Peer and Self Review: A Holistic Examination of EFL Learners' Writing and Review Process
Author
Johnson, Kara GraceIssue Date
2012Keywords
peer feedbackpeer review
process writing
writing ownership
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching
EFL writing
ESL writing
Advisor
Liu, Jun
Metadata
Show full item recordPublisher
The University of Arizona.Rights
Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.Abstract
This dissertation uses a mixed methods design to explore the process of EFL students' writing and peer review, setting up a paradigm of peer compared to self review, with teacher support. The findings that surfaced were identified in themes, with the most overarching theme being that the value of peer review came not from the actual feedback that the peers gave each other, but rather from the collaborative process of peer review. Students who were actively engaged in peer review often did not take the exact advice given, but the process of exchanging feedback followed by face-to-face discussion prompted them to think of new ideas of their own that they incorporated into their revisions. The following findings are related to this major one. (1) Both the writing proficiency of the student writers and the understanding they have of the feedback given have a symbiotic relationship and greatly affect how they apply feedback. In this study, students at higher writing proficiencies tended to include some abstract feedback, but regardless of the students' writing levels, their partners' were able to make revisions at their own level of proficiency. (2) Both peer and self reviewing students made revisions based more on their own inspirations and ownership of ideas rather than on the exact advice exchanged between partners. Often, students developed and incorporated ideas that appeared to be generated from the peer feedback and discussion, pointing to the significance of peer collaboration and discussion in the writing process. (3) Although previous studies have suggested that non-native speakers' tendency to give feedback on grammatical issues as a drawback, the in-depth examination here reveals a more positive perspective. Even when comments, such as regarding grammar, were rated as "incorrect," students were often able to make positive changes, such as rewording or reorganizing. The results brings insights to the impact of abstract feedback for varying proficiency levels, ownership of ideas, internalization of concepts, and interdependence in the collaborative peer review process within a Vygotskian framework of concept development and the ZPD. Implications for research, writing program administrators, and writing instructors are identified.Type
textElectronic Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.Degree Level
doctoralDegree Program
Graduate CollegeSecond Language Acquisition & Teaching
Degree Grantor
University of ArizonaCollections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Improving distributed collaborative writing over the Internet using enhanced processes, proximity choices and a Java-based collaborative writing toolNunamaker, Jay F., Jr.; Lowry, Paul Benjamin (The University of Arizona., 2002)This research focuses on improving distributed, collaborative writing (CW) over the Internet through new CW technologies, process improvements, proximity choices, and synchronicity choices. The research methodology that is followed iteratively builds theory using design and development of CW tools, surveys, requirements analysis, laboratory and field experiments. The primary empirical work consists of two laboratory experiments and two fields experiments. The two laboratory experiments compare a newly built CW tool, Collaboratus to Microsoft Word(TM). The first experiment found 3-member CW groups using Collaboratus produce higher document lengths with higher quality, but less satisfaction than similar Word(TM) groups. The second experiment found 3-member distributed, synchronous CW groups using Collaboratus with NetMeeting(TM), working over 5 weeks, produce higher document lengths and quality, and have more effective coordination, communication, and socialization than similar Word(TM) groups. The two field experiments further validate that certain processes should be followed for most effective use of Collaboratus. The first experiment compares 3-member groups working in mixed work modes (part F2F part distributed, asynchronous) to similar groups conducting all work asynchronously. The only differences is that all-asynchronous groups spend less time brainstorming and more time converging on brainstormed output. The lack of process gains for the mixed-mode groups can be attributed to the difficulty of scheduling F2F meetings---an insight gained by performing this research in a field setting. The second experiment compares non-facilitated, 3-member groups using three different levels of scripted process structure to guide their distributed, asynchronous CW. Highest structure groups have the highest levels of performance (in terms of quality, productivity, satisfaction, communication, and relationships), while lowest structure groups have the lowest levels of performance. It is believed the process differences can be directly attributed to the nature of the academic writing task and the fact the groups were nearly formed, non-cohesive groups. These findings point to the importance of properly matching technology, task, tool, proximity, synchronicity, and people choices in distributed CW to maximize the outcomes. This also provides a useful foundation for agent-based CW processes to support self-sustaining, distributed CW teams who work without professional facilitation.
-
An investigation of the effects of collaborative, computer-mediated communication and non-collaborative, computer-assisted writing skills practice on L2 writingAriew, Robert; Rogers, Evelyn Marie, 1962- (The University of Arizona., 1998)The purpose of this dissertation is to compare the quantity and quality of writing produced by L2 students after participating in either (1) collaborative, computer-mediated communication (CMC), or (2) non-collaborative, computer-assisted writing skills practice. The subjects for this study were 42 students enrolled in French classes at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The CMC treatment consisted of 45 minutes of collaborative, simultaneous written "discussion" among student clusters of 3 or 4 students. The writing skills group focused on vocabulary building, grammatical review, and format review, using the French writing software program, Système-D. A computerized text analysis program, as well as experienced foreign language instructors then analyzed students' compositions. This study also addressed learner attributes (including gender, grade point average [GPA], and personality variables) and L2 proficiency and their interaction with the two computer-based contexts. Finally, it assessed learners' attitudes toward each of the two pre-writing activities. Results revealed that the effects of participating in either collaborative CMC or non-collaborative writing skills practice on L2 writing, in terms of the 6 variables considered (total number of words, grammatical accuracy, lexical density, lexical diversity, syntactic complexity, and overall writing quality) were minimal. While gender did not have a significant impact on quantity and quality of writing in the two contexts considered, GPA and language proficiency were significantly correlated with grammatical accuracy and overall writing quality. Selected personality variables had minimal effects on L2 writing. While subjects were markedly interested in both CMC and Système-D , quantitative as well as qualitative analysis of the attitude questionnaire showed a clear preference for Système-D over CMC. This study showed that students benefited from both types of pre-writing activities. The CMC group had the benefits of interaction and increased target language production, while the computer-assisted writing skills group benefited from access to a computerized data base of grammar, vocabulary and phrases for their compositions. Overall, students had positive attitudes toward both computer-based activities. If positive attitudes lead to increased motivation and enhanced second language development, it follows that these computer-based activities should be integrated into the traditional second language acquisition syllabus.
-
Revising the Writing Center: A Reconsideration of Writing Center WorkSingh-Corcoran, Nathalie Usha; Miller, Thomas P.; Hall, Anne-Marie; Eodice, Michele (The University of Arizona., 2005)This dissertation centers on the value of work in the institution and composition and rhetoric in the same vane as texts such as Evan Watkin's --Work Time-- and Ernest Boyer's --Scholarship Reconsidered--. The major difference between this project and the others is that I choose the writing center as the site through which I examine academic work. The project is specifically attentive to the hierarchy of research, teaching, and service. It examines how the hierarchy plays out in the center and how writing center workers interpret and apply the hierarchy. While in many instances, the writing centers conform to it, they also resist it and revise it to suit their needs. The institution and composition and rhetoric can learn from and apply their acts of resistance to strengthen higher education as a whole.