Supporting Academic Writing Skills through Blended Learning

Mirela Zemani Papandreou

Abstract

The goal of this study is to help the English Language Learners, ELLs, develop their written English academic language in order to pursue their education at Rockford University. This project explores whether the application of the sociocultural approach, via written activities, can assist students to enhance their academic vocabulary and improve the grammatical structure of sentences in English. I assume the web 2.0 technology can promote students’ academic written performance in order to gain the adequate English proficiency level to study at Rockford University. The study is focused on describing and analyzing my students’ writings on discussion boards in Canvas, an online platform for sharing their written opinions. This sociocultural approach can enable the students to develop their English language skills through a communicative written environment, wherein the students can improve their writing skills after they have read and been exposed to various written opinions. This study examines the role of a non–verbal sociocultural approach as a semiotic method to promote the students’ English academic language through web 2.0 technology, where the participants not only can develop writing skills in academic English language, but also their critical thinking via the reading of other written texts from the online discussion forum.

My study considers the influences of theoretical insights from different researchers; firstly, it is Hall’s argument (Hall 2012) of creating a “language socialization” in classroom practices. Secondly, Rogoff (1995) explains that the sociocultural activities enable the individual development through the “personal and interpersonal actions” emerging from the interrelation of different elements of the group. My idea of creating a mediatory atmosphere for the students even when they are outside the classroom, is impacted by Mottern and Sharma’s argument (Mottern and Sharma 2009) about the possibility of “blended learning” via the digital world. Thus Lankshear and Knobel’s theory (Lankshear and Knobel 2006) about the creation of “mindsets” when we are engaged in the contemporary digital world will be a solid foreground for the students to express their formal and academic work in an open audience, and make them more confident in their own writing skills. They have defined the mindsets as “new conceptual beliefs and approaches” (Lankshear and Knobel 2006 p.33) that we have to develop in everyday life.

Coffin (2010) presents, in her edition, the importance of the systematic functional linguistic (SFL) approach to develop the language; additionally she emphasizes Halliday’s insight about learning from the interaction among/between students and teacher, which is the ground where the students can construct their academic writing skills via systematic functional grammar (SFG). She indicates Vygotsky’s argument of learning through the “social process: it is through the interactions we enter into with other members of our culture, particularly those more knowledgeable or proficient, that we make sense of the world and learn new ways of seeing, doing and being.” (Coffin 2010, p. 3) I assume that this sociocultural approach in writing activities will stimulate the development of the students’ knowledge and linguistic skills in English, as they interact with their peers in a variety of linguistically and culturally diverse writing scenarios/settings outside the classroom.

Considering the mentioned research – based methods, I have designed learning activities based on reading articles from NorthStar (Barton & Sardinas 2009), which is a text from the syllabus of a Reading/Writing class at Rockford University. First, the students read the assigned article from the textbook. Secondly, they express their opinions about a given question from the article that they have already read. Participating in this learning activity, the students develop their academic reading and writing skills through a sociocultural linguistic approach, SCLA (Hall 2012), which is an approach for the students to build writing skills via the online discussion forum in Canvas where they read different written opinions. The establishment of this sociocultural writing activity through the web 2.0 is constructed as a way to explore if the implementation of SCLA in writing can support the development of students’ academic vocabulary and sentence structures into meaningful written context. This is shaped by Rogoff and Hall’s theory about SCLA. Mottern and Sharma’s “blended learning” (Mottern and Sharma 2009) and also Coffin’s argument (Coffin 2010) that the SFL approach can be applied in writing activities/practices.

First, students read articles from NorthStar 3, and they also practice the unit vocabulary through different learning activities. Subsequently, they are required to apply this vocabulary in written contexts. They express their critical thoughts and opinions about the article to boost their writing skills when they synthesize “language socialization practices: home and school connections” (Hall 2012 p.72), and their writings are shaped from the diversity of the cultures. This diversity brings a broad range of perspectives and interpretations. This learning activity constructs a “community environment” which Rogoff indicates “is truly educative in its effects in the degree in which an individual shares or participates in some conjoint activity” (Rogoff 1995, p. 2). Furthermore, the students not only express their thoughts and opinions in constructive three or four-paragraph essays, but also they agree/refute the other participants’ opinion with extensive supporting responses. Hence the students build their academic writing skills through the metacognitive discussions, which stimulate the students’ critical thinking. When the students write in this way, their debates drive the discussion into an argument about the topic. These connections will foster democratic classrooms, supporting, evaluating or assessing the voices and values of individual students (Noddings, 2016, p. 35). Thus it is a solid benefit for ELLs to enhance their writing skills when they are engaged in a “blended learning” web 2.0 environment (Mottern & Sharma 2009). The students share their writings and ideas shaped by their cultural beliefs and diversity of authentic literacy skills in a collaboratively written environment.

The overarching goal of this exploratory study is to employ the SCLA in writing practices via online discussions so that students can strengthen their English language writing skills through collaboration –a crucial skill in the 21^st Century. This interaction of the students’ writing fosters a learning environment where they not only evolve their written skills, but they also nurture their critical thinking. Each individual student brings his/her reflections to the discussion, a skill that will enable the student to participate in the global society.

References
Barton L. and Carolyn Dupaquier Sardinas, “NorthStar 3 Reading and Writing” third edition. Copyright @2009, 2004, 1998 by Pearson Education Inc. pp. 146-147
Coffin, Caroline (2010). Language support in EAL contexts. Why systemic functional linguistics? (Special Issue of NALDIC Quarterly). NALDIC, Reading, UK)
Hall, K. J. (2012) “Teaching and Researching Language and Culture”, book p. 73
Lankshear, C. and Knobel, M. (2006) ‘New literacies and the challenge of mindsets’ in New Literacies: Everyday Practices and Classroom Learning (2nd ed.), Berkshire, McGraw-Hill/Open University Press, pp. 29 – 63.
Mottern G. and Sharma P. (2009) “Blending Learning in a Web 2.0 World.”, International Journal of Emerging Technologies & Society, Vol. 7, No 2, 2009, pp: 83-96
Noddings, N. (2016). Philosophy of education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. P. 35.
OʼHalloran, K.A. (2010). Critical reading of a text through its electronic supplement. Digital Culture & Education, 2:2, 210-229.
Rogoff B. (1995) “Observing sociocultural activity on the planes participatory appropriation, guided participation and apprenticeship.” In Wertch J.V. , dei Rio P. and Alvarez A. (eds.) Sociocultural studies of mind Cambridge University Press.
Vygotsky L. (1994) “Interaction between Learning and Development (From Mind and Society)” pp: 51-59

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Mirela Zemani Papandreou teaches international ESL students at Rockford University, Rockford, IL.

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Supporting Academic Writing Skills through Blended Learning Mirela Zemani Papandreou Abstract The goal of this study is to help the English Language Learners, ELLs, develop their written English academic language in order to pursue their education at Rockford University. This project explores whether the application of the sociocultural approach, via written activities, can assist students to enhance their academic vocabulary and improve the grammatical structure of sentences in English. I assume the web 2.0 technology can promote students’ academic written performance in order to gain the adequate English proficiency level to study at Rockford University. The study is focused on describing and analyzing my students’ writings on discussion boards in Canvas, an online platform for sharing their written opinions. This sociocultural approach can enable the students to develop their English language skills through a communicative written environment, wherein the students can improve their writing skills after they have read and been exposed to various written opinions. This study examines the role of a non–verbal sociocultural approach as a semiotic method to promote the students’ English academic language through web 2.0 technology, where the participants not only can develop writing skills in academic English language, but also their critical thinking via the reading of other written texts from the online discussion forum. My study considers the influences of theoretical insights from different researchers; firstly, it is Hall’s argument (Hall 2012) of creating a “language socialization” in classroom practices. Secondly, Rogoff (1995) explains that the sociocultural activities enable the individual development through the “personal and interpersonal actions” emerging from the interrelation of different elements of the group. My idea of creating a mediatory atmosphere for the students even when they are outside the classroom, is impacted by Mottern and Sharma’s argument (Mottern and Sharma 2009) about the possibility of “blended learning” via the digital world. Thus Lankshear and Knobel’s theory (Lankshear and Knobel 2006) about the creation of “mindsets” when we are engaged in the contemporary digital world will be a solid foreground for the students to express their formal and academic work in an open audience, and make them more confident in their own writing skills. They have defined the mindsets as “new conceptual beliefs and approaches” (Lankshear and Knobel 2006 p.33) that we have to develop in everyday life. Coffin (2010) presents, in her edition, the importance of the systematic functional linguistic (SFL) approach to develop the language; additionally she emphasizes Halliday’s insight about learning from the interaction among/between students and teacher, which is the ground where the students can construct their academic writing skills via systematic functional grammar (SFG). She indicates Vygotsky’s argument of learning through the “social process: it is through the interactions we enter into with other members of our culture, particularly those more knowledgeable or proficient, that we make sense of the world and learn new ways of seeing, doing and being.” (Coffin 2010, p. 3) I assume that this sociocultural approach in writing activities will stimulate the development of the students’ knowledge and linguistic skills in English, as they interact with their peers in a variety of linguistically and culturally diverse writing scenarios/settings outside the classroom. Considering the mentioned research – based methods, I have designed learning activities based on reading articles from NorthStar (Barton & Sardinas 2009), which is a text from the syllabus of a Reading/Writing class at Rockford University. First, the students read the assigned article from the textbook. Secondly, they express their opinions about a given question from the article that they have already read. Participating in this learning activity, the students develop their academic reading and writing skills through a sociocultural linguistic approach, SCLA (Hall 2012), which is an approach for the students to build writing skills via the online discussion forum in Canvas where they read different written opinions. The establishment of this sociocultural writing activity through the web 2.0 is constructed as a way to explore if the implementation of SCLA in writing can support the development of students’ academic vocabulary and sentence structures into meaningful written context. This is shaped by Rogoff and Hall’s theory about SCLA. Mottern and Sharma’s “blended learning” (Mottern and Sharma 2009) and also Coffin’s argument (Coffin 2010) that the SFL approach can be applied in writing activities/practices. First, students read articles from NorthStar 3, and they also practice the unit vocabulary through different learning activities. Subsequently, they are required to apply this vocabulary in written contexts. They express their critical thoughts and opinions about the article to boost their writing skills when they synthesize “language socialization practices: home and school connections” (Hall 2012 p.72), and their writings are shaped from the diversity of the cultures. This diversity brings a broad range of perspectives and interpretations. This learning activity constructs a “community environment” which Rogoff indicates “is truly educative in its effects in the degree in which an individual shares or participates in some conjoint activity” (Rogoff 1995, p. 2). Furthermore, the students not only express their thoughts and opinions in constructive three or four-paragraph essays, but also they agree/refute the other participants’ opinion with extensive supporting responses. Hence the students build their academic writing skills through the metacognitive discussions, which stimulate the students’ critical thinking. When the students write in this way, their debates drive the discussion into an argument about the topic. These connections will foster democratic classrooms, supporting, evaluating or assessing the voices and values of individual students (Noddings, 2016, p. 35). Thus it is a solid benefit for ELLs to enhance their writing skills when they are engaged in a “blended learning” web 2.0 environment (Mottern & Sharma 2009). The students share their writings and ideas shaped by their cultural beliefs and diversity of authentic literacy skills in a collaboratively written environment. The overarching goal of this exploratory study is to employ the SCLA in writing practices via online discussions so that students can strengthen their English language writing skills through collaboration –a crucial skill in the 21^st Century. This interaction of the students’ writing fosters a learning environment where they not only evolve their written skills, but they also nurture their critical thinking. Each individual student brings his/her reflections to the discussion, a skill that will enable the student to participate in the global society. References Barton L. and Carolyn Dupaquier Sardinas, “NorthStar 3 Reading and Writing” third edition. Copyright @2009, 2004, 1998 by Pearson Education Inc. pp. 146-147 Coffin, Caroline (2010). Language support in EAL contexts. Why systemic functional linguistics? (Special Issue of NALDIC Quarterly). NALDIC, Reading, UK) Hall, K. J. (2012) “Teaching and Researching Language and Culture”, book p. 73 Lankshear, C. and Knobel, M. (2006) ‘New literacies and the challenge of mindsets’ in New Literacies: Everyday Practices and Classroom Learning (2nd ed.), Berkshire, McGraw-Hill/Open University Press, pp. 29 – 63. Mottern G. and Sharma P. (2009) “Blending Learning in a Web 2.0 World.”, International Journal of Emerging Technologies & Society, Vol. 7, No 2, 2009, pp: 83-96 Noddings, N. (2016). Philosophy of education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. P. 35. OʼHalloran, K.A. (2010). Critical reading of a text through its electronic supplement. Digital Culture & Education, 2:2, 210-229. Rogoff B. (1995) “Observing sociocultural activity on the planes participatory appropriation, guided participation and apprenticeship.” In Wertch J.V. , dei Rio P. and Alvarez A. (eds.) Sociocultural studies of mind Cambridge University Press. Vygotsky L. (1994) “Interaction between Learning and Development (From Mind and Society)” pp: 51-59 ______ Mirela Zemani Papandreou teaches international ESL students at Rockford University, Rockford, IL. Home Page
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