abstract: This study explores the influence of framing and activity type on expectations of learning and enjoyment as well as performance in a paraphrase identification task. In the first experiment, 80 students played one of three activities framed as either a "play" or "learning" task. Students then completed one of three activities; learning only, an educational game, or a play only activity. Results showed that the play frame had an effect on learning expectations prior to completing the activity, but had no effect after completing the activity. Students who completed the educational game scored significantly higher on the posttest learning assessment than those in the play only activity. Pairwise comparisons also indicated that students who completed the educational game performed just as well as the learning only activity when given the posttest learning assessment. Performance in the paraphrase identification task was collected using data logged from student interactions, and it was established that although there was an interaction between performance and activity type, this interaction was due to a significant difference during the second round. These results suggest that framing can influence initial expectations, and educational games can teach a simple writing strategy without distracting from the educational task. A second experiment using 80 students was conducted to determine if a stronger frame would influence expectations and to replicate the effect of activity type on learning and enjoyment. The second study showed no effect of framing on expected or reported enjoyment and learning. The performance results showed a significant interaction between performance and activity type, with the interaction being driven by the first round that students completed. However, the effect of activity type was replicated, suggesting that game features can enhance student enjoyment and are not a detriment to learning simple strategy-based tasks. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Psychology 2013

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The aim of the study was to describe the reading and writing activities that takes place in vehicle repair workshops and to elucidate how people experiencing low reading-and-writing ability describe their encounters with text in working life. Reading and writing are considered in the study from an educational-philosophical and special educational perspective. This study of literacy was inspired by ethnographic methods. The empirical material consists of field notes from ten participatory observations in vehicle repair workshops, photographs from the workshops and three interviews. To see patterns in how literacy was used, literacy events were taken as the unit of analysis. The literacy environment, community of practice, reading path and technical surroundings are analytical concepts in the thematic presentation of results. Central literacy practices were characterized primarily by reading, often via computer, for information needed for solving problems. The type of reading was often non-linear, given the multimodal texts and choices in computer environments. In addition, semiotic systems and several languages were interpreted. It is important to understand how information is organised and how to handle the technology. Technology provides support structures e.g. pictorial support and translation programmes. Writing out words, button-pushing and keyboard entry to register and search for information through the use of measurement instruments and in computer-generated text environments, were central. Literacy events were embedded in the work tasks and in ongoing learning, and many literacy practices included items of both reading and writing. Social skills, plus recognizing one’s problems and asking for help, were useful strategies for handling the demands of reading and writing in working life, as were allowing time and creating concentration for the task. Interpreting pictorial matter, using technology, copying text and noting down things to remember were further strategies. Implications of the study are that effective strategies for managing the demands of reading and writing that are required in the working place should begin in school. Significant is the teachers’ approach to handling the students’ frustration when studies are not working out as expected. Caring teachers, positive energy and not giving up make a difference. General education teachers need special educational resources in the upper-secondary school in order to counteract school failure and to enhance students’ learning.

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of the essay writing process of first year undergraduates at Chancellor College (University of Malawi) and to a lesser extent those of the lecturers responsible for teaching academic skills. A mixed methods design, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques, was employed in order to obtain richer data for deeper understanding of the students’ writing process. Two hundred students from the humanities and social science faculties responded to a self-completion questionnaire towards the end of semester one. Based on the students’ responses, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to four full time English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructors. Findings from this study indicate that most students find it very challenging to obtain sufficient and relevant source text information, paraphrase or summarise information, and use an appropriate academic writing style. As solutions to these challenges, the students suggested the need for timely essay writing instruction, availability of resources for essay writing, increased amount of time spent on essay writing instruction, and discipline specific instruction in essay writing. EAP instructors identified lack of teaching and learning materials, large EAP classes, and students’ negative attitude towards the EAP course, as some of the challenges they encounter when teaching the course. The EAP instructors proposed an increase in the number of staff members, making students aware of the significance of the EAP course at an early stage, and the availability of up to date resources, as some of the ways in which the teaching of the course can be improved. Overall, the findings seem to suggest that difficulties that students encounter during the writing process and teaching challenges that EAP instructors face, have great impact on students’ perception of academic writing as well as their approach to writing tasks. The findings also suggest a lack of dialogue between the students and their lecturers. This is evident in students’ unawareness of the nature of the writing demands of their lecturers and disciplines; students’ desire to have timely essay writing instruction; and the lecturers’ concerns about students’ negative attitude towards the EAP course.

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of the essay writing process of first year undergraduates at Chancellor College (University of Malawi) and to a lesser extent those of the lecturers responsible for teaching academic skills. A mixed methods design, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques, was employed in order to obtain richer data for deeper understanding of the students’ writing process. Two hundred students from the humanities and social science faculties responded to a self-completion questionnaire towards the end of semester one. Based on the students’ responses, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to four full time English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructors. Findings from this study indicate that most students find it very challenging to obtain sufficient and relevant source text information, paraphrase or summarise information, and use an appropriate academic writing style. As solutions to these challenges, the students suggested the need for timely essay writing instruction, availability of resources for essay writing, increased amount of time spent on essay writing instruction, and discipline specific instruction in essay writing. EAP instructors identified lack of teaching and learning materials, large EAP classes, and students’ negative attitude towards the EAP course, as some of the challenges they encounter when teaching the course. The EAP instructors proposed an increase in the number of staff members, making students aware of the significance of the EAP course at an early stage, and the availability of up to date resources, as some of the ways in which the teaching of the course can be improved. Overall, the findings seem to suggest that difficulties that students encounter during the writing process and teaching challenges that EAP instructors face, have great impact on students’ perception of academic writing as well as their approach to writing tasks. The findings also suggest a lack of dialogue between the students and their lecturers. This is evident in students’ unawareness of the nature of the writing demands of their lecturers and disciplines; students’ desire to have timely essay writing instruction; and the lecturers’ concerns about students’ negative attitude towards the EAP course.

This study covers a research within the area of writing difficulties in the ESL classroom (English as second language). This essay aims to look at teachers’ attitudes towards working with writing difficulties and also how teachers deal with this issue in the classroom. The data for this study was collected through the qualitative method; interviews and observations. The informants who participated in this study are English teachers, working in year 7-9. The observations were conducted during the informants’ lessons. Previous research has also been used in this study in order to establish the teachers’ work within writing. The study shows that the teachers feel that it is challenging to work with students who have writing difficulties, since those students might be unmotivated. However, the informants believe that teachers need to motivate their students to write more, in order to achieve development. Moreover, the study shows that teachers do not use any specific method when working with writing, instead they try to see what the students have difficulties with, and subsequently find solutions based on the individual’s needs.

In Anlehnung an das Self-Regulated-Strategy-Development-Modell von Harris und Graham (1996) wurde das Selbstregulatorische Aufsatztraining (SAT) zur Förderung der Schreibkompetenz bei Grundschülern der 4. und 5. Klasse entwickelt. SAT integriert die Vermittlung von Schreibstrategien (hier: „Erzählendes Schreiben“) mit Merkmalen selbstgesteuerten Lernens (Zielsetzung, strategisches Planen, Selbstbewertung und Selbstkorrektur). <br><br> Die Wirksamkeit des Trainings wurde in drei Studien untersucht: 1. Eine Pilotstudie diente der Überprüfung der prinzipiellen Eignung von SAT zur Förderung von Schreibleistungen bei Grundschülern der 5. Klassen (N = 42) und der Optimierung seiner Teilkomponenten und Vorgehensweisen. 2. In der Hauptuntersuchung wurden die Effektivität und Nachhaltigkeit des SAT-Programms bei Schülern der 4. Klasse (N = 154) im Vergleich zu zwei Bedingungen getestet: (a) der isolierten Einübung von Schreibstrategien (Aufsatztraining) und (b) konventionellem Aufsatzunterricht (Unterrichtskontrollgruppe). 3. In einer weiteren Studie wurde die Wirksamkeit des Trainings speziell bei Schülern mit ungünstigen Lernvoraussetzungen überprüft; die Studie diente zudem der Illustration des dabei gewählten Vorgehens am Einzelfall (N = 6). <br><br> Die ermittelten Befunde sprechen übereinstimmend dafür, dass die Kombination aus strategischem plus selbstregulatorischem Training (SAT) die stärksten und nachhaltigsten Effekte auf die Schreibleistung erzielt. Der Trainingseffekt generalisiert zudem auf die Erinnerungsleistung bei der freien Wiedergabe einer Kurzgeschichte. Schüler mit schwachen Aufsatzleistungen und ungünstigen Lernvoraussetzungen profitieren von dem SAT-Programm in besonderem Maße. <br><br> In der Diskussion werden Aufgaben für die zukünftige Forschung erörtert. Forschungsbedarf besteht u.a. hinsichtlich (a) einer stärkeren Verknüpfung von Schreibtrainings mit der kognitionspsychologischen Forschung; (b) der Dekomposition und gezielten Überprüfung der einzelnen Trainingskomponenten; (c) der Ausweitung des SAT-Programms auf andere Textgenre; (d) der Integration verfeinerter Revisionsstrategien in das Förderprogramm; und (e) dessen Implementierung in den Regelunterricht. / Extending on Harris and Graham′s (1996) Self-Regulated-Strategy-Development-Model, I designed an curriculum-integrated intervention program (SAT) to promote the composition skills of elementary school-age students. SAT combines the instruction of task strategies required to write good narratives with the explicit instruction of self-regulation procedures (goal setting, strategic planning, self-evaluation, self-correction). <br><br> Three studies examined the effectiveness of the training: 1. A pilot study investigated the viability of the SAT-program among 5th graders (N = 42) and served to refine its components and procedures. 2. In a sample of 4th graders (N = 154), the main study tested the strength and stability of the SAT effects in relation to two comparison groups: (a) Students who were taught the same set of task strategies but received no instruction in self-regulation procedures (strategy-only condition); (b) students who received conventional classroom teaching in composing (control condition). (3.) A third study served to examine the effectiveness of the SAT-program in a group of low achieving 5th graders and to illustrate its instructional steps in a number of single cases (N = 6). <br><br> Results obtained from these studies converge in showing that a writing program that conjointly addresses both task strategies and self-regulation procedures (SAT) is most effective in producing strong and lasting effects on elementary school students′ composing skills and generalization performance. Among all students, low achievers were most likely to benefit from the SAT-program. <br><br> The discussion highlights a number of issues for future research on writing. Specifically, it is argued that there is a need to (a) further explore the cognitive and meta-cognitive processes underlying good writing, (b) examine the effectiveness of specific training components incorporated in the present version of SAT, (c) crossvalidate the reported SAT effects with respect to various writing genre, (d) incorporate more elaborated revision strategies into the training program, and (e) implement components and procedures specified in SAT into conventional classroom teaching.

Wissenschaftliches Schreiben ist eine sehr komplexe Aufgabe, die eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Aktivitäten umfasst. Viele Studierende haben jedoch Schwierigkeiten, die damit verbundenen Anforderungen selbständig zu bewältigen. Im Mittelpunkt des Interesses der vorliegenden Arbeit stand daher die Entwicklung und Evaluation interaktiver computerbasierter Trainingsaufgaben, die Studienanfänger beim Erwerb von Grundkompetenzen des wissenschaftlichen Schreibens unterstützen. Zentrale Anliegen dieser Arbeit waren: (a) die psychologisch begründete Entwicklung einer computerbasierten Schreibumgebung für das wissenschaftliche Schreiben, (b) die theoretisch und methodisch begründete (Weiter-)Entwicklung von Instrumenten zur Untersuchung der Bedingungen und Wirkungen der Schreibumgebung und (c) die empirische Überprüfung der lern- und motivationspsychologischen Wirkungen des Arbeitens mit der Schreibumgebung. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wird aus theoretischen Überlegungen und Modellen zum Schreibprozess bzw. zum Textverstehen ein integratives Modell des wissenschaftlichen Schreibens abgeleitet. Auf dieser Grundlage wird eine prototypische Trainingsumgebung entwickelt und formativ evaluiert. Anhand der Ergebnisse der formativen Evaluation wird der Prototyp zur Schreibumgebung „escribo“ weiterentwickelt. Diese Schreibumgebung setzt systematisch empirisch bestätigte Schreibstrategien um. Somit werden die Schreibenden in ihrem Schreibprozess kognitiv und metakognitiv unterstützt und angeleitet. Zur Untersuchung individueller Einflussgrößen auf den Schreibprozess werden im zweiten Teil der Arbeit verschiedene Fragebögen, z.B. zu motivationalen Aspekten beim wissenschaftlichen Schreiben entwickelt. Weiterhin wird ein verhaltensorientierter Fragebogen zu Strategien beim akademischen Schreiben (FSAS) konzipiert und hinsichtlich seiner Struktur sowie Reliabilität überprüft. Die Ergebnisse einer empirischen Studie mit zwei Messzeitpunkten zur Wirkung der Schreibumgebung weisen darauf hin, dass das Arbeiten mit der Schreibumgebung einer Übungssituation überlegen ist: Zum Messzeitpunkt 1 z.B. schrieben die Versuchspersonen mit computerbasierter Schreibunterstützung besser verständliche Texte. Daraus lässt sich der Schluss ziehen, dass es unter folgenden Bedingungen möglich ist, wissenschaftliches Schreiben computerbasiert zu fördern: Der komplexe Schreibprozess muss aufgebrochen werden, um die Anforderungen des wissenschaftlichen Schreibens transparent machen zu können. Außerdem sollten empirische und theoretische Erkenntnisse systematisch genutzt werden, um angemessene Strategien gezielt fördern zu können. / Academic writing is a complex task that involves a variety of cognitive and metacognitive activities. However, many university students perceive academic writing as an ill-defined task which, as a consequence, leads to feelings of incompetence and frustration. Thus, the purpose of the research presented here was to develop and evaluate interactive web-based training exercises to support students’ acquisition of basic writing competences. The main concerns include the: (a) development of a psychologically sound computer-based writing environment for academic writing; (b) development and enhancement of theoretically and methodologically sound instruments to study conditions and effects of such a writing environment; and (c) empirical investigation of the effects of working with the writing environment on achievement and motivation. In the first part of the dissertation an integrative model of academic writing is derived from theoretical considerations and models of the writing process as well as text comprehension. On this basis, a prototype of the writing environment is developed and evaluated in a pilot study. The results of the pilot study were used to design the writing environment “escribo”. This writing environment systematically applies empirically proven writing strategies. As a result, students receive cognitive and meta-cognitive support in their writing. To investigate individual influences on the writing process, various questionnaires, e.g. on motivational aspects of writing, were developed in the second part of the research presented here. Furthermore, a behaviour-oriented questionnaire on strategies in academic writing (FSAS) was designed and assessed regarding its structure and reliability. An empirical study using two measuring values was carried out to determine the effects of the writing environment. Its results show that there is some evidence that working with the writing environment is superior to a situation without any support; in session 1, for example, students supported by “escribo” wrote texts with a better readability compared to students working without support. Therefore, it can be concluded that such a computer-based writing environment can foster the acquisition of basic competencies in academic writing. This holds true only, if the following prerequisites are met. Firstly, the complexity of the writing process has to be broken up in order to make the demands of academic writing transparent. Secondly, theoretical and empirical findings should be used systematically to foster adequate writing strategies.

Este trabalho relata as estratégias e atividades realizadas em disciplinas semipresenciais desenvolvidas durante os períodos letivos de 2008 a 2012 com alunos dos cursos de Administração e de Ciências Contábeis, no ambiente virtual de aprendizagem Moodle. As disciplinas foram desenvolvidas segundo os princípios das abordagens colaborativas de aprendizagem com o objetivo de examinar as possibilidades de uso dos insólitos como estratégia de leitura e escrita. Buscou-se ainda apontar a aplicabilidade das estratégias didáticas descritas como forma de aprimorar as competências de leitura e escrita em alunos ingressantes no ensino superior e fornecer subsídios para a continuação da pesquisa. O trabalho mantém uma relação interdiscursiva com a obra Se um Viajante numa Noite de Inverno, de ítalo Calvino (1982), o que lhe possibilita não somente a titulação dos capítulos, mas também a construção sutil de uma presença que os perpassa. Do autor, retira também seis propostas ( leveza, rapidez, exatidão, visibilidade, multiplicidade e consistência) capazes de aprimorar a qualidade da comunicação em ambientes informáticos. Busca, ainda, na produção teórica de Michael Serres, um conceito singular de comunicação, algo capaz de transcender a substancialidade e de compreender e estimular a construção da presencialidade por meio de trocas e relações em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. Em vista disso, a pesquisa apoia-se na construção -reflexão- reconstrução de oficinas on-line que utilizam o insólito - concebido como algo surpreendente e propiciador de desestabilização - na construção de estratégias propiciadoras de aprimoramento da leitura e da produção textual de estudantes universitários. Recorre também às pesquisas desenvolvidas por Mikhail Bakhtin, Ângela Kleiman, Carla Coscarelli e Vilson Leffa, contribuições decisivas tanto na elaboração das oficinas on-line, quanto na reflexão que se tece ao longo da pesquisa. Por fim, busca apoio nos estudos sobre Estilos de Aprendizagem e na aplicação do Teste de Cloze para o aprimoramento das reflexões construídas / This study reports the strategies and activities performed in semi- attending subjects during the school periods of 2009 to 2012 with students from Business and Accountancy Courses in the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment-MOODLE. The subjects were developed based on principles of cooperative learning approaches and their purpose was to test the possibilities of using insolits as a reading and writing strategy. The intention was even to show how those strategies described above could be applied as a way to improve reading and writing skills in college students and provide ways to keep the research on. The study keeps a connection with the book Se um Viajante numa Noite de Inverno from Ítalo Calvino (1982), which allows not only giving chapters names but even a subtle building of presence that pervades them. Six proposals are also taken from this writer (light, speed, accuracy, visibility, multiplicity and solidity), which are capable of improving the communication quality in cyber environments. It even searches, in Michael Serres theoretical production, a singular concept of communication, something possible to transcend the substantiality and to understand and stimulate the building of presentiality through exchanging and relation means in virtual learning environment. By that, the research relies on construction-reflexion-reconstruction of online workshops that use the insolits- designed as something surprising and propitiator of destabilization- in the building of strategies that provide reading and writing headway between university students. This study uses some research developed by Mikhail Bakhtin, Ângela Kleiman, Carla Coscarelli and Vilson Leffa, being great contributions not only for the online workshops development but even for the reflection that develops through this study. Lastly, it seeks the support at studies about learning ways and by giving students the Cloze test to the improvement of built reflections

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:44:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 3114597 bytes, checksum: a29081f2f2d32bcb834d0d2922934278 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-24 / The postmodern society requires a differentiated profile of learner from that of decades ago, when education was centered on the teacher. A more autonomous attitude, in which the learner becomes agent of his/her own learning process is required. This attitude can be linked not only to learners&#8223; beliefs about how a language is taught and learnt but also to their use of language learning strategies. Beliefs are defined, according to Barcelos (2006), as a way of thinking, constructions of reality, or ways of seeing and perceiving the world and its phenomena, which are co-constructed from our experiences and results from an interactive process of interpretation and (re)signification. Language learning strategies (LLS) are understood as specific actions taken consciously by the learner in order to assist him/her in the process of language learning (OXFORD, 2002). This study aimed at investigating the relationship between beliefs about language teaching and learning and the use of strategies in the context of an extension course in English, as well as at detecting whether there were changes in beliefs and in the use of writing strategies after some training on writing strategies. To achieve these goals, I tried to answer the following research questions: (a) What are the beliefs of university students on teaching and learning of writing in a foreign language? (b) What writing learning strategies do they use? (c) Is there any sort of influence of beliefs in the use of strategies or vice versa? If so, what is the nature of this relationship? (d) After an awareness training on LLS on writing, were there any changes in the beliefs of informants about the process of writing in EFL and in the use of strategies? Where there any improvement in the quality of textual productions of learners? The following data collection instruments were used: Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (OXFORD, 1990), writing strategies questionnaire (PETRIC and CZARL, 2003), inventory of Beliefs about teaching and learning of writing in L2 (LUZ, 2006) narratives, focus group. The results showed that the participants hold limiting beliefs about writing, understood by them as a practice of grammatical knowledge. This belief influences, in a direct way, the selection of LLS. Among the most cited is the use of the dictionary, either during the process of writing, as well as in the review process. It was also found that, after the intervention process, there was some reframing of beliefs about the role of writing and teaching of this skill in public schools. However, more rooted beliefs, such as the relationship between writing and grammar were not resignified. An improvement in the quality of textual productions of the participants in terms of genre 3configuration and use of grammar was perceived. / A sociedade atual pós-moderna exige um perfil de aprendiz diferenciado daquele de décadas atrás, em que o ensino estava centrado na figura do professor. Exige-se uma postura mais autônoma, em que o aluno se torna agente de seu próprio processo de aprendizagem. Tal postura pode ser associada às suas crenças sobre ensino e aprendizagem de línguas e ao uso de estratégias. Crenças são definidas, de acordo com Barcelos (2006), como uma forma de pensamento, construções da realidade, maneiras de ver e perceber o mundo e seus fenômenos, que são co-construídas a partir de nossas experiências e resultam de um processo interativo de interpretação e (re)significação. O conceito de estratégias de aprendizagem de línguas (EALs) utilizado neste trabalho é aquele de Oxford (2002) que as entende como sendo ações específicas tomadas conscientemente pelo aprendiz, com o intuito de auxiliá-lo no processo de aprendizagem de línguas. Este estudo teve por objetivo investigar a relação entre crenças sobre ensino e aprendizagem e o uso de estratégias no contexto de um curso de extensão em língua inglesa, bem como detectar se houve mudanças nas crenças e no uso de estratégias e escrita após um trabalho de intervenção com foco nestas. Para tanto, busquei responder as seguintes perguntas de pesquisa: (a) Quais são as crenças de alunos universitários sobre o ensino e aprendizagem de escrita em língua estrangeira?; (b) Quais as estratégias de aprendizagem de escrita que eles utilizam?; (c) Existe influência das crenças no uso de estratégias ou viceversa? Se existe, qual a natureza dessa relação?; (d) Após um trabalho de conscientização sobre EALs de escrita, houve mudança nas crenças dos participantes sobre o processo de escrita em LE e no uso de estratégias? Houve melhoria na qualidade das produções dos aprendizes? Foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos de coleta de dados: Inventário de Estratégias de Aprendizagem de Língua Estrangeira (OXFORD, 1990), questionário de estratégias de escrita (PETRÍC e CZARL, 2003), inventário de crenças sobre ensino e aprendizagem de escrita em LI (LUZ, 2006), narrativas e grupo focal. Os resultados mostraram que os participantes apresentam uma concepção restrita de escrita, entendida por estes como uma prática de conhecimentos gramaticais. Essa crença influencia, de maneira direta, na seleção de EALs. Dentre as mais citadas está a consulta ao dicionário, tanto durante a escrita, como no processo de revisão. Foi possível constatar ainda que, após o processo de intervenção, houve resignificação de algumas crenças sobre o papel da escrita e sobre o ensino da mesma na escola pública. Porém, as crenças mais arraigadas, tais como a relação entre escrita e gramática não foram resignificadas. Constatou-se também uma melhoria na qualidade das produções textuais dos participantes no que diz respeito à configuração do gênero resumo e no uso da gramática.