Writing ePlatform: Developing an innovative feedback tool for students

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Writing ePlatformDeveloping an innovative
feedback tool for students writing to expand
assessment for, of, as learning.
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Outline

• Introduction What is the Writing ePlatform
• Theory behind design
• Assessment of, for, and as Learning
• Technology Enhanced Learning
• The eLab eTutor What are they?
• Planning design, and Pilot.
• Unintentional Outcome Learning Analytics
  Assessment for Learning.
• Whats Next Conclusion

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Writing ePlatform

• The Writing ePlatform is a set of tools that
  assist KS3 students with their writing, allowing
  them to take a discovery-based approach to
  accurate and fluent English.

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Writing ePlatform

• Take advantage of online resources to help KS3
  students and teachers shift from a machine- or
  teacher-centered pedagogy to one that puts the
  KS3 students at the center of the writing process
  (Milton, 2006, 2011).
• Guided by three key principles based on education
  and educational technology researchers such as
  Anderson, Chickering and Ehrmann, Siemens, and
  the TBLT Group (2004, 1996, 2009, and 2012).

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Writing ePlatform

• The platform should
• (1) assist with constructing the
  lexico-grammatical and discoursal/rhetorical
  knowledge of the target language and the skills
  required to access and apply that language

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Writing ePlatform

• (2) encourage reflection and metacognition, where
  students are encouraged in independent learning
  and self-confidence and

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Writing ePlatform

• (3) develop cognitive apprenticeship, where
  coaching and modeling occur, and where
  scaffolding is provided to support language
  learning.

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Assessment of, for, and as Learning
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Using Classroom Assessment for Differentiating
Learning
Assessment As Learning (Earl, 2003)
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Assessment As Learning (Earl, 2003)
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Features of Assessment of, for, and as Learning
Assessment As Learning (Earl, 2003)
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Assessment of Learning

• What role would the ePlatform play in summative
  assessment?

How will it certify learning and report to
students and teachers students progress in
writing?
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Assessment as learning

• How can the ePlatform encourage students to
  become active, engaged, and critical assessors of
  their writing?

In what ways can the ePlatform encourage
independent learning?
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Assessment for learning

• How will the ePlatform enable/enhance formative
  assessment?

How can the ePlatform be interactive, providing
assistance as part of/during the assessment?
In what ways could the ePlatform assist teachers
with collecting data so that they can modify the
learning work for their students?
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Technology Enhance Learning
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Content, Pedagogy, and Technology Knowledge
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Technological pedagogical content knowledge
Mirsha, P. Koehler, M. (2006). Technological
pedagogical content knowledge A framework for
teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record,
108(6).
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E-learning vision
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Assessment Roles and Goals with Writing ePlatform
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eLab eTutor
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eLab

• The eLab is a web-based platform where students
  can submit their writing to receive feedback and
  suggestions on how to improve their written
  English

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eLab and the writing process
Student writes a draft
Student submits draft to eLab
eLab analyses students text
eLab identifies problems in writing
Student receives feedback
Student rewrites/adjusts draft
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Student sample
Nowadays, English is more and more important. It
is very difficult to learn. How can I speaking
English well?
Nowadays, English is more and more important. It
is very difficult to learn. How can I speaking
English well?
Using the wrong ending is a very common error. Be
careful with words ending in ing. A common
mistake may look like this How can I speaking
English well? ? The correct way is How can I
speak English well? ?
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eLab and the writing process
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eTutor

• The eTutor is a web-based tool that offers
  comprehensive advice on writing accurate and
  fluent English.

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Planning, Design, Pilot
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Planning, Design, Pilot

• Compiled rules based on previous research at UST
  rules based on research data provided by EDB.
• Example Although but in a sentence
• Although the food was not great but I felt very
  happy that I was able to cook the meal by
  myself.
• Although the food was not great, I felt very
  happy that I was able to cook the meal by
  myself.

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Planning, Design, Pilot

• Rule
• !wellsuchknownassincealthoughlt(CC)(IN)gt
  lt0-6gt (CC)ltbutgt

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Planning, Design, Pilot
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Planning, Design, Pilot
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Planning, Design, Pilot
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Planning, Design, Pilot

• Piloted program in 7 schools
• Student survey
• Teacher observation report
• Analyzed a learner corpus
• 4 Topics
• 400 papers from each topic

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Planning, Design, Pilot

• Student Survey (Anonymous)
• 336 responses
• 6 schools (1 school could not complete pilot due
  to time constraints).

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Planning, Design, Pilot

• Responses to the question What could be done to
  improve the Writing eLab? can be categorized in
  the following ways
• FALSE POSITIVES
• ERROR IDENTIFICATION
• INSTANT PROMPTS
• INSTRUCTIONS
• VOCABULARY
• PERFORMANCE

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Analysis of Learner Corpus

• Although but in a sentence (start with a
  capital, end in a full stop)
• Hits 22
• Issues None.
• Other error type? None.
• False positives None.
• Correct Identification (samples)
• Although they were so old but they were still
  very strong.
• Although it looked like a high-class hotel but
  I paid fifthty-five dollars only.
• Although it is quite expensive, but it is a fun
  way to learn English as we can know more about
  the culture of the place at the same time.
• Although we can't said Japan's language, but we
  can said english with they.

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Analysis of Learner Corpus

• Error Rule 1 A sentence / clause has more than 2
  verbs
• Hits 23874
• Issues This rule is very problematic too many
  false positives. Detection issues.
• Other error type? None.
• False positives
• During the past summer holiday, my family and I
  went to a village in the Mainland China to visit
  my grandparents.
• When we arrived, grandpa and grandma were in
  excitement since we hadn't visit them for a long
  period of time.
• They took out a watermelon from the fridge to
  greet us in ecstasy.

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eLab
A simple interface Choice for different
end-users Access to rich feedback
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eLab and feedback
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eLab and feedback
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eLab and feedback
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eLab and feedback
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eLab and Word Tag
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eLab and vocabulary profile
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eLab and vocabulary profile
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Unintentional OutcomeLearning
AnalyticsAssessment for Learning
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Learning Analytics

• What is Learning Analytics?
• Learning analytics is the measurement,
  collection, analysis and reporting of data about
  learners and their contexts, for purposes of
  understanding and optimising learning and the
  environments in which it occurs.
• -- Wikipedia

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Back to Assessment
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Back to Assessment
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eLab and Assessment for Learning
There is a lot of data.
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eLab and Assessment for Learning
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eLab and Assessment for Learning
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Whats Next?
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Whats Next?

• Analyse additional sample writings from KS3
  students to develop a better understanding of
  what type (and scope) of feedback is required for
  students when using the program
• Provide more accurate and meaningful feedback
  prompts (and vocabulary profiles) for both
  students and teachers to use

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Whats Next?

• Expand the project to create a user-friendly
  interface to generate reports for learning
  analytics.

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Thank You.Sean McMinnlcmcminn_at_ust.hk