Martine Braaksma, Gert Rijlaarsdam, & Huub van den Bergh ( University of Amsterdam)

1. Hypertext writing and observational learning: Effects on process characteristics and quality of writing products Martine Braaksma, Gert Rijlaarsdam, & Huub van den Bergh (University of Amsterdam) Sig Writing Conference, July 11th-13th2012, Porto

2. Several text types in language arts (“learning- to-write”) Learning or assessment tool in other subject domains (“writing-to-learn”) Practice and research mostly restricted to traditional paper format and focused on deconstruction of the phases of the writing process Based on two assumptions of learning: similarity of tasks (linear text = aim -> linear text = means) practice makes perfect (learning to write by writing) Writing in upper secondary education

3. Can two innovative learning arrangements improve writing education? Two learning arrangements: writing hypertexts (instead of writing linear texts) observational learning (instead of performing) Effects on: writing skills (writing processes,linear text quality, self-efficacy for writing, knowledge about writing) Aim project

4. Hypertext writing as a way to enhance learning (learning to write) Beneficial effects on: Writing skills (writing processes and text quality): Hypertext writing: students become aware of hierarchical text structures Hypertext writing: more planning and analysis than linear writing More planning & analysis = better product quality of hypertext and linear text Hypertext writing: more learning time on structuring information Hypertext writing

5. Shown to be effective for learning to write several types of texts for different types of students Makes it possible to make covert (writing) processes visible Cognitive effort shifts from executing writing tasks to learning Stimulates to use metacognitive strategies explicitly so input for learning is increased Observational learning

6. Pre-tests (aptitude, computer skills, self-efficacy for writing, linear text quality, knowledge about writing) Experimental lesson series (LIN, HYP, OBS) or regular writing lessons (CON) Post-tests (self-efficacy for writing, linear writing processes, linear text quality, knowledge about writing) Design

7. 104 students from a secondary school in Amsterdam Grade eleven, pre-university level (age about 16-17 years) 78 students randomly distributed to different conditions: LIN (22), HYP (26), and OBS (30) Participated during writing classes in the experiment (three conditions in one class) (trained teacher) 26 students participated in an extra Control group (CON) and followed regular writing lessons (own teacher) Participants

8. Five lessons (around 70 minutes each) on writing persuasive texts Three conditions (LIN, HYP, and OBS) All activities in class, no homework Theme: ‘connection good charities and commercial lotteries’, documentation provided First 2 lessons based on ‘inquiry learning’ (Hillocks, 1986) exactly the same for the three conditions Lesson 3-5: same learning activities, but (writing) tasks in HYP-format, LIN-format or via OBS Main overview experimental lesson series

9. Lessons and conditions

10. Main focus in lessons

11. No a-priori differences between conditions on Computer skills (p =.623) Aptitude (p = .761) Results: Pre-test scores

12. Global text quality (based on goal, text structure, quality of (subordinate) arguments, etc.) Each essay coded by three independent raters Sufficient jury reliability (pre-test 0.82; post-test 0.69) Regression analyses No differences between conditions for post-test text quality for students with a mean score at the pre-test Aptitude-treatment-interaction: in HYP and OBS: the higher the initial level of text quality, the more students profited from these interventions Effects on persuasive text quality (linear text)

13. Effects on persuasive text quality (linear text)

14. Key stroke logfiles (Inputlog) during writing of a linear text in post-test Focus on pause length (duration) Pause threshold: 2 seconds Multi level regression analysis (variation within and between participants) Effects on process characteristics

15. Effects on process characteristics (pause length during linear text writing)

16. Enlargement first five minutes Effects on process characteristics (pause length during linear text writing)

17. During linear text writing Relation between pause length and resulting text quality

18. Students with a high initial writing skill profited most for persuasive text quality in HYP and OBS Cope with unusual learning format and transfer their ‘new’ writing approach to linear writing? HYP shows higher pause length at the start of the writing process, which is positively related to text quality Postpone writing activities; maybe more planning and analysis? No information about the content of pausing Analysis of think-aloud protocols Discussion

19. Paper, slides, publications, lesson materials at: http://www.ilo.uva.nl/homepages/martine.htm Email: braaksma@uva.nl More information