scholarly journals A Comparison of Teacher-directed and Author-directed Peer Review in a Japanese University EFL Class

Author(s):  
Matthew Coomber

<em>Peer review is widely-used in EFL writing classes, and it has been found that students hold generally positive attitudes towards both providing and receiving peer feedback. However, while it is common for teachers to utilize peer response worksheets, little research has looked at the impact that the specific style of these sheets can have on how language learners conduct peer review and their attitudes towards it. In this study, participants first used a generic peer response sheet designed by the teacher (teacher-directed peer review), then an individualized peer response sheet that each learner had created, focusing on specific points that they wanted advice on (author-directed peer review). Surveys were conducted after each peer review session, and the data revealed that the two peer review styles prompted peer reviewers to give different types of feedback, with a greater focus on surface level issues during author-directed peer review. Furthermore, although all students agreed that both styles had been useful, 60% stated a preference for the author-directed style.</em>

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim McDonough ◽  
Heike Neumann

Even though collaborative prewriting tasks are frequently used in second language (L2) writing classes (Fernández Dobao, 2012; Storch, 2005), they have not been as widely researched as other tasks, such as collaborative writing and peer review. This article examines the effectiveness of collaborative prewriting tasks at encouraging English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students to engage in critical reflection while brainstorming the content and organization of written texts. Drawing upon data from three experiments (Neumann & McDonough, 2014a, 2014b), the impact of task design and students’ perceptions about collaboration on their prewriting discussions are explored. Suggestions for instructors with an interest in using collaborative prewriting tasks are provided.Les tâches collaboratives de préparation à la rédaction sont communes dans les cours de rédaction en langue seconde (Fernández Dobao, 2012; Storch, 2005); par contre, elles n’ont pas aussi souvent fait l’objet de recherche que d’autres tâches comme la rédaction collaborative et l’examen par les pairs. Cet article examine dans quelle mesure les tâches collaboratives de préparation à la rédaction encouragent les étudiants en anglais académique à réfléchir de façon critique pendant les séances de remue-méninges sur le contenu et l’organisation de textes écrits. Puisant dans des données découlant de trois expériences (Neumann & McDonough, 2014a, 2014b), nous explorons l’impact qu’ont l’élaboration de la tâche et les perceptions des étudiants quant à la collaboration sur leurs discussions pendant la préparation à la rédaction. En fin d’article, nous présentons des suggestions qui visent les enseignants intéressés à employer des tâches collaboratives de préparation à la rédaction.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael D'Andrea ◽  
James P O'Dwyer

Peer review is the gold standard for scientific communication, but its ability to guarantee the quality of published research remains difficult to verify. Recent modeling studies suggest that peer review is sensitive to reviewer misbehavior, and it has been claimed that referees who sabotage work they perceive as competition may severely undermine the quality of publications. Here we examine which aspects of suboptimal reviewing practices most strongly impact quality, and test different mitigating strategies that editors may employ to counter them. We find that the biggest hazard to the quality of published literature is not selfish rejection of high-quality manuscripts but indifferent acceptance of low-quality ones. Bypassing or blacklisting bad reviewers and consulting additional reviewers to settle disagreements can reduce but not eliminate the impact. The other editorial strategies we tested do not significantly improve quality, but pairing manuscripts to reviewers unlikely to selfishly reject them and allowing revision of rejected manuscripts minimize rejection of above-average manuscripts. In its current form, peer review offers few incentives for impartial reviewing efforts. Editors can help, but structural changes are more likely to have a stronger impact.


Author(s):  
Miki Gilmore

This study investigates the attitudes and motivational orientations of heritage learners of Japanese. Twenty-seven students enrolled in Japanese classes in colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area participated in this study. Participants fell into two categories: heritage learners (N=6) and foreign language learners (N=21). Data was collected through an online questionnaire consisting of both quantitative and qualitative sections. Descriptive statistics were used to determine participants’ attitudes toward Japanese language, people, and culture and primary motivational orientations toward learning Japanese. The Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the effect of heritage status on attitude and motivational orientation. Results show both groups of learners generally have positive attitudes, though heritage learners tended to enjoy studying Japanese less than their counterparts without familial or cultural connection to the target language. Based on the findings and my personal experience, recommendations are made language instructors of Japanese to address the unique needs of heritage learners.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael D'Andrea ◽  
James P O'Dwyer

Peer review is the gold standard for scientific communication, but its ability to guarantee the quality of published research remains difficult to verify. Recent modeling studies suggest that peer review is sensitive to reviewer misbehavior, and it has been claimed that referees who sabotage work they perceive as competition may severely undermine the quality of publications. Here we examine which aspects of suboptimal reviewing practices most strongly impact quality, and test different mitigating strategies that editors may employ to counter them. We find that the biggest hazard to the quality of published literature is not selfish rejection of high-quality manuscripts but indifferent acceptance of low-quality ones. Bypassing or blacklisting bad reviewers and consulting additional reviewers to settle disagreements can reduce but not eliminate the impact. The other editorial strategies we tested do not significantly improve quality, but pairing manuscripts to reviewers unlikely to selfishly reject them and allowing revision of rejected manuscripts minimize rejection of above-average manuscripts. In its current form, peer review offers few incentives for impartial reviewing efforts. Editors can help, but structural changes are more likely to have a stronger impact.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Insa Happach ◽  
Karla Spirandelli ◽  
Tania M. Lincoln ◽  
Fabrice Berna

Abstract. Neurocognitive deficits in patients with mental disorders are partially due to secondary influences. “Stereotype threat” denotes the phenomenon that performance is compromised when a participant is confronted with a devaluing stereotype. The present study examined the impact of stereotype threat on neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia. Seventy-seven participants with a self-reported diagnosis of schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition involving stereotype threat activation or a control condition in an online study. Participants completed memory and attention tests as well as questionnaires on motivation, self-efficacy expectations, cognitive complaints, and self-stigmatization. Contrary to our prediction, the two groups showed no significant differences regarding neuropsychological performance and self-report measures. Limitations, such as a possibly too weak threat cue, are discussed and recommendations for future studies are outlined.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maykel Verkuyten ◽  
Kumar Yogeeswaran

Abstract. Multiculturalism has been criticized and rejected by an increasing number of politicians, and social psychological research has shown that it can lead to outgroup stereotyping, essentialist thinking, and negative attitudes. Interculturalism has been proposed as an alternative diversity ideology, but there is almost no systematic empirical evidence about the impact of interculturalism on the acceptance of migrants and minority groups. Using data from a survey experiment conducted in the Netherlands, we examined the situational effect of promoting interculturalism on acceptance. The results show that for liberals, but not for conservatives, interculturalism leads to more positive attitudes toward immigrant-origin groups and increased willingness to engage in contact, relative to multiculturalism.


Author(s):  
Nina Surya Rahman Nasution ◽  
Masitowarni Siregar

Writing, regarded as a thinking process enables language learners to explore and transform their ideas into words in accurate and appropriate ways. Although it has been taught from the Elementary school level up to the higher level of education, English teachers and students encounter various challenges. For students, they still get difficulties in writing a text even after being taught. For teachers, correcting students’ writing increases their workload. Therefore, how to reduce the load of teaching writing and to decrease students’ difficulties in writing have become important problem to solve. Through applying a technique in teaching writing, this research aimed to explore whether the application of peer review technique can improve students’ achievement in writing recount text. The method applied in this research was a classroom action research. The subject of the research was X-4 class SMA Negeri 21 Medan. The instruments of collecting the data were writing tasks as quantitative data while observation sheet, questionnaire sheet, diary notes and interview as qualitative data. The finding showed that Peer Review Technique gives contribution to improve students’ achievement in writing recount text. Keywords: Achievement, Writing, Recount Text, Peer Review Technique


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