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Descriptors:
Writing Processes; Protocol Analysis; Writing Research; Korean; Writing Strategies; Second Language Learning; Sociocultural Patterns; Cultural Context; Interviews; Second Language Instruction; Recall (Psychology); Learning Strategies; Case Studies; College Students

Abstract:
With the recent rise of sociocultural theory in second-language acquisition, attempts have been made to understand L2 learners' uses of different resources in writing, based on their cultural, historical, and institutional contexts. In line with L2 writing research within the sociocultural paradigm, this study investigates the writing strategies deployed by L2 learners of Korean, focusing on the mediated actions involved in their writing processes. Two American learners of Korean in a college Korean programme participated in this study. Data were collected from three sources: interviews, think-aloud protocol, and stimulated recall. Based on the analysis of data, emerging themes and trends in learner strategy use were identified for each participant. The findings are discussed case by case in relation to each individual's sociocultural context. The data reveal that a learner's socially situated context is closely related to the kinds of writing strategies and mediating tools he or she uses or prefers. (Contains 1 note.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Community Colleges; Internet; Video Technology; Protocol Analysis; Usability; Higher Education; Two Year Colleges; Web Sites; Vocational Education; Careers; Enrollment; College Students; Testing; Evaluation; Interviews; Disadvantaged Youth; Minority Group Students; Educational Attainment; Graduation; Student Personnel Services

Abstract:
This study explored whether community college websites are a useful medium for providing knowledge relevant to degree completion. Ten community students used one of three community college websites to answer 10 questions about occupational degree programs. A facilitator asked participants to think aloud while using the website to answer these questions; their responses were video-recorded and coded in terms of correctness of answers and types of usability problems encountered. The findings suggest that participants frequently encountered problems with finding and understanding information needed to understand degree selection and completion. The content analysis of these problems yields several suggestions for improving the usability of community college websites for answering common questions about degree completion. (Contains 3 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Familiarity; English (Second Language); Foreign Countries; College Faculty; Protocol Analysis; Semi Structured Interviews; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Editing; Language Teachers; Native Speakers; Scientific Research; Teacher Attitudes; Academic Discourse; Writing (Composition); Japanese; Cooperation; Medicine; English for Special Purposes; Apprenticeships; Vocabulary

Abstract:
Native-English-speaking English teachers at universities in EFL contexts are often asked to edit scientific manuscripts written by English as an additional language (EAL) colleagues. However, a lack of familiarity with scientific writing can make such editing tasks burdensome to English teachers. Using Lave and Wenger's (1991) notion of legitimate peripheral participation as an analytical lens, this study explored how English teachers who regularly edited healthcare-related texts learned the "craft" of scientific editing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four English-teaching editors employed at universities in Japan, with a focus on these editors' initial difficulties with editing and how editors overcame these difficulties. Two participants also completed think-aloud editing tasks, which were followed by stimulated recall interviews. Results indicate that four issues are of potential significance to these English teachers' learning of and attitudes towards the craft of scientific editing: 1) the various styles and terminology of medical academic writing; 2) authors' involvement in the editing process; 3) the ability to communicate with authors in Japanese; and 4) early apprenticeship or immersion experiences. We conclude that universities in EFL contexts should encourage greater collaboration, involving both education and research, between English teachers and scientific professionals. (Contains 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Biology; Foreign Countries; Science Teachers; Protocol Analysis; Semi Structured Interviews; Scientists; Science Education; Science Instruction; Visual Literacy; Grounded Theory; Data Collection

Abstract:
In the present study, we have explored an aspect of teachers' perceptions of biology diagrams. The research was performed in Turkey. The data were gathered from 50 (25 female, 25 male) teachers of primary and secondary schools and 34 (18 female, 16 male) academic staff of different universities in Turkey. Some of the participants are science specialists and the others are non-science specialists. The data were collected in 2012. A qualitative approach was adopted. The data were collected in three steps. First, biology diagrams from the internet were collected and some (12) biology diagrams were chosen by the researchers. In the second step, these selected diagrams were shown to the teachers and academic staff. In this step the participants were asked to think aloud about what they saw when they looked at the diagrams. In the third step, semi-structured interviews were carried out in order to examine further the thoughts of the participants about what they saw in these diagrams. In our study we found there were no significant differences in responses between the science and non-science specialist teachers and academic staff. We conclude that it may be helpful to train teachers in the processes of constructing and reading diagrams. (Contains 7 tables and 7 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Secondary School Mathematics; Geometry; Secondary School Students; Interaction; Problem Solving; Virtual Classrooms; Teamwork; Protocol Analysis; Sequential Learning; Sequential Approach; Pattern Recognition; Object Manipulation; Construction (Process); Reflection; Visual Aids

Abstract:
We analyze the interaction of 3 students working on mathematics problems over several days in a virtual math team. Our analysis traces out how successful collaboration in a later session is contingent upon the work of prior sessions and shows how the development of representational practices is an important aspect of these participants' problem solving. We trace the formation, transformation, and refinement of 2 problem-solving practices (i.e., problem decomposition and inscribe first solve second) and 2 representational practices (i.e., modulate perspective and visualize decomposition). The analysis shows how inscriptions become representations for the group through a historical trajectory of negotiation: Learners appropriate inscriptional resources over time as they develop their representational competencies. We show how analysis of the contingently relevant situation may reach into temporally prior episodes in which interaction relevant resources and practices are constructed. (Contains 4 tables and 9 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Reading Tests; Reading Comprehension; Cognitive Processes; Models; Validity; Matrices; Protocol Analysis; Expertise; College Students; English (Second Language); Markov Processes; Monte Carlo Methods; Goodness of Fit

Abstract:
Cognitive diagnostic analyses have been advocated as methods that allow an assessment to function as a formative assessment to inform instruction. To use this approach, it is necessary to first identify the skills required for each item in the test, known as a Q-matrix. However, because the construct being tested and the underlying cognitive processes associated with it are usually not fully understood, establishing a Q-matrix, especially for an existing test, is a challenging task. This study reports the process of constructing and validating a Q-matrix for the reading comprehension section of the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). An initial Q-matrix was first generated based on evidence gathered from related literature, students' think-aloud protocols, and expert ratings. This initial Q-matrix was then validated empirically by applying the fusion model to a large MELAB data set. A well-supported Q-matrix was produced for potential future diagnostic applications. (Contains 10 tables and 4 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Scores; Validity; Cognitive Tests; Diagnostic Tests; Test Items; Goodness of Fit; Statistical Analysis; Hypothesis Testing; Graduate Students; Protocol Analysis; Interviews; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
The goal of this study was to investigate the usefulness of person-fit analysis in validating student score inferences in a cognitive diagnostic assessment. In this study, a two-stage procedure was used to evaluate person fit for a diagnostic test in the domain of statistical hypothesis testing. In the first stage, the person-fit statistic, the hierarchy consistency index (HCI; Cui, 2007; Cui & Leighton, 2009), was used to identify the misfitting student item-score vectors. In the second stage, students' verbal reports were collected to provide additional information about students' response processes so as to reveal the actual causes of misfits. This two-stage procedure helped to identify the misfits of item-score vectors to the cognitive model used in the design and analysis of the diagnostic test, and to discover the reasons of misfits so that students' problem-solving strategies were better understood and their performances were interpreted in a more meaningful way. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
English (Second Language); Foreign Countries; Protocol Analysis; Inferences; Writing Skills; Second Language Learning; Academic Discourse; Case Studies; Citations (References); Graduate Students; Doctoral Dissertations; Reading Processes; Writing Processes

Abstract:
Existing studies of source use in academic student writing tend to i), focus more on the writing than the reading end of the reading-to-write continuum and ii), involve the use of insufficiently "naturalistic" writing tasks. Thus, in order to explore the potential of an alternative approach, this paper describes an exploratory case study concerning the ways source material was used by two L2 MA students while involved in a real-life reading-to-write task. Think-aloud sessions were conducted with students at a UK university as they read to write during the dissertation component of their programme. Analysis of the resulting protocols revealed that they engaged with their source material in qualitatively different ways, in both the frequency and range of their reading-to-write behaviours. Specifically, the students differed in the ways they responded to their sources as they read, the ways they elaborated on what they read and drew inferences, and the extent to which they showed intertextual awareness. The findings suggest that, for these writers, the process of "using" source material begins early in the reading-to-write process and involves more complex interactions with sources than may be suggested by the use of "one-shot" reading-to-write tasks of the type used in much reading-to-write research. (Contains 7 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Accuracy; Reading Instruction; Response to Intervention; Reading Difficulties; Fidelity; Educational Needs; Intervals; Intervention; At Risk Students; Paraprofessional School Personnel; Supplementary Education; Error Correction; Instructional Effectiveness; Teacher Effectiveness; Educational Improvement; Improvement Programs; Teacher Improvement; Professional Development; Teaching Skills; Protocol Analysis; Achievement Gains; Reading Fluency; Training Methods; Training Objectives

Abstract:
Paraprofessionals are widely employed in response to intervention (RTI) settings to provide instruction to students at-risk for reading disabilities. However, little research has addressed effective and efficient ways to train these paraprofessionals to deliver instruction with high fidelity. In addition, given the limited time and finances available in most districts, training needs to be as efficient as possible. This study assessed the effects of a 5-hour fluency training package on the presentation rates, praise rates, and error correction accuracy of five paraprofessionals providing supplemental reading instruction within an RTI system using a multiple baseline design across participants. Students' reading accuracy and percentage of intervals with on-task behavior were evaluated. Paraprofessionals generally increased their presentation rates, praise rates, and error correction accuracy. Students' behaviors were affected less. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Intervention; Augmentative and Alternative Communication; Expressive Language; Delayed Speech; Program Implementation; Severe Disabilities; Developmental Disabilities; Developmental Delays; Assistive Technology; Agency Cooperation; Partnerships in Education; Pretests Posttests; Interviews; Participant Satisfaction; Protocol Analysis; Protocol Materials; Speech Language Pathology; Program Effectiveness; Grade 2

Abstract:
This study grew from a need identified by professionals working in the same community to explore interagency support for augmentative and alternative communication device implementation with students, families, and professionals involving the local school system and university. A case study was used to document intervention with a second-grade student who had developmental and severe expressive language delays. Based on the collaboration that was initiated between university and school corporation during the device acquisition process, it was determined that an interagency support system for this student would provide the best long-term solution for training, implementation, and maintenance related to her device. The participant's intervention progress before and after intervention was described using tests and video interactions. Interviews with the principal collaborators (two speech and language pathologists) and the parent were conducted post intervention. Findings revealed positive changes in performance on the receptive and expressive vocabulary testing and scores on communication functions used based on video analyses before and after intervention. Spontaneous device use at home and school was, however, limited. As the study represented one case, no further statistical analysis was conducted. Finally, some reflections on the process were provided by the two main interagency collaborators as well as the mother of the participant, and implications for future intervention were discussed. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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