In providing feedback for writing assignments, it makes sense to me to focus on more general aspects of writing (content, main points) in the first draft and more specific aspects (structure, and eventually forms) in subsequent drafts. As an instructor, I believe that it is important to not do all of the editing on a student’s writing drafts. I think that it would be valuable to point out the areas where improvement is needed without giving all of the answers.
For this reason, the idea of using question-form feedback (from the article by Chiu and Sauvignon) appeals to me as something that I may use when commenting on ESL writing drafts. According to the study discussed in the article, there was a high incidence of revisions when question-form feedback was given. I think that allowing the student to reflect on where and why improvement is needed will facilitate independent learning, increase student accountability in subsequent drafts, and eventually result in improvement in future writing samples. I also think that the use of the highlighting feature in MS Word will be a valuable tool when dealing with online learning.
Question(s):
When do you think it would be useful to edit a draft more thoroughly, i.e. provide 'corrections' instead of 'guidance'?
Reflection on CALL Experience
14 years ago
I like your idea of editing the first for one set of skills, and the second draft for another set of skills. I think that all aspects of writing assignments are so important for students, so I don't think that one skill should take priority over another. I also agree that it is not the instructor's job to edit every detail, and that maybe students could benefit from peer feedback. Although I think you need to make sure you have the proper classroom context for peer reviews.
ReplyDeleteIf you have the luxury of assigning students multiple drafts before collecting the final version for grading (summative feedback), you could focus feedback on early drafts on content and organization issues, and leave feedback on surface issues such as grammar for the penultimate draft.
ReplyDeleteI think the type of feedback teachers give is relevant to the level of the students. With beginner level students, teachers may want to provide more thorough guidance in order to address some important issues. As students move up to intermediate, high intermediate or advanced levels it is more beneficial for the students to receive indirect feedback which will raise their learning awareness and promote a sense of learning independence and autonomy.
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