, Laura

1995-01-01

The Service Learning Writing Project at Michigan State University links service-learning and writing instruction. Students read and discuss American literary and historical texts, write academic analyses of ideas, and practice peer editing and revision in small workshops, while working in service placements in community and nonprofit…

ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH OF SCHOOLS GRADUATES GOING TO THE UNIVERSITIES

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V. M. Klimov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. The complex assessment of the level of physical health of schools graduates is presented in the article.Materials and methods. We studied the condition of the first-year students who were assigned to the main medical group. Their physical and psychofunctional condition was estimated using morphological, functional, psychophysiological parameters and the indicators of physical preparedness.Results. Morfofunctional level of the health of the youths who entered higher educational institution was at the average level according to the age-sex norms. At the same time physical preparedness of young men and girls corresponded to satisfactory level, but endurance, the major physical parameter reflecting the general level of working capasity of the person, was below an average. The psychophysiological status of the majority of surveyed was characterized by the optimum force and mobility of nervous processes, good level of social and psychological adaptation, resistance to stress, semantic and image memory. The indicator of anxiety was significantly lower and resistance to stress and adaptation higher in young men than those in girls. 

The Writing Mathematician

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Yoon, Caroline

2017-01-01

Popular culture casts mathematics and writing as opposites--a false dichotomy, which can be harmful for our discipline of mathematics education. Positioning writing outside the domain of the mathematician's abilities and cultivated skill set can create doubt in the mathematician wishing to write--not that one cannot be both writer and…

Writing as Praxis

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Yagelski, Robert P.

2012-01-01

In 2003, the National Commission on Writing released "The Neglected "R,"" its report on the state of writing instruction in the nation's schools. The report identified an apparent paradox: writing, which the Commission defines as an essential skill for the many that has helped transform the world, is nevertheless increasingly…

GUIDED USE OF WRITING PROMPTS TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC WRITING IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

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Lina Marcela Trigos Carrillo

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents empirical data supporting the hypothesis that the systematic and guided use of academic writing prompts is a successful instructional strategy to improve the academic writing in Spanish of college students, mainly during their first semesters. A combined methodology, with pre- and post-tests, was used in this research project conducted from July 2009 to June 2010. The participants were freshmen students of different disciplines of the Human Sciences in a private university in Bogota, Colombia. The aim of this research project was twofold. First, it sought to identify the difficulties students faced in the writing process of academic texts when they are related to real communicative contexts. Second, it involved the design and application of the guided and systematic use of writing prompts for academic writing in a sequence called "The Cognitive Pedagogical Model of Writing for Higher Education". The results show empirical evidence supporting the use of writing prompts designed with specific academic purposes to improve the academic writing level of college students in their first stages of study. However, further research is needed to consolidate the results presented here.

Promoting linguistic complexity, greater message length and ease of engagement in email writing in people with aphasia: initial evidence from a study utilizing assistive writing software.

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Thiel, Lindsey; Sage, Karen; Conroy, Paul

2017-01-01

Improving email writing in people with aphasia could enhance their ability to communicate, promote interaction and reduce isolation. Spelling therapies have been effective in improving single-word writing. However, there has been limited evidence on how to achieve changes to everyday writing tasks such as email writing in people with aphasia. One potential area that has been largely unexplored in the literature is the potential use of assistive writing technologies, despite some initial evidence that assistive writing software use can lead to qualitative and quantitative improvements to spontaneous writing. This within-participants case series design study aimed to investigate the effects of using assistive writing software to improve email writing in participants with dysgraphia related to aphasia. Eight participants worked through a hierarchy of writing tasks of increasing complexity within broad topic areas that incorporate the spheres of writing need of the participants: writing for domestic needs, writing for social needs and writing for business/administrative needs. Through completing these tasks, participants had the opportunity to use the various functions of the software, such as predictive writing, word banks and text to speech. Therapy also included training and practice in basic computer and email skills to encourage increased independence. Outcome measures included email skills, keyboard skills, email writing and written picture description tasks, and a perception of disability assessment. Four of the eight participants showed statistically significant improvements to spelling accuracy within emails when using the software. At a group level there was a significant increase in word length with the software; while four participants showed noteworthy changes to the range of word classes used. Enhanced independence in email use and improvements in participants' perceptions of their writing skills were also noted. This study provided some initial evidence

National High School Graduation Rate: Are Recent Birth Cohorts Taking More Time to Graduate?

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Joo, Myungkook; Kim, Jeounghee

2016-01-01

Debates about the national high school graduation rate have heated up as various national high school graduation estimates based on the Common Core of Data (CCD) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) do not coincide with one another partially due to different assumptions about graduation age. This study found that (a) while graduation rate by…

Exploring Writing Circles as Innovative, Collaborative Writing Structures with Teacher Candidates

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Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth; Blanch, Norine; Gurjar, Nandita

2017-01-01

Writing circles are "small groups... meeting regularly to share drafts, choose common writing topics, practice positive response, and in general, help each other become better writers" (Vopat, 2009, p. 6). In this exploratory study, writing circles were employed with elementary teacher candidates in hopes of enhancing their perceptions…

The relationship of high school graduation exams to graduation rates and SAT scores.

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Gregory J. Marchant; Sharon E. Paulson

2005-01-01

The current study examined the effect of high school graduation exams on states' graduation rates, states' aggregated SAT scores, and individual students' SAT scores. Three data sources were used: One source identified states requiring a standardized test for graduation; the NCES provided state aggregated data on graduation rates for the class of 2002; and the College Board provided its 2001 SAT database for all test-takers. After controlling for students' demographic characteristics (e.g., r...

Productivity Improvement by the Crawford Slip Method. How to Write, Publish, Instruct, Supervise, and Manage for Better Job Performance.

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1984-07-01

improvers of many kinds. This fear. Anonymous slip writing lets the truth come instruction begins with preservice courses for under- through. graduates. It...into something grand. might be achieved the hard way, with too much cost in That will beat what you can do alone from blank paper. money, material, time...not office cutter, local networks is " Telecommuting ," or working at from 20 Pound bond paper home instead of the central company office. Travel 8 48

Student, Teacher and Class-Level Correlates of Flemish Late Elementary School Children's Writing Performance

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De Smedt, Fien; Van Keer, Hilde; Merchie, Emmelien

2016-01-01

In Flanders, there are neither Flemish assessments nor teacher surveys to provide insights into the current practice and outcomes of writing instruction. In the present study, we provide a-state-of-the-art study of the practice of writing instruction in Flemish late elementary education by investigating: (a) how writing is taught, (b) how teachers…

Re-learning how to write: student successes and challenges in a targeted geoscience communication course

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Elwood Madden, M.; Miller-Deboer, C.; Eodice, M.; Miller, J.; Johnson, J.; Rifenburg, M.

2013-12-01

Students in OU's Geology and Geophysics (G&G) program must complete either English Technical Writing or a major-specific Geowriting class as sophomores or juniors. We asked students in Geowriting and students in a G&G colloquium course (required for G&G scholarship students and an elective for others) to complete surveys reporting their writing experiences and attitudes, as well as write an abstract for a Scientific American story to assess writing skills at the beginning and end of the semester. Geowriting students had stronger writing skills and more positive attitudes towards writing at the beginning of the semester than their colloquium peers, suggesting that students who were already interested and skilled in writing were self-selecting into the class. During the semester, Geowriting focused on improving the clarity, organization, efficiency, and mechanics of student writing and discussed how science writing is similar in some ways (argument, sentence structure, etc.), but also different in many aspects (concise, forthright, repetitive, etc) from writing tactics taught in high school and some college composition courses. Colloquium students attended the weekly scientific talks, but did not write in the class; however, some students were enrolled in freshman-level composition courses and Technical Writing. End-of-semester surveys showed Geowriting students had a more positive change in attitude and expectations towards writing than their colloquium peers. However, one significant difference in attitude towards writing was indicated by negative feelings towards in-class writing, which may be a result of 'writing fatigue' within the Geowriting group. This writing fatigue could be explained by student end-of -semester cognitive overload. Through other measures, colloquium students showed a greater improvement in writing skills (concise, clear, organized, etc) compared to Geowriting students; however, Geowriting students maintained higher skill levels than the

Comparison of Writing Anxiety and Writing Dispositions of Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grade Students

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Rifat Ramazan Berk

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine sixth, seventh and eighth grade students’ writing anxiety and dispositions and to examine to what extent they predict each other. The basis of this study is to determine whether writing disposition is the significant predictor of writing anxiety or not and whether students’ grade levels and genders are significant predictor of writing anxiety and dispositions or not. The research was designed according to survey model. The study group, selected through simple sampling method, is made up of 860 students studying at 6th, 7th and 8th grades in elementary schools of Şarkışla District, Sivas. While “Writing Anxiety Scale”, adapted into Turkish by Özbay and Zorbay (2011, was administered to determine the study group’s writing anxiety level, “Writing Disposition Scale”, adapted into Turkish by İşeri and Ünal (2010, was used to determine the writing disposition level. At the end of the study, it was found that writing disposition is a significant predictor of writing anxiety and students’ grade levels and genders are significant predictors of writing anxiety and dispositions. An education environment to create a strong writing disposition for students is recommended. Also, similar studies on different dimensions of the issue can be conducted.