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Learner-Directed Feedback : A useful tool for developing EAP writing and academic skills ?

Learner-Directed Feedback : A useful tool for developing EAP writing and academic skills ? . IATEFL Harrogate 2014 Weds 3rd April. Feedback. Teachers value constructive feedback BUT what exactly is ‘constructive’? Recently: “Red pen revolution” Recent publications on issues of

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Learner-Directed Feedback : A useful tool for developing EAP writing and academic skills ?

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  1. Learner-Directed Feedback: A useful tool for developing EAP writing and academic skills? IATEFL Harrogate 2014 Weds 3rd April

  2. Feedback • Teachers value constructive feedback • BUT what exactly is ‘constructive’? • Recently: “Red pen revolution” • Recent publications on issues of • Intelligibility • Authority over written text • Correcting grammatical errors • Hyland & Hyland (2006) meta-study also highlights • Delivery format • Role of technology • Independence as writers

  3. Terminology • Traditional feedback • (red) pen on paper copy of work • Peer review / Peer feedback • Student to student feedback/help with editing • Learner-Directed feedback • Teacher gives feedback, students give ‘directions’ to teacher. “Feedback on demand”

  4. Learner-Directed Feedback Learners ask to receive feedback in a certain format and on specific aspects of their written work. The feedback is given by the teacher, but the learners ‘direct’ how and on what they receive feedback comments. In order to ‘direct’ the feedback, learners can often choose between various modes of delivery (e.g. email, electronic document, audio recording, face-to-face consultation), and are usually required to pose specific questions about their language and text to which the teacher responds.

  5. Research Procedure • 2x 20 advanced learners • English Studies majors • 2 hours per week x 14 weeks • 3x drafts of 1 discursive essay • Students chose delivery format for feedback • Students asked specific Qs about their work

  6. Research Procedure • Written survey in final lesson • 4x closed questions with ranked answers • 3x open-ended questions • preferred delivery formats, perceived effectiveness of LDF, problems experienced • 30 responses (14m + 16f), aged 23-27

  7. Results: Feedback Modes Responses to Question 1: “What forms of feedback have you asked for and/or received on your English academic writing this term? (Please tick all that apply)”

  8. Results: Feedback Modes Responses toQuestion 6: “Regarding student-directed feedback, do you agree with these statements?” • I was excited about trying student-directed feedback when I heard about it. strongly agree --- agree --- disagree --- strongly disagree 27% 67% 6% • I was happy to try out receiving feedback in different formats. strongly agree --- agree --- disagree --- strongly disagree 35% 53% • Receiving feedback in different formats motivated me more than traditional feedback. strongly agree --- agree --- disagree --- strongly disagree 40% 60%

  9. Results: Feedback Modes Students’ free comments explaining answers on feedback modes • The biggest advantage of the audio feedback is simply that you can HEAR the feedback, hear what’s good and what the teacher means is negative. And you can listen to it more times so you really can cope with your mistakes. • Explicit explanations in a long email and recommendations helped me to improve my written work, but I still was in control of my essay. • The audio and email feedback makes the teacher really involved and caring.

  10. Results: General Writing Responses to Question 2: “Which aspects of general written language has student-directed feedback helped you to improve, and to what extent?”

  11. Results: General Writing Students’ free comments explaining answers on general writing • I think it did really help because I could focus on specific language problems I really need feedback on, which I had a trouble with when I was writing. • Yes, because you can ask questions for improving individual problems, like when you’re writing and then you can’t find a word, or areas like sentence structure where you need more help on a specific sentence. • One is stimulated to rethink structures thoroughly by oneself. • Of course, because I am far more interested in solving the problems I am asking for myself.

  12. Results: Academic Skills Responses to Question 4: “Which academic skills has student-directed feedback helped you to improve, and to what extent?”

  13. Results: Academic Skills Students’ free comments explaining answers on academic skills • The teacher is just a reader and makes helpful comments to improve logical faults, if you ask about how logical your work sounds. • Yes! I think it is better for improving all academic skills but in case of critical thinking and also formal and academic expressions it helped because it is hard to recognise these things by oneself. • I consider student-directed feedback very helpful because it is very specific to my individual problems with the argumentation skill and picking a good topic. • It is not general but feels more personal and therefore inspires me to work more to improve myself as academic. • Yes, I think it is more helpful. It demands responsibility from students, as well making us think for ourselves, which is also important at university.

  14. Discussion & Conclusion • Learner-Directed feedback ‘answers’ issues • Intelligibility • Authority over written text • Correcting grammatical errors • Delivery format • Role of technology • Independence as writers • Removes pressure from Ts to find specific answers to questions on these issues. •  Useful for EAP writing & study skills! • And other ELT contexts??

  15. Select Bibliography • Campbell, N. & J. SchummFauster (2013). Learner-centred Feedback on Writing: Feedback as Dialogue. In M. Reitbauer, N. Campbell, S. Mercer, J. Schumm & R. Vaupetitsch (Eds) Feedback Matters (pp. 55–68). Frankfurt: Peter Lang. • Coxhead, A. (2012). Academic Vocabulary, Writing and English for Academic Purposes: Perspectives from Second Language Learners. RELC Journal, 43:1, 137–145. • Ferris, D. (2003). Response to Student Writing. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. • Hyland, K. & F. Hyland. (2006). Feedback on second language students’ writing. Language Teaching, 39:2, 83–101. • Stannard, R. (2013 April). Using technology to provide content-rich feedback. Paper presented at the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Langauge Conference, Liverpool (UK). • Truscott, J. (1996). The case against grammar correction in L2 writing classes. Language Learning, 46:2, 327–369.

  16. The End Thank you for your attention! Any questionsor comments?

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