Blog Post #7: Response to this week's readings: feedback & writing

This week's readings discussed the use of computer technology in correcting errors in students writings.

http://blackboard.uic.edu/@@EA92E130A1D063CB88304D6A69DC05DD/courses/1/ling487s10/content/_1660675_1/GaskillCobb.pdf

This article by Gaskell and Cobb discusses inserting into student writings links to online concordances in order to facilitate student error correction. Theories and methods behind correcting student writing errors are much debated concerning their effectiveness. There are a couple of points I'd like to make about using online concordances. First, concordances, by nature, focus primarily on form. Additionally, they focus on form at a word or sentence level. Correcting form definitely has its place, and I think online concordances might be an effective way to focus on form. A teacher should be aware, however, that in a communicative, learner-centered classroom setting, it might be useful to first focus on meaning using other methods of correction, and then use concordances on subsequent drafts to focus on form. That being said, on second thought, concordances might actually to some extent help focus on meaning, because they put words, phrases, collocations, etc. into context.
Second, it would be important to limit insertions to a small number per draft, so as not to overwhelm students. Because students must use the links to essentially figure out how to fix errors for themselves, error correction becomes more time consuming for the student. Also, after looking at an example in the reading of what an insertion looks like, adding lots of them into a paper really marks up a draft, and could therefore discourage a student. The article highlights this point, and in the experiment conducted, limits insertions to five per draft.
This being said, I think using online concordances could be a great way to promote student self-noticing of their errors, and help them become independent learners who have a tool to help them correct their own errors. Scaffolding is involved, as in early assignments, the teacher provides the link to the concordance, while in later assignments, students must look up errors in the concordance themselves. With enough training, students will ideally be able to use an online concordance independently and for uses outside of the writing classroom. While I have no experience with this technique, my gut-feeling is that it could be a engaging and effective tool for error correction.


http://blackboard.uic.edu/@@EA92E130A1D063CB88304D6A69DC05DD/courses/1/ling487s10/content/_1660677_1/SavignonWritingFeedback2007.pdf

This article discusses the effectiveness of form and meaning based feedback for students in a writing context. The study in the article found that students respond positively to teacher feedback that focuses on content. The study also found that students responded well to feedback from the teacher when it came in the form of a question. This type of feedback by the teacher led to a more collaborative relationship between teacher and student. While this technique could be employed using either computer technology or using paper and pen, I feel using word processing software and email could be quite effective in promoting content-focused feedback and correction, as well as student-teacher collaboration. First, using the computer allows teachers to highlight and insert comments easily in different ways than marking up a paper with red ink. This might lower student discouragement and frustration. Second, if students are instructed to fix errors or clarify meaning using the computer, there there could some accountability programmed into the assignment-for example, if the teacher instructs the students to highlight or bold-face, italicize, etc., their corrections for subsequent drafts. Finally, if the teacher is expecting students to use word processors and email to compose and submit their drafts, it will create a spirit of collaboration and unity if the teacher also uses the technology to provide feedback.

Overall, I think using computer technology to provide feedback to student writing would be a positive practice. I think it would help the teacher build a relationship of trust with different types of learners, and more fully engage a learner who might not feel comfortable approaching the teacher face-to-face, or who is not comfortable "speaking-up" during classtime. Online feedback has the potential to help students become more aware of their own errors, and provide them with the means of correcting their own errors.