scholarly journals Developing critical thinking in STEM education through inquiry-based writing in the laboratory classroom

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ah-Jung Jeon ◽  
David Kellogg ◽  
Mohammed Asif Khan ◽  
Greg Tucker-Kellogg
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
National University ◽  
Improved Learning ◽  
Double Blinded ◽  
Guided Instruction ◽  
Laboratory Pedagogy

AbstractLaboratory pedagogy is moving away from step-by-step instructions and toward inquiry-based learning (IBL), but only now developing methods for integrating inquiry-based writing (IBW) practices into the laboratory course. Based on an earlier proposal (Science 332:919 (2011)), we designed and implemented an IBW sequence in a university bioinformatics course.We automatically generated unique, double-blinded, biologically plausible DNA sequences for each student. After guided instruction, students investigated sequences independently and responded through IBW writing assignments. IBW assignments were structured as condensed versions of a scientific research paper, and because the sequences were double blinded, they were also assessed as authentic science and evaluated on clarity and persuasiveness.We piloted the approach in a seven-day workshop (35 students) at Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine in Kuala Lumpur. We observed dramatically improved student engagement and indirect evidence of improved learning outcomes over a similar workshop without IBW. Based on student feedback, initial discomfort with the writing component abated in favor of an overall positive response and increasing comfort with the high demands of student writing. Similarly encouraging results were found in a semester length undergraduate module at the National University of Singapore (155 students).

scholarly journals Book Reviews

1981 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-380
Author(s):  
C Dijk ◽  
A. Reid ◽  
J. Goor ◽  
Francois Valentijn ◽  
F.G.P. Jaquet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
British Library ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Land Grants ◽  
Oxford University ◽  
The People ◽  
National University ◽  
Ann Arbor ◽  
History Of ◽  
Oxford University Press

- C van Dijk, A. Reid, The blood of the people: Revolution and the end of traditional rule in Northern Sumatra. Kuala Lumpur etc., 1979. Oxford University Press. 288 pp. - J. van Goor, Francois Valentijn, Francois Valentijn’s description of Ceylon, translated and edited by Sinnappah Arasaratnam. Hakluyt Society, Second Series, volume 149 (London 1978) XV + 395 blz. - F.G.P. Jaquet, P.B.R. Carey, The archive of Yogyakarta; an edition of Javanese reports, letters and land grants from the Yogyakarta court dated between A.J. 1698 and A.J. 1740 (1772-1813) taken from materials in the British Library and the India Office Library (London); Vol. I; Documents relating to politics and internal court affairs. Oxford, Oxford University Pres, 1980. XXVI, 227 pp. Ills. Oriental documents, III. - P.E. de Josselin de Jong, Barbara Watson Andaya, Perak: The abode of grace. A study of an eighteenth century Malay state. East Asian Historical Monographs Series. Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, 1979. 444 pp., 7 maps, genealogical table. - G.A. Nagelkerke, Marlene van Doorn, Bouwstoffen voor de sociaal-economische geschiedenis van Indonesië van ca. 1800 tot 1940; een beschrijvende bibliografie - deel 2 (Materials for the socio-economic history of Indonesia from c. 1800-1940; a descriptive bibliography - vol. 2). De Indische Gids, 1879-1941. Amsterdam, Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, 1979, 116 pp. - Anke Niehof, Kevin Sherlock, A bibliography of Timor, Australian National University, Canberra, 1980, 309 pp. - S.O. Robson, L. Mardiwarsito, Kamus Jawa Kuna (Kawi) - Indonesia, Penerbit Nusa Indah, Ende, Flores, 1978. XIV & 426 pp. - S.O. Robson, Soewojo Wojowasito, A Kawi Lexicon, edited by Roger F. Mills, Michigan Papers on South and Southeast Asia number 17, Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1980. XV & 629 pp. - R. Roolvink, s. Udin, Spectrum, Essays presented to Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana on his seventieth birthday. LII + 656 pp. Dian Rakyat. Jakarta. - R. Roolvink, Leonard Y. Andaya, The Kingdom of Johor 1641-1728. xviii, 394 pp. Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, 1975.

Outcomes from a Baccalaureate Program's Writing Improvement Initiative

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betsy Vourlekis ◽  
Diane M. Harnek Hall
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Intensive Courses ◽  
Writing Improvement ◽  
Repeated Measures Analysis ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Writing Intensive Courses

Using a writing-in-the-discipline approach, our department explored teaching writing through faculty development and evaluated the results achieved after designating writing-intensive courses in the major. A pre- and posttest quasi-experimental evaluation design examined the effect of the department's writing-intensive methods classes on a cohort of majors, and the effect of an additional instructional intervention. Trained faculty assessed student writing from required writing assignments. Sixty-one students (62 percent of the cohort) comprised the study sample. Paired t-tests revealed the cohort's improved writing over time in four of six criteria. Repeated measures analysis revealed no main effect for the additional intervention. The initiative introduced ideas and techniques that promote confidence and enthusiasm for teaching writing as a product of critical thinking. It also provided outcome data for a key component of the educational endeavor.

scholarly journals Challenging High Potential Students In Large Classes: A Hurdles Approach

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Margaret A. Cleek
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Multiple Choice Exam ◽  
Set Up

A hurdles approach, where qualitatively different expectations are linked to higher grades is suggested as a way of challenging high performing students in large classes with extreme range in ability. Large classes and increasing range in student ability and preparedness as well as diverse student learning styles have made it difficult to design assignments and grading schemes which meet the needs of students in the large class environment. High potential students are particularly underserved in this context. Time considerations are also an issue, as large classes make reading student writing assignments impractical. Most instructors know the value of assignments that challenge students critical thinking skills, but many can simply no longer handle the workload and thus resort to no papers, no essay exams, and rely on only the multiple-choice exam. It is suggested that setting up a multiple hurdles approach to grading and assignments in classes can address these problems and issues. Properly worked out, this method can provide the challenge your top students need, the feedback that they deserve, satisfy your need to really challenge students, and address the reality of large classes. This paper outlines how to set up such a multiple hurdles system and make it work.

scholarly journals Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback among Graduate Students: The Effects of Feedback Timing

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-102
Author(s):  
Grant Eckstein ◽  
Maureen Sims ◽  
Lisa Rohm
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Feedback Timing ◽  
Written Corrective Feedback ◽  
Grammatical Accuracy ◽  
Premier Cycle ◽  
College Writers ◽  
Effects Of Feedback

Dynamic written corrective feedback (DWCF) is a pedagogical approach that offer meaningful, manageable, constant, and timely corrective feedback on student writing (Hartshorn et al., 2010). It emphasizes indirect and comprehensive writte error correction on short, daily writing assignments. Numerous studies have demonstrated that its use can lead to fewer language errors among undergraduate and pre-matriculated college writers (see Kurzer, 2018). However, the benefits of DWCF among second language (L2) graduate writers and the role of feedback timing have not been well examined. We analyzed timed writing samples over a 12-week intervention from 22 L2 graduate students who either received biweekly feedback on their writing throughout a semester, or postponed feedback until the last two weeks of the semester. Writing was analyzed for grammatical errors, lexical and syntactic complexity, and fluency. Results showed that neither timely nor postponed feedback led to significant improvement in grammatical accuracy or lexical complexity, but timely feedback did result in more fluent and complex writing. These findings suggest that the timing of feedback may be trivial for accuracy development but is more important for complexity among graduate writers. Teachers, teacher trainers, and writing administrators may use these insights as they plan curricula and design grammar and writing interventions. La rétroaction corrective écrite dynamique (RCED) est une approche pédagogique qui propose une rétroaction significative, gérable, constante et opportune sur les rédactions des étudiants (Hartshorn et al. 2010). Elle insiste sur la correction complète et indirecte d’erreurs dans de courts devoirs de rédaction quotidiens. De nombreuses études ont démontré que son utilisation peut amener les rédacteurs de premier cycle ou pré-inscrits au collège à faire moins d’erreurs de langue (voir Kurzer, 2018). Cependant, les avantages de la RCED chez les rédacteurs diplômés de seconde langue (L2) et le rôle joué par l’opportunité de la rétroaction n’ont pas été bien étudiés. Nous avons analysé des échantillons de rédaction écrites en temps limité sur une période d’intervention de 12 semaines chez 22 étudiants diplômés de L2 qui recevaient de la rétroaction deux fois par semaine sur leurs rédactions pendant la durée du semestre, ou une rétroaction différée jusqu’à deux semaines avant la fin du semestre. Les rédactions ont été analysées pour découvrir les erreurs grammaticales, la complexité lexicale et syntaxique, ainsi que la fluidité Les résultats ont montré que ni la rétroaction opportune, ni la rétraction différé ne se traduisaient par une amélioration marquée de la précision grammaticale ou de la complexité lexicale, mais la rétroaction opportune menait à une rédaction plus fluide et plus complexe. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’opportunité de la rétroaction peut ne pas beaucoup influer sur le développement de la précision, mais s’avère plus importante pour la complexité chez les rédacteurs diplômés. Les enseignants, les formateurs d’enseignants et les administrateurs de programmes de rédaction peuvent se servir de ces résultats lorsqu’ils planifient les programmes et conçoivent les interventions en grammaire et en rédaction.

scholarly journals A Call to Train: Graduate Teaching Assistants, Writing, and the STEM Curriculum

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Morgan Gostel ◽  
Reid Schwebach
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Assistants ◽  
Graduate Teaching Assistants ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
Laboratory Report ◽  
Student Inquiry ◽  
And Training

Priorities for university STEM curriculum emphasize the development of student-centered, inquiry-based classrooms that engage students beyond the traditional lecture. Much of this occurs in the laboratory, where a majority of instruction is led by educators-in-training or graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). GTA-based learning environments in laboratories extend far beyond traditional "cookbook" labs, and often GTAs play a principle role in evaluating student inquiry through writing—usually a laboratory report. We have surveyed a representative population of GTAs to gauge their attitudes toward education preparation and training, with an emphasis on writing assignments. Our findings indicate that this population of GTAs are not well-prepared for their roles, and GTAs are largely unaware of education-based literature and research to support and improve pedagogy for supporting student writing. Furthermore, GTAs do not seem aware of resources that might serve as evidence-based support for teaching. As a result, we have outlined recommendations for improved GTA training that will be implemented in future training of GTA cohorts at George Mason University.

scholarly journals Where is the Support? Learning Support for Multimodal Digital Writing Assignments by Writing Centres in Canadian Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Bell ◽  
Brian Hotson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Digital Writing ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Multimodal Composing ◽  
Canadian Higher Education ◽  
Video And Audio

Writing centres play a vital role in supporting all forms of student academic writing in higher education (HE) institutions, including digital writing projects (DWPs)—multiliterate and multimodal, often video-and-audio-based projects, produced using digital technologies. The importance of writing support for multimodal composing is evident in emerging research on both the multi-skilled practices of writer-designers and the conceptual shifts involved in their adoption. Currently, no research exists regarding the Canadian context of writing centre support for DWPs. To address this, we conducted two surveys: one of 22 Canadian writing centres asking about DWPs prevalence, technology and skills readiness, and DWP awareness; and one of faculty at a large Canadian university, asking about DWPs prevalence and frequency and types of DWP assignments. We find a significant disconnect between the number of DWPs being assigned by faculty and the number being supported in writing centres. We also find a significant lack of writing centre preparedness for supporting DWPs. This paper calls, with some urgency, for writing centres to invest in the reality of student writing in Canadian HE, to begin developing instructional materials, equipment, and skilled staff to support DWPs.

scholarly journals Opportunities to Write: An Exploration of Student Writing During Language Arts Lessons in Norwegian Lower Secondary Classrooms

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marte Blikstad-Balas ◽  
Astrid Roe ◽  
Kirsti Klette
Keyword(s):  
Language Arts ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Secondary Classrooms ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Language Arts Teachers ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Arts Teachers ◽  
Specific Assessment ◽  
Language Arts Teaching

Research suggests that student development as writers requires a supportive environment in which they receive sustained opportunities to write. However, writing researchers in general know relatively little about the actual writing opportunities embedded in students’ language arts lessons and how students’ production of texts in class is framed. The present study analyzes 178 video-recorded language arts lessons across 46 secondary classrooms in Norway based on the Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation. Specifically, we assess how often and in what situations students get an opportunity to engage in writing or are explicitly encouraged to write. We found that some writing assignments are short and fragmented, especially when students are merely recopying information from teachers’ materials. However, our analysis also provides detailed insight into how some teachers facilitate sustained, genre-focused, and process-oriented writing opportunities. These are powerful examples of successful writing instruction, and they suggest that when Norwegian language arts teachers prioritize writing, the opportunities to write are both sustained and scaffolded, the purpose of writing is explicit, and genre-specific assessment criteria are often used.

scholarly journals The impact of writing on curriculum development-a study of personality, Community Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (5/S) ◽  
pp. 89-94
Author(s):  
Gulmira Juraboyeva ◽  
Khadicha Tursunkulova
Keyword(s):  
Community Development ◽  
Curriculum Development ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
United Nations Agency ◽  
The Impact

The paper provides case studies of how four school members United Nations agency teach in undergraduate and graduate programs at the colleges of information science promote educational acquisition throughout the course of study. The paper describes the writing assignments in many courses, the objectives of those assignments in enhancing the writing skills of scholars, the pedagogic approaches utilized by the school members and a discussion of the results. Suggestions for assessing student writing will be provided.

scholarly journals Synovial Haemangioma of the Elbow: A rare paediatric case and imaging dilemma

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han G. Hoe ◽  
Faizah M. Zaki ◽  
Abdul H. A. Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Gadolinium Contrast ◽  
Diagnostic Dilemma ◽  
Intermediate Signal Intensity ◽  
Left Elbow ◽  
Imaging Characteristics ◽  
Paediatric Case ◽  
National University ◽  
Bony Erosion ◽  
Synovial Haemangioma

Synovial haemangiomas are rare benign vascular proliferations arising in synovium-lined surfaces. While the knee is by far the joint most commonly involved, this condition can also occur in the elbow. We report an eight-year-old boy who presented to the National University of Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2016 with a left elbow swelling of one year’s duration. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a lobulated intraarticular mass with intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted imaging and low signal punctate and linear structures within the hyperintense mass on T2-weighted imaging. In addition, there was heterogeneous yet avid contrast enhancement on post-gadolinium contrast images. The mass had juxta-articular extension and bony erosion to the coronoid process and the head of the radius. Synovial haemangiomas present a diagnostic dilemma. This report highlights certain imaging characteristics to distinguish this entity from other differential diagnoses.

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