Research on Peer Feedback and CMC.

Currently reading "Peer Feedback Through Blogs: Student and teacher perceptions in an advanced German class" by DORIS DIPPOLD found in European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning 21 (1) : 18-36. Published in 2009.

This article explores the question of how blogs can facilitate peer feedback in a second language acquisition environment. It concludes that blogs can be useful tools for collaboration and student feedback on peer writing in second language classrooms, but warns of dangers and need for training by both teachers and students. I appreciated the literature review which expressed ideas I take for granted that may not be common knowledge - and it exposed me to articles I need to track down. Dippold also notes that in educational writing "feedback" and "assessment," when used in discussions of formative assessment - are used almost interchangeably. The importance of this insight might be more important that she realizes.

Blogs allow student writers to reach a far larger audience than just a teacher and/or tutor, and help in the easier sharing or resources and ideas (Goodwin-Jones, 2003; Williams & Jacobs, 2004).

Because of the need to imagine and predict the possible reactions of their readers blogging promotes critical thinking (Williams & Jacobs, 2004; Oravec, 2003; Ducate & Lomika, 2005). Ducate & Lomika strove to build intercultural awareness in their research, which involved exchanges (travel as well as communication) between French and American students. Blogging uniquely enables peer feedback, which is essential to meeting objectives of audience analysis, tone, purpose, and the recognition of one's place in a discourse community united by an intellectual goal. Baggetun and Wasson (2006:460) explain:

We see that in order to generate feedback one needs certain skills, in particular, participation skills. As a student, you need to learn how to frame an issue you want to raise, relate it to a current issue, and know how to invite or ask questions so that someone feels tempted to reply. [y] SRL [self-regulated learning] also encompasses participation in learning communities and how to develop skills to engage in productive interactions with your peers.

There are several issues that make using peer feedback with ESL learners a tremendous challenge. Hyland and Hyland (2006) note that foreign language students prefer feedback from teachers to peers. This likely has something to do with the non-native speaking ability in English of their peers. If their "peer" were another comp. 1 or 2 student whose native language was English, then these results might be different. Also, ESL students resist having power over their peers and resist their peers having power over them (Liu & Carless, 2006).

Works Cited

Baggetun, R. and Wasson, B. (2006) Self-regulated learning and open writing. European Journal of Education, 41(3–4): 453–472.
Ducate, L. and Lomicka, L. (2005) Exploring the blogosphere: Use of blogs in the foreign language classroom. Foreign Language Annals, 38(3): 410–421.
Goodwin-Jones, R. (2003) "Blogs and wikis: Environments for on-line collaboration." Language Learning and Technology, 7(2): 12–16.
Hyland, F. and Hyland, K. (2006) State of the art article: Feedback on second language students’ writing. Language Teaching, 39: 83–101.
Liu, N. and Carless, D. (2006) Peer feedback: The learning element of peer assessment. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(3): 279–290.
Oravec, J. A. (2003) Blogs as an emerging genre in higher education. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 14(2): 21–44.
Williams, J. and Jacobs, J. (2004) Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 20(2): 232–247.

Feedback: teacher clarity and millennials

About every semester lately I get a request from a couple students for greater clarity in what is expected in a writing assignment. I expect this because the course goals and objectives of composition classes call for abstract thinking and problem solving. The course calls for me to challenge students with assignments that require them to find solutions, make decisions and discover and determine their own point of view.

But is this a facilitative tension required of any learning, or is it something else? A business publication asserts:

Unlike new hires of previous generations, who may have benefited from training in diversity or technical matters, experts say, millennials need other types of training--in professional behavior, for example, or in basic writing, confidentiality issues, critical thinking, or how to give and receive constructive criticism (emphasis mine).

The publication - and business leaders in general - targets writing as a key skill that young people lack - and further lists some of the top objectives in composition classes. For further articles see my bookmarks on millennials. Not all research agrees. Is conventional wisdom correct that youth are less prepared in these skills than past students?

Furthermore, the issue of professional behavior came up in a recent NPR piece. The story quoted Laura Wand, a director of Marketing at Johnson Controls:

"Dude, dress up. This isn't the mall," she tells the crowd.

With her PowerPoint slides, Wand tries to impart some helpful advice from the real world.

"Multitasking is a myth," she says. "You got a great job. Turn off the cell phone. Stop texting."

The cell phone issue is a frequent topic among teachers.

Students who have never gotten constructive criticism - or who have never been allowed to fail - are less persistent, but there have always been students like that. I remember a student in 2009 who couldn't figure out the metaphor paper and then dropped out of class for a few weeks. He came back and explained that when he gets frustrated, he simply quits.

I feel like if any of my students aren't frustrated by an assignment - then it isn't challenging enough. Optimizing student learning may make me less popular. Higher Ed Morning reports that 45% of students are using online professor rating web sites - and that these sites say whether teachers are "easy grading." If this is a criteria by which students select teachers - how will it affect learning and how will it affect my evaluations?

End of Semester Classroom Assessment: SP 2010

In multiple conversations, class discussions and journal writings, classes have provided me with valuable feedback on teaching this semester.

Concurrent Assignments: Several students voiced frustration with working on a deadline for paper, and before that deadline is reached - having subsequent papers addressed in class. This breaks from the simple linear progression more common in most of their previous classes. While this more closely approaches real life/ work situations, it does demand organizational skills. I'm in the process of gaining feedback from other teachers here at the college. If the majority avoid or disagree with my position on concurrent assignments and have reasons to support their opinions - I will reconsider adapting a more linear and less recursive approach.

Inquiry Learning: while the theory may under-gird much of the comp 2 lesson plan, future students will benefit from having more of this particular andragogical discussion early in the semester - Additionally, regardless of future decisions on concurrent assignments, we need to discuss the iSearch assignment early in the semester (because, after all, the "i" is for "inquiry").

Minutia of MLA: even though it may seem redundant to me to discuss what can so easily be looked up in a wide variety of places (Free MLA handbook online) - more class time may be warranted.

Syllabus quiz update: next semester we need to add questions to the syllabus quiz re: 1) it is possible to pass the class if one of the formal essays/ papers is not turned in (False, it isn't). 2) any late work can be turned in at any time up to the final exam ( if it's a formal essay it must be turned in pass - but after 2 weeks there are no points available and after 3 weeks - or after the final day to drop - a student risks becoming an academic zombie ( present - but with no chance of passing the class).

Response to Comp 2 literacy reflection.

This term's Literacy Reflections impress me. We have some bright and thoughtful classmates. I'd like to note that for the first time in my almost-2-decade career in higher ed. about 90% of the class got the MLA heading right! What happened? I've never seen more that 30% get the heading even close on the first paper. I 'm verklempt.

Then, as is too often the wont of composition instructors, I get distracted by less than optimal usage and rhetoric. Too often it looks like students merely type rather than compose their papers. Most often, waiting until the last minute and rushing through a paper, then neglecting to proofread causes this. This may be the root cause of the following:

• over-use of passive verbs: while it didn't affect the grade on this paper, excessive use of passive voice will be considered in all subsequent papers. Passive voice is the "to be" verbs: is, are, was, were, be, being, been, am.
  
• passive language occasionally betrays a lack of responsibility or involvement with the educational process in expressions such as, "I received _(good/bad)_ grades in high school." Didn't you earn them? If they were unfair didn't someone give them to you? Also seen repeatedly, "the classes I was enrolled in." Did the student have a choice? Was there parental or institutional pressures that aren't being directly communicated? Passive verbs hide agency - the "who was responsible for what"ness of good writing.
  
• use of semicolons (;)Technically it acts like a period - which means it should be followed by an independent clause. Too often fragments (dependent clauses_) follow. If that's the case use a colon (:) or comma. Really a trivial issue - but I'm glad to see people using semi-colons and I want to see them used correctly, so as not to diminish their effect.
  
• 5 paragraph essay - legit for this assignment but overused. Be willing to try new and more sophisticated forms of organization.
• Conclusions not summaries. Summaries come across too often as redundant.I know someone somewhere once said, "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em. Tell 'em. Tell 'em what you've told them" but that was an oversimplification and/or questionable advice. I read quite well and remember what I've read. I expect more nuanced and sophisticated rhetoric (congrats to AH for being the first to use the word in class).

Several writers appear to have gone down the list of possible ideas to respond to found in the assignment prompt, and then addressed them one at a time in that order with little or no attention to transitions or organization, rather than adjusting the suggestions to the individual student's experience and crafting a coherent approach to organization. (Wow that was a long sentence).

These issues commonly, if not always, appear early in a semester. Let me reiterate that the content and reflection was exceptionally good.

Reponse to Literacy Reflection: Comp 2

This term's Literacy Reflections impress me. We have some bright and thoughtful classmates. I'd like to note that for the first time in my almost-2-decade career in higher ed. about 90% of the class got the MLA heading right! What happened? I've never seen more that 30% get the heading even close on the first paper. I 'm verklempt.

Then, as is too often the wont of composition instructors, I get distracted by less than optimal usage and rhetoric. Too often it looks like students merely type rather than compose their papers. Most often, waiting until the last minute and rushing through a paper, then neglecting to proofread causes this. This may be the root cause of the following:

• over-use of passive verbs: while it didn't affect the grade on this paper, excessive use of passive voice will be considered in all subsequent papers. Passive voice is the "to be" verbs: is, are, was, were, be, being, been, am.
  
• passive language occasionally betrays a lack of responsibility or involvement with the educational process in expressions such as, "I received _(good/bad)_ grades in high school." Didn't you earn them? If they were unfair didn't someone give them to you? Also seen repeatedly, "the classes I was enrolled in." Did the student have a choice? Was there parental or institutional pressures that aren't being directly communicated? Passive verbs hide agency - the "who was responsible for what"ness of good writing.
  
• use of semicolons (;)Technically it acts like a period - which means it should be followed by an independent clause. Too often fragments (dependent clauses_) follow. If that's the case use a colon (:) or comma. Really a trivial issue - but I'm glad to see people using semi-colons and I want to see them used correctly, so as not to diminish their effect.
  
• 5 paragraph essay - legit for this assignment but overused. Be willing to try new and more sophisticated forms of organization.
• Conclusions not summaries. Summaries come across too often as redundant.I know someone somewhere once said, "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em. Tell 'em. Tell 'em what you've told them" but that was an oversimplification and/or questionable advice. I read quite well and remember what I've read. I expect more nuanced and sophisticated rhetoric (congrats to AH for being the first to use the word in class).

Several writers appear to have gone down the list of possible ideas to respond to found in the assignment prompt, and then addressed them one at a time in that order with little or no attention to transitions or organization, rather than adjusting the suggestions to the individual student's experience and crafting a coherent approach to organization. (Wow that was a long sentence).

These issues commonly, if not always, appear early in a semester. Let me reiterate that the content and reflection was exceptionally good.

MidTerm Class Assessment

In looking at the class feedback on how things are going, I am impressed with the overall maturity and reflection in the feedback. In response to the prompt

What has been the most challenging/ what course objectives need further
exploration/ what directions should we toward?

Responses fell in to the following areas.

• big ups for: group work/ ad campaign: 6
• favorite class. Perfect pace: 5
• grammar/ structure/ mechanics: 4 (What are comma splices)
• technology /tech learning curve (wiki/angel): 4
• organization: 4 (thesis, transitions,
• peer feedback/ revision: 4
• literature (poetry/short story): 3
• research/ citing sources/evaluating resources: 3
• group work can suck if your group doesn't click: 3
• I hate getting out of bed so early in the morning: 3
• thinking of what to write about : I
• not challenging enough. Faster pace/ more homework: I
• group work was most frustrating but most fun. : I
• should not have to write on subjects we don't like: I
• want to know where grade is - use Angel Gradebook?: I