Screencasting: supportive feedback for EFL remedial writing students

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore screencasting as a computer-mediated feedback approach for Arabic native (L1) speakers taking an English as a foreign language (EFL) college remedial writing class. Design/methodology/approach This case study focused on an EFL remedial writing class consisting of eight Lebanese, Arabic L1 students at a private university in Lebanon. Students received screencast feedback through Jing® for one essay intended to assist them with subsequent revision. The multimodal screencast videos included indirect corrections, annotations, and oral commentary guided by a rubric. Students then completed a perspectives survey on screencast feedback. The instructor also led an informal group discussion to allow for further elaboration of students’ responses. Findings Students reported that screencasting’s multimodality provided for better engagement and support of learning preferences. They also perceived screencast feedback to be clearer and more useful than traditional written feedback. Research limitations/implications This study applied screencasting to address feedback challenges pertaining to clarity, learning preferences, and engagement. As this was a classroom case study, further research using a larger sample is recommended. Originality/value The aim of research into computer-mediated human feedback is to address such challenges as increasing student engagement, improving clarity, and responding to students’ preferences. Studies of screencast feedback have been few, particularly for EFL writing students. A survey of the literature indicates the need to explore contextualized classroom feedback case studies and approaches to enhance feedback.

The Effect of Computer-Based Self-Access Learning on Weekly Vocabulary Test Scores

This study sets out to clarify the effectiveness of using an online vocabulary study tool, Quizlet, in an urban high school language arts class. Previous similar studies have mostly dealt with English Language Learners in college settings (Chui, 2013), and were therefore not directed at the issue self-efficacy that is at the heart of the problem of urban high school students in America entering remedial writing programs (Rose, 1989). The study involves 95 students over the course of 14 weeks. Students were tested weekly and were asked to use the Quizlet program in their own free time. The result of this optional involvement was that many students did not participate in the treatment and therefore acted as an elective control group. The resultant data collected shows a strong correlation between the use of an online vocabulary review program and short-term vocabulary retention. The study also showed that students who paced themselves and spread out their study sessions outperformed those students who used the program only for last minute “cram sessions.” The implications of the study are that students who take advantage of tools outside of the classroom are able to out perform their peers. The results are also in line with the call to include technology in the Basic Writing classroom not simply as a tool, but as a “form of discourse” (Jonaitis, 2012). Weekly vocabulary tests, combined with the daily online activity as reported by Quizlet, show that: 1) utilizing the review software improved the scores of most students, 2) those students who used Quizlet to review more than a single time (i.e., several days before the test) outperformed those who only used the product once, and 3) students who professed proficiency with the “notebook” system of vocabulary learning appeared not to need the treatment.

“Write like College”: How Remedial Writing Courses at a Community College and a Research University Position “At-Risk” Students in the Field of Higher Education

Background/Context Twenty percent of first-year students in public 4-year institutions and 42% of first-year students in public 2-year institutions in the United States enroll in remedial courses. Yet despite widespread remediation across U.S. colleges and universities, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about how remedial courses develop the academic skills and habits of mind required for students to succeed in college-level courses. Remediation at the college level is a widely debated practice, yet there is a dearth of research that assesses the efficacy of postsecondary remediation. In addition, there is evidence that student outcomes differ depending on whether students participated in remedial coursework at a community college or a 4-year institution. A theoretical analysis of first-year students’ experiences of remediation in both contexts may help to reveal the institutional structures that act to maintain or reduce this disparity in outcomes. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study Two questions guided this study: (1) How do first-year developmental writing courses at a research university and a community college compare? (2) How do differences in institutional provisions of course content, instruction, and tutoring resources to remedial students at a research university and a community college impact students’ self-reported experiences in the first year of college? To address these questions, we analyze the relationship between postsecondary institutional structures and the efficacy of remedial writing instruction for underprepared students by examining the experiences and outcomes of remedial writing students enrolled in two institutions, an urban community college and an urban research university. We apply Pierre Bourdieu's theory of practice and consider remedial writing as a position in the field of higher education. Research Design A qualitative comparative case study approach was used, including three primary methods of data collection: ethnographic observations of students and instructors during one semester of course meetings; taped interviews with instructors, students, and a college writing program director; and a compiled catalog of course documents including course syllabi, class notes, assignments, and samples of student writing provided by instructors. Both course instructors also provided data on student performance. Using Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software, we coded and categorized field notes and interview transcripts to facilitate the development of theoretical concepts. Conclusions/Recommendations Although remedial writing can be viewed as a subordinate position in the overall field of higher education, our ethnographic study reveals that institutions further determine the advantage or disadvantage of remedial students by controlling their access to cultural capital and the supportive academic resources that are critical for navigating the field of higher education successfully. In addition, although all students in the two courses seemed to possess a college-going habitus, only students enrolled in the remedial writing program at the 4-year university acquired a habitus of what is required to be successful once enrolled. We believe that these findings may inform postsecondary remediation practices and add a new angle to the debate over whether remedial courses have a place at 4-year institutions. In particular, our findings suggest that it is not the type of institution but the confluence of curriculum, pedagogy, and level of resources afforded to students by the institution that influences students’ experiences with remediation.

death sentences

more tales from a new york writing class. the axe split two ways: half of us against the death penalty, half for it. this i found out by asking the remedial writing-and-reading class to explain on paper how and when they arrived at their current opinion on capital punishment. with most of the students being from overseas, i thought it was important for each to explain his or her culture's or religion's or country's views on the death penalty. then we read – with those opinions and histories staring us in the face – claude gueux.