A Comprehensive Call Solution for Writing in the Disciplines

Author(s):  
Dennis Foung ◽  
Dureshahwar Shari Lughmani

This chapter describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a CALL support system for a university literacy project funded by the University Grants Committee in Hong Kong. The project, Supporting and Developing Students' English Literacy Practices in the Disciplines, was a collaboration among three universities: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, City University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist University. The chapter first describes collaboration between discipline teachers and language teachers to identify appropriate genre-based online support for students followed by details of the comprehensive needs analysis. Most importantly, the chapter focuses on how this CALL system was designed and developed to meet the needs of different stakeholders including the manner in which the comprehensive, flexible, and dynamic design helps non-traditional and independent tertiary level learners develop literacy skills for their content courses. The chapter concludes by providing details of an evaluation of the CALL system conducted with various stakeholders.

Author(s):  
Sedat Akayoglu ◽  
H. Müge Satar ◽  
Kenan Dikilitas ◽  
Nazlı Ceren Cirit ◽  
Sibel Korkmazgil

With rapid changes in information and communication technologies, it is no longer sufficient for language teachers and pre-service teachers (PTs) to know how to use existing digital tools. They also need to be digitally literate in order to critically evaluate such tools and platforms for safe, wise, and productive use. Within a qualitative approach, this study investigated Turkish PTs’ conceptualisation of digital literacy. This included an exploration of how PTs defined this concept, what kind of tools they used, and for which purposes they preferred to use digital tools. First, we found that PTs concept of digital literacy consist of many levels from knowledge to use, and to critical, creative, and collaborative use. Second, we observed that university professors play an important role in the development of digital literacy levels of PTs. Third, it was found that PTs use social media platforms heavily for various purposes, however, we identified a need for further guidance in supporting PTs' use of these platforms for their professional development. The findings of this study shed light on the current digital literacy skills of PTs in Turkey and will be beneficial for educational policy makers and teacher trainers in teacher education for the twenty-first century.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim Nabhan ◽  
Rahmad Hidayat

This study attempts to investigate the literacy practices of EFL teaching and learning in higher education level from multiliteracies and multimodal perspective. Mixed methods were used: questionaires to the students, interviews with both teachers and students, focus group discussion with students, observation, and documents. The study was focused on the English reading and writing classroom activities. The results of the study revealed that most participating students frequently utilized on screen text and digital devices instead of printed paper in their reading and writing activities. In addition, despite the fact that teachers still used print-based literacy, they supported the adoption of digital and multimodal literacy in their teaching. The findings also indicated that there was mostly misconception of English literacy skills limited to the only targeted skills of English language, and yet the nature of reading and writing practices has developed towards incorportion of printed based texts with multimodal texts. Nevertheless, some challenges occured in integrating multimodality into practices including curriculum design and different learners’ qualification. Findings collected from the this study might have implications for the curriculum development within the framework of multiliteracies and multimodality in the contemporary teaching and learning English language particularly in response to the emergence of technology.


NeuroSci ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
Kulpreet Cheema ◽  
William E. Hodgetts ◽  
Jacqueline Cummine

Much work has been done to characterize domain-specific brain networks associated with reading, but very little work has been done with respect to spelling. Our aim was to characterize domain-specific spelling networks (SpNs) and domain-general resting state networks (RSNs) in adults with and without literacy impairments. Skilled and impaired adults were recruited from the University of Alberta. Participants completed three conditions of an in-scanner spelling task called a letter probe task (LPT). We found highly connected SpNs for both groups of individuals, albeit comparatively more connections for skilled (50) vs. impaired (43) readers. Notably, the SpNs did not correlate with spelling behaviour for either group. We also found relationships between SpNs and RSNs for both groups of individuals, this time with comparatively fewer connections for skilled (36) vs. impaired (53) readers. Finally, the RSNs did predict spelling performance in a limited manner for the skilled readers. These results advance our understanding of brain networks associated with spelling and add to the growing body of literature that describes the important and intricate connections between domain-specific networks and domain-general networks (i.e., resting states) in individuals with and without developmental disorders.


2020 ◽  
pp. 209653112097270
Author(s):  
Hui Gu ◽  
Jijun Yao ◽  
Longjun Zhou ◽  
Alan Cheung ◽  
Philip Abrami

Purpose: This study explores the effectiveness of a A Balanced Reading Approach for Children Always Designed to Achieve Best Results for All (ABRACADABRA; hereinafter, ABRA) —a web-based literacy program designed by Concordia University in Canada —on third-grade students in Nanjing, China. Design/Approach/Methods: Participants comprised 999 students from three treatment schools (N = 711) and three control schools (N = 288). Three different approaches were used in the treatment schools: namely, a computer laboratory once a week, noontime study after lunch, and single-game instruction (SG) during every English lesson. Interviews were also conducted with teachers, producing qualitative data. Findings: Following 20 weeks of intervention, the overall effect size was +0.05. The SG group reflected the smallest effect size (d = -0.52). The noontime study group produced an effect size of 0.39, and the laboratory group an effect size of 0.55. This study conducted interviews with teachers to gain a qualitative understanding of the differential impacts. In doing so, this study found that teachers in the SG group were poorly motivated due to a lack of school support and heavy workload, resulting in passive roles and low ABRA program intensity. Originality/Value: The results of this study indicate that ABRA is an effective means of improving Chinese students’ English literacy skills. Results also underscore the need for critical measures to encourage teachers to actively participate in the program.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4943
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Fugui Ye ◽  
Xiumei Liu

Though professional development of language teachers has received increasing attention over the past decade, there is a lack of research on development of language teachers’ teaching competencies in research universities. Informed by the institutional perspective and the framework of Scholarship of Teaching, this study investigates the development of 16 language teachers’ teaching competencies in Beijing research universities. The findings show that language teachers’ teaching competencies include English proficiency, professional ethics, pedagogical content knowledge, reflective thinking, and research-informed teaching. Factors influencing language teachers’ teaching competencies range from the department level to the university level and the academia level. Pathways are proposed from the cultural-cognitive perspective, the normative perspective, and the regulative perspective to develop teaching competencies of language teachers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Miguel Dos Santos

<p>The<strong> </strong>purpose of the research is to explore the development of peer-observation programme for the use of an extension language school in Hong Kong. The research objectives were to explore teachers’ perceptions on a peer observation programme as a means to improve teaching practice, examine how teachers make sense of the peer observation programme after they have taken part in it and to suggest alternative approaches and measures by which schools can improve peer observation programmes in schools.</p><p>Data was collected from six teachers who participated in peer observation programme in Hong Kong through an interview process. The research has found out that peer observation can be a good tool for continuous professional development for teachers in order to develop their teaching strategies. This is especially important within the field of language education. From the analysis, most teachers are wary of the practicalities of peer observation due to the sensitivity that is associated with it. The research also found out that teachers think that if the peer observation approach is well developed, it can be potentially interesting or generate excitement among teachers.</p>


Author(s):  
Elen Priscila de Souza Lobato ◽  
Ana Carolina Dias Barreto de Souza ◽  
Larissa Paredes Muse ◽  
Ubiratan Holanda Bezerra ◽  
Maria Emilia de Lima Tostes ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 158-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Ince ◽  
Christopher Hoadley ◽  
Paul A. Kirschner

PurposeThis paper aims to review current literature pertaining to information literacy and digital literacy skills and practices within the research workflow for doctoral students and makes recommendations for how libraries (and others) can foster skill-sets for graduate student research workflows for the twenty-first century scholarly researcher.Design/methodology/approachA review of existing information literacy practices for doctoral students was conducted, and four key areas of knowledge were identified and discussed.FindingsThe findings validate the need for graduate students to have training in information literacy, information management, knowledge management and scholarly communication. It recommends empirical studies to be conducted to inform future practices for doctoral students.Practical implicationsThis paper offers four areas of training to be considered by librarians and faculty advisers to better prepare scholars for their future.Originality/valueThis paper presents a distinctive synthesis of the types of information literacy and digital literacy skills needed by graduate students.


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