Exploration of Genre-Based Writing Instruction as a Pedagogical Approach to L2 Writing Classroom Assessment

Abstract

The last three decades have witnessed an emphasis on genre pedagogy (GP) in second language (L2) writing studies (Tardy, 2011a). Such extensive use of GP in L2 writing contexts could be attributed to its visible pedagogy that offers students an explicit understanding of the relationship between texts and contexts (Cope & Kalantzis, 1993; Hyland, 2004; Paltridge, 2001; Russell et al., 2009). GP also prioritizes making assessment criteria explicit for learners through rubrics that reflect genre-specific criteria, involving learners in genre exploration and thus self-assessment, raising students’ genre awareness through metacognitive learning activities, and scaffolding learners through regular feedback (Feez, 1998; Hyland, 2004; Macken & Slade, 1993; Lee, 2012; Paltridge, 2001; Tardy, 2019b; Wyatt-Smith, 1997). With its pedagogical tools and emphasis on classroom assessment, GP can be considered to align with increased focus on effective classroom-based assessment of writing in an effort to further support learning and enhance writing instruction in L2 writing context (see, for example, Beck et al., 2018; CCCC 2014, Green, 2018). Such increased focus on L2 writing classroom assessment can be traced back to the development of Assessment for Learning (AfL), defined as “the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where learners are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there” (ARG, 2002, pp.2-3). AfL attaches significant importance to scaffolding, zone of proximal development, and cognitive processes such as metacognition, self-regulation, and autonomy (Lee, 2017). When translated into L2 writing context, AfL principles prove to have strong conceptual resonances with GP. Despite these strong conceptual resonances between GP and AfL as well as the growing research body regarding AfL in L2 writing context (e.g., Colby-Kelly, 2017; Huang, 2012, 2016; Lee & Coniam, 2013), there has been a dearth of research that investigates the potential of GP to further facilitate the pedagogical use of L2 writing classroom assessment. Drawing from GP, AfL, and the concept of ecology, this single exploratory case study aims to help fill this gap by exploring the potential of GP to afford and align with the pedagogical use of L2 writing classroom assessment and the factors that might facilitate or restrain these affordances and alignment. The research site in the study was a genre-based L2 writing course and the Foundations Writing Program (FWP) where this course was offered. The participants included the instructor of the course, consenting students who were enrolled in the course, and four writing program administrators (WPAs) in the FWP. Data were collected over the course of 16 weeks and included focused classroom observations, instructor’s reflective journal, course and FWP artifacts, and semi-structured interviews with the course instructor and WPAs. Data analysis was conducted with thematic coding and included reading the data several times, cycles of coding, and keeping analytic memos when both collecting and analyzing the data. The findings demonstrate that GP can afford the pedagogical use of L2 writing classroom assessment through facilitation of diagnostic assessment, learner involvement in assessment, assessment of students’ multilingual genre learning, and assessment of writing as a situated practice. In addition, the factors such as the instructor’s knowledge of genre and application of genre pedagogy, view of writing assessment and assessment literacy, course design, and the ecology that values genre pedagogy and formative assessment facilitated the pedagogical use of assessment through GP in the L2 writing classroom.