scholarly journals L2 WRITING DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF TWO HIGH-ACHIEVING AND TWO STRUGGLING COLLEGE-LEVEL STUDENTS

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
HICHAM ZYAD

Researchers and language practitioners have long been interested in the quest for theory-based, research-supported constructs that can adequately characterize L2 writing proficiency and development. The ongoing scholarly inquiry in this research area has led to the mounting recognition that complexity, accuracy and fluency (henceforth, CAF) constitute a conceptual framework capable of charting L2 writing proficiency and benchmarking development. Against this background, the present study aims to investigate four college-level semester-one students’ L2 writing development over a time frame of twelve weeks. Couched within the constructivist paradigm, which advocates learner independence, meaningful learning and collaboration, the study examines the extent and nature of the progress that two highachieving L2 students made as compared with two struggling peers with regard to their written productions. On the basis of case study methodology, a thick description is provided for each student on account of his measurable progress as assessed by theoretically motivated indices of complexity and accuracy. The paper also explores the time spent on online Moodle activities by the four participants to ascertain whether or not a relationship existed with the progress made. Complexity was measured by mean length of t-unit, mean length of clause and number of clauses per t-unit; accuracy was measured by mean number of error-free t-units and the ratio of error-free t-units to total number of t-units. The writing program in which the participants were engaged was based on the use of Moodle as a platform where students have access to myriad supplementary materials including website links, videos, PowerPoint slides, book chapters and exercises handouts. They were also required to post their written assignments in the Moodle-hosted blog and to participate in forums designed for the exchange of feedback. The implications of the results for L2 writing instruction are discussed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Yang ◽  
Zenan Zhao

AbstractThis exploratory study examined the writings of a small group of learners enrolled in intermediate CFL classes at two U.S. universities and attempted to profile these learners’ writing development over five months. It collected data through both in-class timed essays and out-of-class writing assignments and analyzed them in terms of overall rating and a variety of writing measures (i.e., fluency, accuracy, complexity, content, and organization). The results showed negligible improvement in these learners’ overall writing proficiency at the end of the observation period and revealed a non-linear trend of development of their writing competence over time. In addition, the analysis of the learners’ writing profile as well as the errors committed in their writings provided new insights into the promotion of L2 writing skills in CFL classrooms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-37
Author(s):  
I. Naydenova

As a research area, interior design took shape in the 20s of the last century, despite the fact that the practice of decorating living spaces dates back many hundreds of years. However, the "self-sufficiency" of design and its connection with architecture to this day is the subject of scientific discussions of urban specialists, historians, art historians, and anthropologists. The article discusses the leading artistic styles and trends that prevailed in architecture and design from the point of view of their mutual influence on each other. Time frame of the research: from the middle of XIX century to the first half of XX century. As a result of the research of foreign experience in the formation of interior design, the main stages of the movement development and its relationship with architecture in two formations were identified: activities directly dependent on architectural decisions, activities that determine the entire design process to a large extent: from the functional zoning of the premises to the features of the placement of utilities in the building. Entering the information era in art as a whole is characterized by the rejection of slogans that clearly delineate stylistic boundaries and determine the role of a designer in creating the living space. The determining factor influencing the integrity of the building’s appearance in a modern view is the harmony of the facade and the internal content, which was made possible thanks to the equal interaction of the architect and designer, starting from the first half of the 20th century.


2021 ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Grazia Dicuonzo ◽  
Francesca Donofrio ◽  
Antonio Fusco ◽  
Vittorio Dell’Atti

This paper investigates the digitalization challenges facing the Italian healthcare system. The aim of the paper is to support healthcare organizations as they take advantage of the potential of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to promote sustainable healthcare systems. Both the development of innovative processes in the management of health care activities and the introduction of healthcare forecasting systems are valuable resources for clinical and care activities and enable a more efficient use of inputs in essential-level care delivery. By examining an innovative project developed by the Regional Social Health Agency (ARSS) of Veneto, this study analyses the impact of big data and AI on the sustainability of a healthcare system. In order to answer the research question, we used a case study methodology. We conducted semi-structured interviews with key members of the organizational group involved in the case. The results show that the implementation of AI algorithms based on big data in healthcare both improves the interpretation and processing of data, and reduces the time frame necessary for clinical processes, having a positive effect on sustainability.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bomin Kim ◽  
Haedong Kim

<p>The aims of the present study were to explore the effects of two different types of task conditions (topic choice vs. no choice) on the quality of written production in a second language (lexical complexity, syntactic complexity, and cohesion) and to investigate the effects of these two different task conditions on task motivation. This research was conducted by means of a task motivation questionnaire and a collation of the writings of 31 Korean college students learning English as a foreign language. The data was analyzed using Coh-Metrix 3.0. The major findings were as follows: 1) The writings of participants in the topic choice condition were better than those in the no-choice condition in terms of lexical sophistication and temporal cohesion. However, participants’ written production in the no-choice condition was better than that in the topic choice condition in terms of syntactic complexity. 2) The participants’ task motivation levels were higher for the perceived choice domain in the topic choice condition than in the no-choice condition. These findings should help L2 writing instructors, materials developers, and researchers to design L2 writing instruction with a focus on written production specifically for Korean college-level learners.</p>


Author(s):  
B. Benedict ◽  
T. Smith-Jackson ◽  
A. Bells

STEM learners are expected to be competent in both technical and interpersonal proficiencies. The writing proficiency was defined to ensure the students are prepared for continuing graduate education and/ or a career in the private or public sector. Despite the current writing research, there is a lack of effective solutions to support writing development, specifically for collegiate STEM learners. Therefore, a three phase study was conducted to address concerns regarding writing in STEM fields but this article only discusses the implications of Phase II. Phase II involved the use of a User-Centered Design approach to increase the likelihood of adoption of a writing support tool. Methods included focus group and interviews and participants were professors and students. Qualitative Analysis was conducted and the NARA framework was used to extract user requirements for a Social Media inspired educational technology.


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