scholarly journals The Problem-Solution Pattern in NNS Argumentation

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Tahara Nobuko
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Solution Problem

The present study investigates the use of Problem-Solution in student essays to identify whether or not, or to what extent, this text pattern is a source of perceived difference in NNS student essays, in comparison with NS student essays. The study is a follow-up to Tahara (2017), which compared argumentation essays written by NNS students with those by NS students, conducted from the perspective of the use of metadiscursive nouns. They are general and unspecific meaning nouns that can serve as markers of the discourse in some ways by referring to a textual segment in the texts where the nouns occur. Of 33 selected metadiscursive nouns examined in Tahara (2017), this paper reexamines the use of a noun problem in relation to the Problem-Solution pattern. The focus of the noun for the investigation of the use of Problem-Solution is because in the 2017 study (Tahara), problem very often occurred in combination with a Response/Solution-indicating vocabulary in both corpora, as in ‘problem is solved’; ‘consider the problem’; or ‘problem should bedealt with’ (underlinedare vocabulary signaling Response/Solution). Problem-Solution is a well-known English rhetorical pattern, often used in technical academic writing (Flowerdew, 2003), but it seems not to have been taught in the writing of English essays, at least in Japan. In contrast, the text pattern often used in the class is Introduction-Body-Conclusion to prepare for TOEFL/IELTS writing, along with the teaching of the paragraph structure, comprised of a topic sentence, supporting details, and concluding sentences.

scholarly journals Face-to-face to online: PhD academic writing @Maastricht University

2020 ◽  
pp. 13-19
Author(s):  
Neill Wylie
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
The Face ◽  
Language Needs

Maastricht University (UM) has a distinct global perspective and a strong focus on innovation. UM offers an array of PhD courses to distance and campus based students who have access to elective, credit bearing modules and the language needs of these students are catered for by the Language Centre. Many PhD candidates choose to take an academic writing course in their first or second year of their degree. In recent years, demand for a more student focused, flexible academic writing course has grown. In line with UM’s policy of supporting innovative teaching practices, the Language Centre’s face-to-face PhD academic writing course, PhD Writing 1, has been transformed into a fully online course containing eight interactive webinar sessions named Online PhD Writing, which runs in addition to the face-to-face rendition. On the back of the success of this course, coupled with increased demand for a follow up course, this author was tasked with creating an advanced online PhD academic writing course to cater for global students with diverse time zones and schedules. This paper evaluates the challenges posed and the advances made in constructing both online courses and explores the technologies used in implementing them.

Two-Year Follow-up of the Sheffield Psychotherapy Project

1990 ◽  
Vol 157 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Shapiro ◽  
Jenny Firth-Cozens
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Psychological Problems ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Major Life Events ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Anxiety Management

Of 40 depressed and anxious patients who received treatment during the Sheffield Psychotherapy Project, 31 completed the BDI and SCL-90 at two-year follow-up. At both group and individual levels, outcomes were very similar to those obtained at the completion of treatment. Substantial minorities of patients reported major life events and seeking further help for psychological problems during the two years, but these reports were not reliably associated with symptoms at follow-up. Patients recalled very different elements in prescriptive and exploratory therapies as helpful, with a notable emphasis upon prescriptive therapy's relaxation and anxiety management as a source of problem solution.

Unpacking The Relation Between Spatial Abilities and Creativity in Geometry

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-328
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Gridos ◽  
◽  
Evgenios Avgerinos ◽  
Eleni Deliyianni ◽  
Iliada Elia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Solution Process ◽  
Spatial Relations ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
Spatial Abilities ◽  
Multiple Solution ◽  
Ninth Graders ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Solution Problem

This study aims to examine the relation between spatial ability and creativity in Geometry. Data was collected from 94 ninth graders. Three spatial abilities were investigated: spatial visualization, spatial relations and closure flexibility. As for students' creativity, it was examined through a multiple solution problem in Geometry focusing on three components of creativity: fluency, flexibility, and originality. The results revealed that spatial visualization predicted flexibility and originality while closure flexibility predicted all creativity components. Additionally, it was deduced that auxiliary constructions played an essential role in the problem-solution process. Finally, further study opportunities for the teaching and learning of Geometry are discussed.

scholarly journals Development and validation of a rating scale for Iranian EFL academic writing assessment: a mixed-methods study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasim Ghanbari ◽  
Hossein Barati
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Assessment ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
State Universities ◽  
Second Development ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Assessment Context

Abstract The present study reports the process of development and validation of a rating scale in the Iranian EFL academic writing assessment context. To achieve this goal, the study was conducted in three distinct phases. Early in the study, the researcher interviewed a number of raters in different universities. Next, a questionnaire was developed based on the results of the interview along with the related literature. Later, the questionnaire was sent to thirty experienced raters from ten major state universities in Iran. Results of the country-wide survey in this phase showed that there was no objective scale in use by the raters in the context. Therefore, in the second development phase of the study, fifteen of the raters who participated in the first phase were asked to verbalize their thoughts when each rating five essays. At the end of this phase, a first draft of the scale was developed. Finally, in the last validation phase of the study, ten raters were asked to each rate a body of twenty essays using the newly developed scale. Next, eight of the raters participated in a follow-up retrospective interview. The analysis of the raters’ performance using FACETS showed high profile of reliability and validity for the new scale. In addition, while the qualitative findings of the interviews counted some problems with the structure of the scale, on the whole, the findings showed that the introduction of the scale was well-received by the raters. The pedagogical implications of the study will be discussed. In addition, the study calls for further validation of the scale in the context.

scholarly journals Accomplishing authentic writing tasks: Ventures into academic publication by Ecuadorian EFL teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Agnes Orosz ◽  
Marcela Carrasco ◽  
Daniela Jaramillo ◽  
Erzsébet Békés
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Short Article ◽  
Training Course ◽  
Academic Level

Academic writing and subsequent publishing have become an important part of the career advancement and professional development of those engaged in English language teaching worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore a solution to the gap in the academic writing skills of Ecuadorian English teachers in tertiary education. Our survey of 65 Ecuadorian English teachers showed that 92% of teachers had never published. Their reasons for not having done so included lack of self-confidence that they could produce publishable material, lack of English proficiency, lack of academic writing skills and lack of time. The intervention described in the research study involved engaging nine English teachers of an academic writing training course in authentic tasks that required writing academically for five carefully chosen ELT publications. An attainable goal was set: the participants of the training course held in November-December 2016 were invited to write book reviews and short articles on the intervention itself. Till the end of April 2018, altogether seven academic-level texts (four book reviews, one webinar review, one short article, and a concise book) were published. Two of the course participants decided early on that they did not want to participate in the optional academic writing and publishing activity, and a further four did not follow up on their initial steps; nonetheless, as a result of the intervention and its follow-up phase, five of the nine participants (including two that initially abstained) eventually published academic-level texts in recognized ELT publications. The results of the study suggest that tertiary level (non-native) English teachers can start writing academically and achieve success in the competitive world of publishing if realistic tasks are set, the trainees are mentored systematically, and the time frame (18 months) allows the submission, revision, and editing of academic articles to develop organically, leading to polished products.

A Systematic Review of Using Discipline-Specific Corpora for Lexico-Grammatical Pattern Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaoqun Wu ◽  
Liang Li ◽  
Ian Witten ◽  
Alex Yu
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pattern Learning ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Learning Program

This article reports on a language learning system and a program designed to help students with academic vocabulary in the New Zealand university computer science department. The system is a learner-friendly corpus-based tool that allows students to look up lexico-grammatical patterns of a given word in academic writing. The program, based on a data-driven learning approach, comprises tutorials, workshops, and follow-up exercises that help students learn useful formulaic patterns of academic words that are typical in computer science. The authors' results capture students' awareness of language patterns in academic text and their growing confidence in using academic words with the assistance of the tool. Not surprisingly, interpreting and transferring the corpus data into students' own writing requires training and practice. The effectiveness and limitations of the resources and tools used in this learning program are examined, and suggestions are made for further improvement and future research.

Persepsi Mahasiswa terhadap Indikator Prinsip Pelayanan Publik dan Berbagai Kelemahan dalam Pelayanan Publik di Tujuh Perguruan Tinggi di Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Asih Setiawati
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Administrative Personnel ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Quantitative Data Analysis ◽  
Solution Problem

The objectif or research are to determine student perceptions about indicators of quality of service of universities from lecturer and administrative personnel, forms of services and things that are still weak in quality services in universities. The data were supplemented using a questionnaire consisting of closed and open questions. The number of samples analyzed were 370 respondents, using purposive sampling method at seven universities in Indonesia. Quantitative data analysis used is the validity, reliability test, and descriptive statistics, while qualitative data are analyzed using the contents. The results show that in general the students agree with the high quality indicators of higher education developed. Agreement on the non-discrimination and the lowest aspects of the aspect of easy and cheap. Students who need high service should be without discrimination but still allow for better service seen from the ease and generosity in the service. In general, students demand all universities that have run a quality service. Even so there are various problems that still need to be fixed. There are four problems with aspect, problem, problem solution, problem solution, problem solution, and problem, and problem, accountability, problem and ethics. Steps need to be taken to improve student perceptions of the importance of college public indicators and improvements to issues united by students on the services of higher education.

scholarly journals Metadiscourse and Voice Construction in Discussion Sections in BA Theses by Chinese University Students Majoring in English

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110088
Author(s):  
Jian-E Peng ◽  
Yuting Zheng
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Bachelor Of Arts ◽  
Chinese University Students ◽  
University Undergraduates

Voice is considered essential in academic writing, and metadiscourse is an important device contributing to voice. This study explores the use of metadiscourse and voice construction in Bachelor of Arts (BA) theses written at the onset and final stages by university undergraduates majoring in English in China. A corpus consisting of the discussion sections in the first and final versions of 35 BA theses was built, annotated, and analyzed. Two academics from this university were then invited to evaluate 10 pairs of the texts and specify textual elements that conveyed voice and to provide further comments in a follow-up interview. Results showed that the students used significantly more evidentials, hedges, and boosters in the final versions. The reviewers perceived minor growth in voice strength from the sample texts, and they commented that both content-related features and metadiscourse contributed to voice. This study highlights the importance of cultivating undergraduates’ awareness of voice construction and the use of metadiscourse in academic writing.

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