This study explored effectiveness of blog-based writing and compares it to traditional ‘paper and pen’ English narrative in a primary school classroom. A group of 30 primary five (P5) students were selected based on results of a pre-test, and randomly assigned into one of two groups: blog group and pen group. The students had six English composition lessons with focus on narrative writing. The students from both groups were in same class, and teaching was conducted by a single English teacher. Only difference between the two groups was that the blog group students composed their writing assignments with computers in the computer laboratory through the blog interface. The pen group worked in the classroom in traditional ‘paper and pen’ way. The post-test was conducted after six lessons, and questionnaires and evaluation forms were administered to provide data. In addition, data collection included artefacts produced by students. Collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data suggest that blogging can support writing in three areas. Firstly, blogging helps to increase the volume of writing produced by students. Secondly, blogging supports improvement in quality of narrative writing, more specifically in areas of Vocabulary, Language Use and Mechanics. Finally, blogging enhances students’ positive attitude towards writing. It Using Blogs to promote English narrative writing in Hong Kong Primary School ii is hoped that the results of the study will have encouraging effect on English teachers in a primary school classroom to apply blogging for purpose of improving students’ writing. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the implementation of criteria-referenced self-assessment in students’ learning in argumentative writing especially for students learning Chinese as a second language (CSL). Participants were 4 year-8 students in an international school in Hong Kong. Follow-up interview was also conducted to investigate students’ perspectives of self-assessment. Findings include the changes of students’ writing performance in argumentative essays based on the comparison of pre-test and post-test in the aspects of the 3 metafunctions of language: ideational, interpersonal and textual defined by M.A.K. Halliday. The result suggests that integrating criteria-referenced self-assessment in CSL writing classes can improve students’ writing performance and enhance their understanding of marking criteria for argumentative essay. 本文透過準實驗性研究的設計，以香港一所國際學校4位8年級學生為研究對象，了解透過量表自評在中文第二語言寫作教學中的實施，是否能夠提升學生在議論文寫作的表現。本文根據系統功能語言學對於語言元功能的分類，分析學生前後測寫作的表現。結果發現，經過一個月的量表自評實驗，學生的寫作表現在語言的概念功能、人際功能以及語篇功能三個方面均產生變化。此外，透過實驗後的跟進訪談發現，量表自評使得學生對於議論文寫作的評估標準有了更清楚的認識，同時也能夠將這樣的認識體現在對於議論文寫作的評斷當中。 / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Many studies have been conducted on the application of Web 2.0 technologies (e.g., wikis) in educational environments. These studies have dealt with topics such as exploring the potential of their use, what effect they might have on student learning, and how effectively they can be used with appropriate instructional practice. However, whether these findings conducted on the tertiary and high school levels are applicable to young learners of English as the second language (L2) in primary levels have yet to been examined. This study investigated how wiki’s key affordances might help in scaffolding students during collaborative writing projects among primary five and six students (n=119) in a Chinese primary school in Hong Kong, where English is taught as the L2. Three classes of students and their English subject teachers participated in a three-month English language writing programme using a wiki. Data was collected and analyzed from both non-wiki collaborative writing prior to a wiki intervention and the other from wiki supported collaborative writing after the intervention. Employing a mixed methods design, both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed from student and teacher interviews, student and teacher questionnaires, and from activities recorded in the wiki system, including posted edits and comments and students’ group writings. To understand human activity in a complex classroom environment, activity theory was used as an analytical lens to help examine and compare the learning processes and their outcomes in the two different collaborative writing environments. The study found that the use of a wiki in three upper primary classes was perceived positively, with the wiki's technology affordances matching positively with the required tasks of collaborative writing. The key affordances from wiki collaborative writing supported and enhanced the learning tasks required of the nonwiki collaborative writing. These affordances, available in wiki collaborative writing, also helped overcome some of the constraints and limitations observed in non-wiki collaborative writing and helped to enhance writing and social skills necessary for collaborative writing tasks. When some of the key affordances -- temporal and access control applications which provided an online platform for peer comments and history pages to track student’s editing processes -- were combined together, they can become a powerful tool for peer feedback and peer editing leading to meaningful revision processes. The tracking functionality of the wiki gave in-depth information about the types of edits the students were making, mainly content meaning versus surface level, and it may have helped improve student group writing. Examining the two collaborative writing environments within the framework of activity theory revealed the dynamic changes and development of the activity system through tension and contradiction among the components of the activity structure. The tension and contradiction among the tools, the community of learners and the objective of their tasks – tension and contradiction which was caused by the need to implement group writing within the given curriculum time -- seemed to have decreased after the introduction of the wiki technology. Findings may shed light on how wikis can help provide necessary support for students’ collaborative writing and how peer-feedback can influence this process. It may help provide practical recommendations for primary school English language teachers and help researchers and educators understand the potential that Web 2.0, specifically wikis, can bring to scaffold primary-school L2 writers in collaborative learning. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

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published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

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