tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69446089902061524692024-02-08T02:36:03.696-08:00Dynamic AssessmentPrithvi Shresthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866287592672690103noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6944608990206152469.post-10810414519891453912017-04-17T00:55:00.000-07:002017-04-17T01:03:57.998-07:00Investigating the learning transfer of genre features and conceptual knowledge from an academic literacy course to business studies: Exploring the potential of dynamic assessment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is an article based on my doctoral study. It was published in print in January 2017.<br />
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<a href="http://oro.open.ac.uk/view/person/pns52.html" style="color: #344a81; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.699999809265137px; text-decoration: none;">Shrestha, Prithvi N.</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.699999809265137px;"> (2017). </span><xhtml style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.699999809265137px;">Investigating the learning transfer of genre features and conceptual knowledge from an academic literacy course to business studies: Exploring the potential of dynamic assessment.</xhtml><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.699999809265137px;"> </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.699999809265137px;">Journal of English for Academic Purposes</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.699999809265137px;">, 25 pp. 1–17.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.699999809265137px;">The abstract and the conclusion are below to sum up what the paper is about. The full article can be accessed via The Open University repository <a href="http://oro.open.ac.uk/47642/">here</a>. Due to copyright restrictions, you need to request a copy following the instructions provided there.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.699999809265137px;">Abstract</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Academic literacy courses aim to enable higher education students to participate in their chosen academic fields as fully as possible. However, the extent to which these students transfer the academic skills taught in these courses to their chosen disciplines is still under-researched. This article reports on a study that investigated the potential of dynamic assessment (an assessment approach that blends instruction into assessment) in the transfer of genre features and conceptual knowledge among undergraduate business studies students in a UK public university. The data includes three students’ written assignments (N = nine), interviews (N = three) and business studies tutor (N = three) feedback. Drawing on Vygotskian sociocultural theory of learning and a genre theory based on Systemic Functional Linguistics, the data were analysed. The findings suggest that dynamic assessment may contribute to the transfer of genre features and conceptual knowledge to a new assessment context. Implications of this for academic literacy instruction and assessment design are presented.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The goal of this paper was to explore the value of DA in transferring students' academic writing skills and conceptual </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">knowledge from one AL assessment task to a new context of undergraduate business studies. For this purpose, DA was </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">operationalised as a method of instruction and assessment. SFL genre theory was applied to examine the independent learner </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">performance regarding the case study analysis genre schema, macro-Themes and hyper-Themes which were identi<span style="line-height: normal;">fi</span>ed as </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">problematic in DA1. Additionally, the students' capacity to make ideational meaning was tracked through their DA and TA </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">texts. Feuerstein's </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(</span><span style="color: #23a8db; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feuerstein et al., 2002</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">)</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> notion of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">‘</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">far transfer</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">’ </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">was applied to examine the aforementioned aspects in the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">student assessment texts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">fi</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">ndings suggest that DA may contribute to the transfer of learning. In this study, the transfer of using generic stages, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">macro-Themes and hyper-Themes, and conceptual knowledge of these and business studies concepts appeared to take place </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">in the TA texts albeit differently for each of the three participants. They seemed to be able to transfer genre features, or show </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">their awareness as in</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #23a8db; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cheng (2007)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">,</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> and conceptual knowledge to their TA although one student, Natasha, appeared to be the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">most successful. These students' (except Natasha) reconstrual of their conceptual knowledge was not as successful as their </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">academic writing skills (i.e., genre, macro-Themes and hyper-Themes). This suggests that writing and conceptual </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">development is a lengthy process that may bene<span style="line-height: normal;">fi</span>t from a greater amount of mediation, learner motivation and commitment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Additionally, various other factors may have in<span style="line-height: normal;">fl</span>uenced these students<span style="line-height: normal;">’ </span>transfer of learning such as time and business module </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">materials.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This paper contributes to the growing body of AL research that uses SFL and sociocultural theory as frameworks. However, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">in terms of studies on learning transfer in the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">fi</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">eld of AL, these two frameworks do not seem to have been employed together </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">despite them being robust tools. Future studies in learning transfer in AL may </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">fi</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">nd them valuable tools.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As this study is limited to three students only, a larger study may be built on this one in order to evaluate DA's contribution </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">to students' ability to transfer genre features and conceptual knowledge to their chosen disciplinary areas. The same </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">methodology used in this study may also be deployed for ESP programme evaluation which seems to be under-researched</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">(</span>Tsou <span style="line-height: normal;">& </span>Chen, 2014<span style="color: black;">).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">References</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cheng, A. (2007). Transferring generic features and recontextualizing genre awareness: Understanding writing performance in the ESP genre-based literacy </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">framework. English for Speci</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">fi</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">c Purposes, 26(3), 287</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">e</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">307. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #23a8db; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2006.12.002</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Feuerstein, R., Falik, L. H., Rand, Y., & Feuerstein, R. S. (2002). The dynamic assessment of cognitive modi<span style="line-height: normal;">fi</span>ability: The learning propensity assessment device: </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Theory, instruments and techniques (Revised ed.). Jerusalem: ICELP Press</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tsou, W., & Chen, F. (2014). ESP program evaluation framework: Description and application to a Taiwanese university ESP program. English for Speci<span style="line-height: normal;">fi</span>c </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Purposes, 33, 39</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: normal;">e</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">53. </span></span><span style="color: #23a8db; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2013.07.008</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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Prithvi Shresthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866287592672690103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6944608990206152469.post-54935653980709711532013-04-19T14:06:00.000-07:002013-04-19T14:17:06.079-07:00Dynamic assessment and academic writing: evidence of learning transfer?This is the abstract of the paper I presented at the <a href="http://baleap.org.uk/home/">BALEAP</a> Biennial conference (19 - 21 April 2013) at the University of Nottingham, UK:<br />
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<br />
<h1>
<span style="font-size: 15.0pt;">Dynamic assessment and academic writing:
evidence of learning transfer?<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr Prithvi Shrestha, Department of Language, The Open
University<o:p></o:p></div>
<h2>
Abstract <o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">In the context of higher
education, many higher order skills and knowledge are expected to be
transferable by lecturers. Sustaining these skills and knowledge is therefore central
to learning and disciplinary writing development. English for Specific Purposes
(ESP) courses can contribute to this purpose as they aim to enable Higher Education
students to participate in their chosen academic communities as fully as
possible. Despite learning transfer being a key purpose in ESP, research in
this area is still limited </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ADDIN EN.CITE
<endnote><cite><author>Cheng</Author><year>2007</Year><recnum>1520</RecNum><displaytext>(Cheng,
2007)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>1520</rec-number><foreign-keys><key
app="EN"
db-id="0ae5v9ddl0pzdrezpwd5ppa8xv5svsx5s9x0">1520</key></foreign-keys><ref-type
name="Journal
Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Cheng,
An</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Transferring
generic features and recontextualizing genre awareness: Understanding writing
performance in the ESP genre-based literacy
framework</title><secondary-title>English for Specific
Purposes</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>English
for Specific
Purposes</full-title></periodical><pages>287-307</pages><volume>26</volume><number>3</number><dates><year>2007</year></dates><isbn>0889-4906</isbn><urls><related-urls><url>http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889490607000026</url></related-urls></urls><electronic-resource-num>10.1016/j.esp.2006.12.002</electronic-resource-num></record></Cite></EndNote><span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">(</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469#_ENREF_1" title="Cheng, 2007 #1520"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Cheng,
2007</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">)</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">In this context, this
paper reports on a small-scale study investigating the transfer of academic
writing skills and conceptual knowledge among undergraduate business studies
students. The data are derived from a larger study </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ADDIN EN.CITE <endnote><cite><author>Shrestha</Author><year>2011</Year><recnum>1661</RecNum><displaytext>(Shrestha,
2011)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>1661</rec-number><foreign-keys><key
app="EN" db-id="0ae5v9ddl0pzdrezpwd5ppa8xv5svsx5s9x0">1661</key></foreign-keys><ref-type
name="Thesis">32</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Shrestha,
Prithvi</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Dynamic
assessment of academic writing for business studies</title><secondary-title>Centre
for Research in Education and Educational Technology</secondary-title></titles><volume>EdD</volume><keywords><keyword>dynamic
assessment, academic writing, systemic functional linguistics, tutor mediation,
formative feedback, writing development</keyword></keywords><dates><year>2011</year></dates><pub-location>Milton
Keynes</pub-location><publisher>The Open
University</publisher><work-type>Doctoral
thesis</work-type><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote><span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">(</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469#_ENREF_5" title="Shrestha, 2011 #1661"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Shrestha,
2011</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">)</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> conducted at a British university. One assignment
text each was collected from four students who studied an ESP course for
business studies. While three students had received interactive feedback on
their previous two assignments, following a Vygotsky-inspired dynamic
assessment (DA) approach, one student was provided with traditional tutor
feedback. </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">DA
blends instruction with assessment by targeting and further developing
students’ potential abilities </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ADDIN EN.CITE
<endnote><cite><author>Poehner</Author><year>2011</Year><recnum>1344</RecNum><displaytext>(Poehner,
2011)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>1344</rec-number><foreign-keys><key
app="EN"
db-id="0ae5v9ddl0pzdrezpwd5ppa8xv5svsx5s9x0">1344</key></foreign-keys><ref-type
name="Journal
Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Poehner,
Matthew
E.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Dynamic
Assessment: fairness through the prism of
mediation</title><secondary-title>Assessment in Education:
Principles, Policy &
Practice</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Assessment
in Education: Principles, Policy &
Practice</full-title></periodical><pages>99-112</pages><volume>18</volume><number>2</number><dates><year>2011</year></dates><publisher>Routledge</publisher><isbn>0969-594X</isbn><urls><related-urls><url>http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/0969594X.2011.567090</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote><span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">(</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469#_ENREF_4" title="Poehner, 2011 #1344"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Poehner, 2011</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-no-proof: yes;">)</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'><span style='mso-element:
field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> whereas traditional tutor feedback is less interactive and hence, may
not sufficiently target learners’ potential abilities.</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> The student texts were analysed by drawing on
Vygotskian sociocultural theory of learning </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ADDIN EN.CITE
<endnote><cite><author>Vygotsky</Author><year>1978</Year><recnum>145</RecNum><displaytext>(Vygotsky,
1978)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>145</rec-number><foreign-keys><key
app="EN"
db-id="0ae5v9ddl0pzdrezpwd5ppa8xv5svsx5s9x0">145</key><key
app="ENWeb" db-id="S0mhAgrtqggAAEek1rM">144</key></foreign-keys><ref-type
name="Book">6</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Vygotsky,
L.
S.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Mind
in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological
Processes</title></titles><dates><year>1978</year></dates><pub-location>Cambridge,
MA</pub-location><publisher>Harvard University
Press</publisher><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote><span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">(</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469#_ENREF_6" title="Vygotsky, 1978 #145"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Vygotsky,
1978</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">)</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">, and genre theory </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ADDIN EN.CITE
<endnote><cite><author>Martin</Author><year>2007</Year><recnum>102</RecNum><displaytext>(Martin
& Rose,
2007)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>102</rec-number><foreign-keys><key
app="EN"
db-id="0ae5v9ddl0pzdrezpwd5ppa8xv5svsx5s9x0">102</key><key
app="ENWeb"
db-id="S0mhAgrtqggAAEek1rM">101</key></foreign-keys><ref-type
name="Book">6</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Martin,
J.R.</author><author>Rose,
David</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Working
with Discourse: Meaning beyond the
Clause</title></titles><dates><year>2007</year></dates><pub-location>London</pub-location><publisher>Continuum</publisher><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote><span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">(</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469#_ENREF_3" title="Martin, 2007 #102"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Martin
& Rose, 2007</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">)</span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> based on Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics </span><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:11.5pt'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ADDIN EN.CITE <endnote><cite><author>Halliday</Author><year>2004</Year><recnum>889</RecNum><displaytext>(Halliday
& Matthiessen,
2004)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>889</rec-number><foreign-keys><key
app="EN"
db-id="0ae5v9ddl0pzdrezpwd5ppa8xv5svsx5s9x0">889</key></foreign-keys><ref-type
name="Book">6</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Halliday,
M. A. K.</author><author>Matthiessen, Christian M. I.
M.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>An
introduction to functional grammar</title></titles><pages>x,
689 p.</pages><edition>3rd</edition><keywords><keyword>Functionalism
(Linguistics)</keyword><keyword>Grammar, Comparative and
general.</keyword></keywords><dates><year>2004</year></dates><pub-location>London</pub-location><publisher>Hodder
Education</publisher><isbn>0340761679</isbn><accession-num>13801588</accession-num><call-num>Jefferson
or Adams Building Reading Rooms P147; .H35
2004</call-num><urls><related-urls><url>http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0621/2004559375-d.html</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote><span
style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">(</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469#_ENREF_2" title="Halliday, 2004 #889"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Halliday
& Matthiessen, 2004</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">)</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:11.5pt'><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">. The findings suggest that the transfer of academic writing skills and
conceptual knowledge occurred more in the texts of the students that underwent
dynamic assessment than that of the student who followed a traditional
assessment approach for their first two assignments. Implications of this for
ESP instruction and assessment design will be presented. [281 words]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Key words</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">:
academic writing; dynamic assessment; learning transfer; business studies<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ADDIN EN.REFLIST <span style='mso-element:
field-separator'></span><![endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">References<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469" name="_ENREF_1"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">Cheng, A. (2007). Transferring generic features and
recontextualizing genre awareness: Understanding writing performance in the ESP
genre-based literacy framework. <i>English
for Specific Purposes, 26</i>(3), 287-307. doi: 10.1016/j.esp.2006.12.002</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469" name="_ENREF_2"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2004). <i>An introduction to functional grammar</i>
(3rd ed.). London: Hodder Education.</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469" name="_ENREF_3"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">Martin, J. R., & Rose, D. (2007). <i>Working with Discourse: Meaning beyond the Clause</i>. London:
Continuum.</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469" name="_ENREF_4"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">Poehner, M. E. (2011). Dynamic Assessment: fairness through
the prism of mediation. <i>Assessment in
Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 18</i>(2), 99-112. </span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469" name="_ENREF_5"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">Shrestha, P. (2011). <i>Dynamic
assessment of academic writing for business studies.</i> EdD Doctoral thesis,
The Open University, Milton Keynes. </span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6944608990206152469" name="_ENREF_6"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). <i>Mind
in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes</i>. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press.</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
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EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><!--EndFragment-->Prithvi Shresthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866287592672690103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6944608990206152469.post-72161941544914050282011-06-12T13:10:00.000-07:002011-06-12T13:21:05.394-07:00DA for widening participationDA is generally associated with special education in general education. In particular, Feuerstein and his colleagues have always worked in this field when it comes to the development and research of DA. However, Vygotsky did not develop his concepts of mediation and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), both central tenets of DA, for special education but for general education. Nor did he develop any assessment approach applying these concepts to assessment. It was later psychologists and educationists who extended these concepts for assessment and instruction. My own DA research goes beyond special education and face-to-face learning as it investigates business studies students' academic writing trajectory in a distance education institution. There are some interesting findings that I will be sharing on this blog.<div><br /></div><div>As higher education institutions in the UK and elsewhere grapple with their agenda of widening participation, they will have to find various options for assessment regarding fair access and opportunities. DA can prove to be one of them. I would like to push this forward int eh institution where I work. But it remains to be seen how easily the institution buys this idea.</div>Prithvi Shresthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866287592672690103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6944608990206152469.post-15519162269291588232010-11-17T03:04:00.000-08:002010-11-17T03:17:02.197-08:00Some thorny issues around DA?As before somewhere else, after the presentation at BALEAP PIM, there were questions regarding the difference between DA and formative assessment, and DA and what a good EAP teacher does in his/ her classroom. I do agree that DA is a form of formative assessment as it is strongly linked with learning and development of a learner. The main point of DA is that it has a strong learning theory (i.e., sociocultural theory) underpinning it and sees assessment as a part of learning rather than it being separate.<div>On the other hand, it was difficult to convince people how it was different from those EAP tutors who do do certain things that are promoted in DA. Yet, my own view is that the EAp tutors do not follow a particular theory of learning per se; rather they use their discretion as to how to scaffold the learner. Often such support is ad hoc or provided in a 'hit or miss' fashion. To me, in order for DA to happen, there should be INTENTIONALITY from the part of the tutor and the learner, RECIPROCITY (learner responding to the tutor), TRANSCENDENCE (transfer of skills and knowledge to a more challenging task) and MEDIATION of MEANING (conveying the meaning to the learner in a learning-friendly environment that promotes better relationship with the learner through emotional support (affect) and positive outcomes). I do not think these are considered in a general EAP teaching session all the time. </div>Prithvi Shresthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866287592672690103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6944608990206152469.post-76070187984065489562010-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:002010-11-14T07:18:37.011-08:00Presentation at BALEAP PIM, Nottingham UniversityYesterday I gave a presentation on my dynamic assessment research at the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes <a href="http://www.baleap.org.uk/">(BALEAP)</a> Professional Issues Meeting (PIM). My main focus in the presentation was two aspects of Textual metafunction: macro-Theme and hyper-Theme which emerged as one of the key areas that the students needed support with. The presentation was well received as there were over 25 people in this concurrent session and raised lots of interest in the EAP community. I was also pleased that Professor Liz Hamp-Lyons, the keynote speaker, mentioned my paper as an option in EAP assessment in higher education.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Prithvi Shresthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866287592672690103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6944608990206152469.post-53724003773048820082010-05-13T02:34:00.001-07:002010-05-13T03:35:55.377-07:00In this blog, I will be posting my research related to <a href="http://www.dynamicassessment.com/id2.html">Dynamic Assessment</a> of academic writing, which is driven by the Russian psychologist L<a href="http://www.marxists.org/archive/vygotsky/">ev S. Vygotsky's</a> sociocultural theory of learning and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Halliday">Michael Halliday's</a> <a href="http://www.isfla.org/Systemics/">Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL)</a> and the genre theory developed by <a href="http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/linguistics/staff/jmartin.shtml">Jim Martin</a> and his colleagues in Australia. Although the latter has been extensively used in open and distance learning (ODL) for textual analysis, the former has not been examined in ODL. As an attempt to fill this gap, my study examines business studies students' trajectory of academic writing in the discipline over time.<div><br /></div><div>Watch out for more postings here as I continue to reflect on my research journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>Any thoughtful comments are welcome!</div>Prithvi Shresthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866287592672690103noreply@blogger.com0