“Far” transfer of learning outcomes from an ESL writing course: Can the gap be bridged?

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Andrew James
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Transfer Of Learning ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Writing Course

scholarly journals An Investigation of Transfer of Learning in an English-for-Specific-Academic Writing Course: Teaching for Transfer

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-184
Author(s):  
Kalthoum Kassab
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Transfer Of Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Transfer ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Near Transfer ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Transfer Principles

Despite its importance, transfer of learning is still an under-explored area of research in EAP contexts. The few EAP studies that investigated this phenomenon were mostly conducted in EGAP contexts. Studies conducted in ESAP contexts and informed by learning transfer theories are still rare. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of a teaching-for-transfer ESAP writing course on students’ ability to transfer their new learning to their subject-specific courses in a Tunisian university. The ESAP course design drew on SFL genre theories and teaching-for-transfer principles. Perkins and Salomon’s (1988) hugging and bridging strategies were blended into instruction in order to maximize the chances for learning transfer to occur. In addition, elements of Barnett and Ceci’s (2002) transfer taxonomy were used to distinguish between near transfer and far transfer. A longitudinal quantitative research design, using repeated measures, was followed. Students’ authentic written exams from the ESAP writing course and from three content subjects were analyzed in order to investigate the impact of instruction on learning transfer overtime. Results showed that near transfer occurred quite frequently while far transfer occurred in a constricted manner. The findings suggest that an ESAP writing course that blends teaching-for-transfer principles increases the chances for learning transfer to occur. However, the success of such courses depends on the close collaboration between the writing teachers and the disciplinary lecturers.

scholarly journals Reflective Writing on an ESL Writing Course

2021 ◽  
pp. 38-56
Author(s):  
Anna Wärnsby ◽  
Asko Kauppinen ◽  
Damian Finnegan
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Reflective Writing ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Complex Relation ◽  
Vernacular Language ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
Writing Course

Research shows that student reflective writing is a valuable window into student learning, particularly student metacognition; however, our knowledge of the challenges of accessing metacognition to inform curriculum design and assessment practices in the ESL (English as a Second Language) context is less robust. This paper reports two qualitative studies of student reflective writing on an ESL writing course within a teacher education programme. The studies investigate how student metacognition manifests itself in reflective papers and how mapping student metacognition can inform evidence-based curriculum design and assessment. The data comes from several iterations of an ESL writing course and is analysed using directed and conventional content analyses. Our results expose a complex relation between metacognition, curriculum design and assessment practices: 1) unless scaffolded by the curriculum design to use precise terminology, students resort to expressing their understanding of the course content in terms of everyday, vernacular language and 2) student reflective writing not only provides a more nuanced picture of their learning than the final course grades but is invaluable for developing scaffolding and assessment practices. Based on our results, we recommend integrating structured reflection as part of the regular curricula to gauge ESL student metacognition and monitor more precisely their uptake of course content.

scholarly journals Learner Agency, Motive, and Self-Regulated Learning in an Online ESL Writing Class

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Writing Classes ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Writing Class ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Learner Agency

Online learning has become a viable popular alternative to traditionalESL writing classes over the past decade. However, the effectivenessand validity of online ESL learning remains controversial.Furthermore, most researchers have used surveys to assess studentperceptions of online learning. This study presents a case study of twoparticipants in an online ESL writing course at a university in theNortheastern United States. Using activity theory as a framework, Iexplore what makes a successful learner in an online environment andhow learner agency, motive, and self-regulation impact studentperformance and academic achievement in the online learning context.Data from different sources were collected to provide a triangulatedanalysis. Results suggest that learners who employ good self-regulationstrategies and are motivated to learn and adapt tend to benefit morefrom the online learning experience, while students who do not employsuch strategies and are motivated solely to fulfill a degree requirementare more likely to be frustrated. The results also reveal that thephysical distance created by technology could be a challenge for thosewho do not seek assistance from instructors or peers. In other words,learners need guidance and support on how to be self-motivated andself-directed in the online environment. I also discuss how to effectivelydesign and deliver an online ESL course.

scholarly journals COGNITIVE TRANSFER OUTCOMES FOR A SIMULATION-BASED INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS CURRICULUM

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-440
Author(s):  
MATTHEW D. BECKMAN ◽  
ROBERT C. DELMAS ◽  
JOAN GARFIELD
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Statistics Education ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Introductory Statistics ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Cognitive Transfer ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Statistics Course ◽  
New Applications

Cognitive transfer is the ability to apply learned skills and knowledge to new applications and contexts. This investigation evaluates cognitive transfer outcomes for a tertiary-level introductory statistics course using the CATALST curriculum, which exclusively used simulation-based methods to develop foundations of statistical inference. A common assessment instrument administered at the end of each course measured learning outcomes for students. CATALST students showed evidence of both near and far transfer outcomes while scoring as high, or higher than, on the assessed learning objectives when compared with peers enrolled in similar courses that emphasized parametric inferential methods (e.g., the t-test). First published November 2017 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

scholarly journals Genre-Based Aproach in L2 Writing Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Rasyidah
Keyword(s):  
Genre Theory ◽  
Writing Classroom ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Genre Writing ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Food Writing

This conceptual paper is aimed at examining the application of genre theory to an L2 classroom in a local university in Malaysia in the learning of specialized vocabulary in a food writing course. All three types of genre theory will be discussed, namely literary, rhetoric and linguistic genre theory to give a holistic understanding of genre. This will allow the coverage of both similarities and differences through all disciplines, and subsequently inform the richness of these theories, how it can be applied, and the significance of using these genre theories in the ESL writing classroom. This paper will also discuss the relationship between genre approach and genre writing and its application in the food writing classroom.

scholarly journals Intentional Learning as a Principle for ESL Writing Instruction: A Case Study.

1986 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alister Cumming
Keyword(s):  
Writing Development ◽  
Intentional Learning ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Adult Esl ◽  
Think Aloud Protocols ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Esl Instruction

This paper first discusses the principle of intentional learning then reports on a case study investigating the application of this principle to instruction in ESL writing. Twenty, young adult ESL students of engineering were asked to select goals for their writing development, to monitor their attempts to achieve these goals during writing tasks, and to assess their learning achievements. Data collected from students' reports, think-aloud protocols, and analyses of achievement in composition writing indicate that most learners were able to use this form of learning to make discernable achievements in their writing proficiency. The instructional design used to promote intentional learning in the ESL writing course is described. Implications for ESL instruction and theories of learning are discussed.

A comparison of writing tasks in ESL writing and first-year composition courses: A case study of one US university

2019 ◽  
pp. 136216881985986
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Lee
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Composition Courses ◽  
First Year ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
First Year Composition ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Course Syllabi

Many international students in American universities are required to take writing courses in English as a second language (ESL) before participating in a mainstream first-year composition (FYC) course. Given that the goal of ESL writing course is to prepare students for FYC course, the connection between ESL and FYC courses is significant. This study investigates the correspondence of two such courses in terms of writing tasks based on the analysis of course syllabi, assignment sheets, and interviews with eight ESL course and 10 FYC instructors as well as 26 international students who are from diverse countries and took both composition courses. The findings suggest that students’ assignments from both courses are all essays in terms of genre, but show differences with regard to the text’s purpose, audience, information source, topic, and rhetorical function. Students are also aware of such similarities and differences, but occasionally demonstrate less sophisticated or inaccurate understanding of the assignments. Pedagogical implications for modifying the writing assignments in ESL courses to fit the expectations of FYC courses are discussed.

Emerging Feedback in Two Asynchronous ESL Writing Forums

2011 ◽  
pp. 342-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella K. Hadjistassou
Keyword(s):  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Writing Genres ◽  
Esl Learners

This study reports on a culturally-transforming group activity using asynchronously-mediated forums on the “discussion board” of Blackboard Academic Suite. Seventeen English as a second language (ESL) learners enrolled in a university-level writing course used the discussion board to engage in asynchronous collaborative forums where they presented and shared their paper topics and personal experiences, offered suggestions to their peers, and raised critical questions that were meant to help their peers think more critically about the assigned writing genres and their selected paper topic. The data suggest that participation in asynchronous computer-mediated communication (ACMC) forums can help students develop a deeper understanding of the writing assignments and encourage them to implement describing and narrating strategies to provide feedback to their peers. Students can also gradually produce feedback that is more complex, constructive, and challenging to their peers and begin improving their writing skills by developing more formal, sophisticated and complex language.

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