5,916 results on '"technical writing"'
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2. Challenges Facing Arab Researchers in Conducting and Publishing Scientific Research: A Qualitative Interview Study
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Alya Elgamri, Zeinab Mohamm, Karima El-Rhazi, Manal Shahrouri, Mamoun Ahram, Al-Mubarak Al-Abbas, and Henry Silverman
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Arab researchers encounter formidable obstacles when conducting and publishing their scientific work. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 Arab researchers from various Arab Middle East countries to gain a comprehensive understanding of the difficulties they face in research and publication. We analyzed the transcripts using reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings revealed several key challenges. First, Arab researchers struggle to conduct high-quality research due to limited resources, inadequate funding, and a lack of a supportive research infrastructure. Furthermore, a shortage of teamwork and mentoring diminishes research productivity. Perverse promotion policies, heavy teaching loads, and low salaries force many researchers to seek external income sources, leaving them with insufficient time for research. Regarding publishing in high-impact journals, Arab researchers confront challenges existing of insufficient scientific writing skills, underrepresentation on editorial boards, and unconscious biases against researchers from economically challenged areas. Finally, achieving research integrity is closely tied to lack of access to essential resources. To address these issues, our participants proposed targeted interventions at the institutional and external levels. For example, universities can implement mentoring programs, offer workshops on scientific writing and publishing, and foster a supportive institutional culture for research. Addressing the underrepresentation of Arabic researchers on editorial boards is crucial for equity in global scientific publishing. In conclusion, acknowledging and addressing these challenges will empower Arab researchers, elevate research quality, and promote equitable global scientific collaboration. Our findings provide guidance for universities, governments, and international donors seeking to enhance research and publication practices in the Arab Middle East.
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- 2024
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3. Teaching Team Writing Online during and after COVID-19
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Myatt, Alice J.
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Collaborative writing assignments are an essential element of teaching technical and professional writing, and they should be included in online writing instruction (OWI). The COVID-19 pandemic was a drastic interruption of regular teaching practices that had the potential of derailing the practice of assigning online collaborative writing projects, which often require a heavy investment of time and energy to manage. As educators and scholars, we must learn from the experiences we had during the pandemic time. For example, amidst the trials and turbulence of the period, we had an opportunity to learn from some of the practices we undertook and identify ways to support post-pandemic team-writing online. This article focuses on the integration of online collaborative writing projects, among which are team-written assignments. Using an archival case study approach combined with reflective writing, several current intersections are explored: the landscape of Online Writing Instruction (OWI): the application of four specific themes to collaborative writing projects; how digital meeting platforms have transformed collaborative writing projects; assessing collaborative writing projects completed during mandated isolation; and how best to support student learning in all of the preceding intersections. Results suggest that agile practices, transparency, adaptability, and virtual makerspaces support online team-writing assignments.
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- 2023
4. Intelligent Enough? Artificial Intelligence for Online Learners
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Yu, Eunjyu
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used as a cost-effective assistant to human instructors to generate performance feedback for online learners. This study found that AI-generated feedback had a positive impact on students' writing practice in an online learning space. Underperforming students stated that they wanted AI to further assist them with their content development skills and use of sources. Although most AI feedback was text-based, the students with different learning styles concurred that AI-generated feedback helped improve their writing skills, metacognitive skills, and self-confidence, but not their creativity. Student-driven suggestions reflect their desire for AI assistants to provide meaningful feedback to online learners that is personalized to meet their needs and to help them develop ownership of their learning.
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- 2023
5. Development of Soft Skills among Computing Students in Online Task-Based Learning: Insights from Technical Communication Course
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AlGhamdi, Ray
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Soft skills development, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, is critical for computer students as they enter the profession. Students may be able to practice these skills in a virtual setting through an online task-based course. In this study, we investigated how successfully an online task-based course encouraged the development of soft skills among computing students. The course was designed to give students real-world challenges that required them to work in groups and communicate effectively with their classmates and instructors. The inquiry was based on a qualitative examination of the students' final reports. It gave data from two semesters (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021) of students who studied a course named Technical Communication. In total, 216 students' final reports were ready for investigation. A sample of 97 reports, representing 45%, was selected based on certain criteria to ensure a high-quality investigation. According to the findings of our study, the online task-based course helped boost the development of certain soft skills among students. Students noted an improvement in their ability to communicate effectively, cooperate successfully with team members, and identify professional responsibilities, as well as a rise in their self-confidence. Overall, this study emphasizes the necessity of introducing online task-based courses into computing students' curricula, giving them a valuable opportunity to develop critical soft skills. The present design of the Technical Communication Course is believed to be efficient regardless of the education delivery method (traditional/online).
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- 2023
6. FY 2023 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance. Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Program
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Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) (USDA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)
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This Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance provides instructions to SNAP-Ed State and implementing agencies for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans, and preparing and submitting the Annual Report. It describes Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expectations regarding State SNAP-Ed requirements and includes examples of activities that can be used in SNAP-Ed programming. Some sections have been broadened to provide additional instructions and, in some sections, new information has been added to provide more clarity. The SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance implements provisions of the Food and Nutrition Act (FNA), Section 28, as amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2036a) and 7 CFR 272.2(d)(2). [This report replaces "FY 2022 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Plan Guidance" (ED615513).]
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- 2023
7. Development of Prospective Agricultural Engineers' Technical Writing Skills Using Online Writing Lab
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Olha Chaikovska, Iryna Humeniuk, and Anastasiia Trofymenko
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Technical writing skills allow prospective professionals to be competitive engineers, be effective at the workplace, reach high positions, and gain self-confidence in Agricultural Engineering. Therefore, technical writing is an integral part of English for Specific Purposes communication of prospective agricultural engineers. The current study aims to examine the influence of Online Writing Lab (OWL) resources on the development of students' technical writing skills. To achieve the outlined aim, a mixed research design was employed, which involved 58 Masters of Podillia State University. Two groups were formed based on students' preferences: experimental (n=28) and control (n=30). The Pearson criterion was used to process the results, which indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of their technical writing performances. The study has shown that using OWL resources positively influences the development of Master's technical writing skills. OWL can be considered an effective tool for teaching students technical writing. It engages and motivates the students in technical writing skills and further self-study. Additionally, the study revealed that the majority of the students have positive attitudes toward the use of OWL resources in the learning process.
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- 2023
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8. Engaging Everyone in Research Ethics: Assessment of a Workshop for Engineering and Computer Science Graduate Students
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Susan B. Wainscott, Mohamed B. Trabia, and David E. James
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How can we engage new engineering and computer science graduate students in meaningful conversations about research and publication ethics without establishing a common understanding of the issues and expectations? Most universities offer extensive responsible conduct of research (RCR) training programs, which are usually a semester-long. Absent a requirement, it is unlikely that engineering and computer graduate students and their advisors would prioritize a lengthy training during the student's first semester. Recognizing this, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering designed and implemented an introductory research ethics workshop for all graduate students entering engineering and computer science. We engaged an interdisciplinary team of faculty and staff in the workshop's design and implementation, and approached our design within the sensemaking framework for ethical decision-making. Each workshop included lecture content in four priority topic areas identified by the college faculty: research design and data ethics, publication ethics, computer coding ethics, and intellectual property. The workshops also included a face-to-face panel discussion with experts including engineering, computer science, and law professors; librarians; and technical writers. Our assessment showed that after completing the workshop, students demonstrated increased content knowledge, and their self-assessed expertise ratings were better aligned with their content knowledge.
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- 2023
9. EFL Paraphrasing Skills with QuillBot: Unveiling Students' Enthusiasm and Insights
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Taj Mohammad, Ali A. F. Alzubi, Mohd Nazim, and Soada I. Khan
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EFL students' attitudes are crucial for the development of writing abilities, which in the age of cutting-edge technology depend extensively on artificial intelligence-mediated tools, and paraphrasing draws no exception. Therefore, this study aims to identify English as a foreign language student's enthusiasm and insights about utilizing QuillBot to improve their paraphrasing skills. To achieve the study objectives, the quasi-experimental design was employed. Thirty-one preparatory year students were recruited to answer a questionnaire and semi-structured interview having verified the validity and reliability of the instruments. The sample of the test demonstrated that students improved their performance in synonyms, sentence structure, and word choice. The respondents hold high enthusiasm and insights toward utilizing QuillBot to improve their paraphrasing skills. In addition, students had positive feelings about utilizing QuillBot to improve their paraphrasing skills. In light of the findings, the researchers recommended employing QuillBot in a writing class while learning paraphrasing skills.
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- 2023
10. In Their Own Words: Student Perceptions of Technical Poetry Writing in Discipline-Specific Undergraduate Engineering Courses--Opportunities and Challenges
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Elif Akçali, Jade Williams, Rachel Burress, Albert Aguila, and Mariana Buraglia
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Although some studies have incorporated poetry into engineering courses, no studies exist that explore the use of writing poetry about technical topics to develop creative thinking skills in undergraduate engineering education. This study explores engineering students' perceptions of incorporating poetry writing within an upper-level discipline-specific engineering course. Two research questions are considered: (RQ1) Do students think that the poetry assignments will be beneficial to their careers? (RQ2) What beneficial gain, if any, do students report from the poetry assignments? Sixty-one students from an industrial and systems engineering course at the University of Florida completed a four-question, open-ended survey. Data were qualitatively coded and analyzed. For RQ1, 63.3% of participants considered the assignment beneficial to their future engineering careers, 13.3% did not see it as beneficial, and 23.3% were uncertain. For RQ2, 11 code categories and four themes emerged; three themes addressed benefits related to professional skills (creative thinking, problem-solving, communication) and one theme suggested the enhancement of technical skills via deepened conceptual knowledge acquisition. Poetry writing on technical topics has the potential to cultivate creative thinking skills in upper-level discipline-specific courses in undergraduate engineering education. Additional research is warranted.
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- 2024
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11. Deconstructing the Art of Grantsmanship: The Roles of the Storyteller, Grant Writer, Typesetter, Proofreader, Accountant and Reviewer
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Mosier, Karen E.
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Background: The content presents a conceptually powerful and attractive framework for understanding the proposal development process to capture the complexity of the steps that contribute to successful grant writing. Based on experiences from 15 years in research administration and using real-life examples, the author juxtaposes the diverse roles required of grants professionals in creating a competitive grant application. In the context of increasing university emphasis on attracting extramural grant funding, this timely article focuses on proposal development skills using a step-by-step process including a sixpart analysis of each role within the framework, dividing the role into primary subtopics all highly relevant to each specific role. By deconstructing the art of grantsmanship, the whole suite of proposal development processes is considered with this approach with the intention that research development professionals will have solid actionable guidance in a cohesively planned delivery to capture the intricate mechanisms that translate to successful grantsmanship and acquire a set of tools to use to train grant seekers.
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- 2022
12. Using Markup Languages for Accessible Scientific, Technical, and Scholarly Document Creation
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White, Jason J. G.
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In using software to write a scientific, technical, or other scholarly document, authors have essentially two options. They can either write it in a 'what you see is what you get' (WYSIWYG) editor such as a word processor, or write it in a text editor using a markup language such as HTML, LATEX, Markdown, or AsciiDoc. This paper gives an overview of the latter approach, focusing on both the non-visual accessibility of the writing process, and that of the documents produced. Currently popular markup languages and established tools associated with them are introduced. Support for mathematical notation is considered. In addition, domain-specific programming languages for constructing various types of diagrams can be well integrated into the document production process. These languages offer interesting potential to facilitate the non-visual creation of graphical content, while raising insufficiently explored research questions. The flexibility with which documents written in current markup languages can be converted to different output formats is emphasized. These formats include HTML, EPUB, and PDF, as well as file formats used by contemporary word processors. Such conversion facilities can serve as means of enhancing the accessibility of a document both for the author (during the editing and proofreading process) and for those among the document's recipients who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers and screen magnifiers. Current developments associated with markup languages and the accessibility of scientific or technical documents are described. The paper concludes with general commentary, together with a summary of opportunities for further research and software development.
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- 2022
13. Syntactic Complexity and Writing Quality in Students' Technical Writing
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Lee, Joyce, Wu, Kam Yin, and Lee, Eric Ping Chung
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Syntactic complexity is a crucial aspect of linguistic proficiency and thus understanding and supporting such development in learners is a keen concern for language teachers. Research conducted has shown growing sophistication of noun phrase structures by writers of different abilities in academic writing (Biber & Gray, 2010; Liu & Li, 2016; Parkinson & Musgrave, 2014). In comparison, relatively less is known about the development of syntactic sophistication among student technical writers. Adopting a discipline-specific approach, this study compared the complexity of noun phrase structures in student texts of three performance levels from high, mid and low. The data taken from 45 technical reports of university engineering students were analyzed quantitatively using automatic syntactic analyzers and qualitatively by manual coding and text examination. The results show that noun phrase complexity is a differentiating factor for different performance levels with the stronger texts exemplifying more varied modifying structures and in greater numbers. Complex and lengthy structures, such as multiple use of prepositional phrases and combined use of other modifiers such as "-ed" or "-ing" clauses, are common in postmodification, whereas premodifying structures are simpler in structure and shorter. The study also explored the contribution of complex noun phrases to expression of meaning, showing that complex syntactic structures are commonly used to perform a diverse range of language functions essential to technical communication, such as explaining a scientific mechanism. The close connection between syntactic complexity and expression of meaning suggests that structures for pre-and postmodification should be learned as a meaning-making resource
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- 2022
14. The Effects of Using Cognitive Discourse Functions to Instruct 4th-Year Children on Report Writing in a CLIL Science Class
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de Larios, Julio Roca, Coyle, Yvette, and García, Vanessa
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The present study analyzed how a group of young Spanish-speaking English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in a content and language integrated learning (CLIL) science class responded to an instructional unit integrating attention to functional language and an inquiry-oriented approach to science. Working in cooperation with the researchers, a year 4 primary school teacher implemented a teaching sequence on levers with 48 9-10-year-olds over three weeks. The sequence, which was intended to raise the children's awareness of the demands involved in understanding (content goals) and expressing as written reports (rhetorical goals) how levers work, scaffolded their activity from item-based writing to the production of full texts. On completing the unit, each child independently wrote a report on levers, all of which were analyzed from the perspective of cognitive discourse functions and ideational meaning. The results of these analyses are discussed in terms of their significance for CLIL writing with young learners.
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- 2022
15. Challenges Facing Jordanian Undergraduates in Writing Graduation Research Paper
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Altikriti, Sahar
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Writing a research paper as a graduation requisite by university students is an important part of university education. It is not a simple task for most university students who face several problems during writing the graduation project. Several kinds of research have been conducted onrecognising the challenges and problems that face students in academic writing, but to the researcher's best knowledge, no study has been conducted on the problems faced in writing a graduate research paper by Jordanian undergraduate students of the English Language and Literature major. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the academic writing challenges and difficulties encountered in writing graduation papers by EFL undergraduate students in the Department of English at Alzaytoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ). The data for the study was collected through distributing a questionnaire of three parameters: attitude about writing a research paper, methodology challenges, and background knowledge about research. The questionnaire is based on identifying the causes of the students' challenges in writing their graduation papers. The respondents were 45 undergraduate students of the English Language and Literature. The findings revealed that the most important problems were lack of an academic prerequisite of teaching the techniques of how to write a research paper, lack of knowledge of research paper writing process, lack of resources, lack of the methodology, etc. Thus, for these reasons, the present study attempts to present suggestions and recommendations to overcome such hurdles faced by graduate students in writing their graduation research papers.
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- 2022
16. FY 2022 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance. Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Program
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Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) (USDA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)
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This Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance provides instructions for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans. It describes Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expectations regarding State SNAP-Ed requirements and includes examples of activities that can be used in SNAP-Ed programming. Some sections have been broadened to provide additional instructions and in some places, new information has been added. The SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance implements provisions of the FNA, Section 28, as amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2036a) and 7 CFR(d)(2). [This report replaces "FY 2021 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Plan Guidance" (ED615514).]
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- 2022
17. The Need for Technical Communication Pedagogical Module for 21st Century Learning in TVET Institutions: Lecturers' Typical Instructional Strategies
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Ramamuruthy, Viji, DeWitt, Dorothy, and Alias, Norlidah
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This paper emphasises on the needs analysis for the development of Technical Communication Pedagogical Module (TCPM) which could be adopted by the lecturers in skill-based higher learning institutions to teach technical communication. About 81% of the respondents indicated that fresh graduates lack communication skills. In addition, the total unemployment rate in June 2018 was recorded at 3.4%. Most of the employers as well as the graduates themselves reported that fresh graduates are unable to secure an employment due to poor communication skills. This raises the curiosity in determining the reasons for the ineffective course of study which supposed to be producing work-ready graduates. Therefore, before developing a technical communication pedagogical module which the educators could adopt to teach technical communication, it is crucial to determine lecturers' typical instructional strategies for teaching technical communication. Survey questionnaires were distributed to 30 lecturers and the findings revealed that most of the lecturers over-rated themselves for all the five aspects in the questionnaire which are (1) subject matter knowledge, (2) instructional planning and strategies, (3) assessment, (4) learning environment and (5) effective communication.
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- 2021
18. A Rubric to Assess and Improve Technical Writing in Undergraduate Engineering Courses
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Cantera, Maria Asun, Arevalo, María-José, García-Marina, Vanessa, and Alves-Castro, Marian
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Although there is consensus in the literature that writing skills are important in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies, they are often neglected. However, some efforts have been made to correct this deficiency, one of them being the development of assessment rubrics. This study seeks to contribute to the discussion by presenting the results of the application of a rubric designed to assess the writing skills of a group of 3rd year engineering students. This rubric, which includes linguistic and rhetorical-organizational criteria alongside the mathematical and technical, was used to assess a number of written exercises and essays submitted by students in a 15-week course. The main interest of this study was to test the efficacy of the rubric as a diagnostic tool, conceived to detect the areas of improvement in the students' written performance and, ultimately, to also help them to achieve higher levels of competence. This goal was achieved, as one of the main conclusions of the study is that, although students usually master the technical aspects of the course, they must improve the linguistic and rhetorical aspects of their written communication. It can likewise be said that all the participants involved in the study profited in one way or another from the application of the rubric and contributed to identifying the ways in which the rubric itself can be improved for future application.
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- 2021
19. FY 2021 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Plan Guidance. Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Program
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Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) (USDA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)
- Abstract
This Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance provides instructions for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans. It describes Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expectations regarding State SNAP-Ed requirements and includes examples of activities that can be used in SNAP-Ed programming. Some sections have been broadened to provide additional instructions and in some places, new information has been added. The SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance implements provisions of the FNA, Section 28, as amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2036a) and 7 CFR(d)(2). [This report replaces "FY 2020 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Plan Guidance."]
- Published
- 2021
20. Beyond 'See Figure 1': A Heuristic for Writing about Figures and Tables
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Moskovitz, Cary
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Visual elements such as graphs, tables, and diagrams are essential components of scientific writing. Although scientific writing textbooks and guides often contain information on how to design such visuals, little has been written on how to effectively discuss those visuals within the text. This article offers a novel heuristic for teaching students how to effectively execute these "passages about visuals" in a way that is both conceptually simple enough to be understood by novices yet rich enough to accommodate the complexity of expert scientific writing. The heuristic consists of a set of "moves": announce, orient, observe, and explain. Following an explanation of the moves, readers are walked through a variety of examples showing the moves in context and noting the different ways the moves are arranged and executed in published scientific research articles. Pedagogical implications and approaches for using the heuristic in the classroom are then discussed.
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- 2023
21. Effects of Using Adjunct Model of Content-Based Instruction on Students' Technical Report Writing Performance
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Chekol, Assefa, Shiferie, Kassie, and Teshome, Seyoum
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This study aimed to investigate effects of adjunct model of content-based instruction on EFL students' technical report writing performance. A quasi-experimental design was employed to attain the main objective of the study. It included sixty-four mechanical engineering students in the control group (31) and experimental group (33). The experimental group participants were taught technical report writing skills using adjunct content-based instruction, and the control group participants were taught the same lesson through the conventional method for eight weeks. Writing tests and interviews were employed to collect the data. One-way MANOVA was applied to analyze the data collected using the tools. The findings revealed that the students participated in the adjunct EFL program outperformed the ones who were instructed through the conventional approach. They improved their skills of writing task achievement, cohesion and coherence, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy significantly. The result also showed that the experimental group students had positive perceptions about adjunct content-based instruction in learning technical report writing. Based on the findings, it was recommended that adjunct content-based instruction could be incorporated into teaching technical report writing at colleges and universities.
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- 2023
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22. Problem-Based Service Learning's Effect on Environmental Concern and Ability to Write Scientific Papers
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Sumarmi, Bachri, Syamsul, Baidowi, Arif, and Aliman, Muhammad
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This study aimed to: (1) determine the effect of the problem-based service learning model based on the local wisdom of gugur gunung on the environmental concern of the students in Public Senior High School 1 Campurdarat; (2) determine the effect of problem based service learning models on the ability to write scientific papers at Public Senior High School I Campurdarat; and (3) knowing the students' impressions of the implementation of the problem based service learning model based on the local wisdom of gugur gunung in Lake Buret, Tulungagung. The method used in this study was quasi experiment. The research design used was the post-test control group design with 2 groups: (1) experimental group, which is students from class XI science 1; and (2) control group, which is students from class XI science 3 of Public Senior High School I Campurdarat, Tulungagung Regency, Indonesia. Data was obtained from post-test of environmental concern and ability to write scientific papers. From the Mann-Whitney test using SPSS, the Z count value was smaller than - Z table (-6.851 <- 1.960), and the significance value was smaller than [alpha] (0.000 <0.050), then the decision H0 was rejected which it meant there was a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group based on the measured score.
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- 2020
23. The Importance of English Writing Skills in the International Workplace. Research Memorandum. ETS RM-20-07
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Educational Testing Service (ETS), Lee, Shinhye, and Schmidgall, Jonathan
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In this paper, we discuss the multi-faced role of English writing in the international workplace. Drawing upon previous research, we point out that English, as the main lingua franca, supports a variety of writing practices in the workplace, and so it presents both significant value and challenges for internationally operating individuals and organizations. In the initial sections of the paper, we review the importance and frequency of the English writing activities that facilitate communication and collaboration in the international workplace. We conclude this discussion by presenting three implications of good writing practices in the workplace for individuals and organizations.
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- 2020
24. Physics Doctorates: Skills Used and Satisfaction with Employment. Data from the Degree Recipient Follow-Up Survey for the Classes of 2015 and 2016. Focus On
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American Institute of Physics, Statistical Research Center, Mulvey, Patrick, and Pold, Jack
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By the time physics students receive their PhDs, they have a broad understanding of many areas of physics and in-depth knowledge in a specific subfield. They have developed a comprehensive knowledge of mathematics, modeling, and programming. Graduate students in physics also develop skills in areas not specifically related to physics and not explicitly associated with research. These include how to work on a team, manage projects, and technical writing. This Focus On looks at the knowledge and skills used by new physics PhDs in the first positions they held after receiving their degrees. It also looks at how new PhDs perceive the subjective aspects of their first post-degree position.
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- 2020
25. Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM) (13th, Online, July 10-13, 2020)
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International Educational Data Mining Society, Rafferty, Anna N., Whitehill, Jacob, Romero, Cristobal, and Cavalli-Sforza, Violetta
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The 13th iteration of the International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM 2020) was originally arranged to take place in Ifrane, Morocco. Due to the SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) epidemic, EDM 2020, as well as most other academic conferences in 2020, had to be changed to a purely online format. To facilitate efficient transmission of presentations all paper presenters pre-recorded their presentation as a video and then hosted it on YouTube with closed-captioning (CC). The official theme of this year's conference is Improving Learning Outcomes for All Learners. The theme comprises two parts: (1) Identifying actionable learning or teaching strategies that can be used to "improve" learning outcomes, not just predict them; (2) Using EDM to promote more "equitable" learning across diverse groups of learners, and to benefit underserved communities in particular. This year's conference features three invited talks: Alina von Davier, Chief Officer at ACTNext; Abelardo Pardo, Professor and Dean of Programs (Engineering), at UniSA STEM, University of South Australia; and Kobi Gal, Associate Professor at the Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Reader at the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh.
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- 2020
26. Lab Reports and Horror Stories: Exploring Chemistry Majors' Evaluations of Scientific and Creative Writing
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Nicholes, Justin
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The present study adopted a case-study qualitative design to discover how science undergraduates at one public university in the eastern U.S. understood writing and how they evaluated creative or personal writing in relation to their science identities. Findings suggest that science majors in this volunteer sample defined science writing as distinct from other kinds of writing, but they also saw creative writing as personally enjoyable and valuable. The discussion explores an observation that science educators may be able to leverage creative, imaginative writing to give students chances to demonstrate how creative narratives do not lie beyond the boundaries of scientific discourse, as well as for reflective and writing-to-learn purposes for students.
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- 2020
27. Bridging Science with Society: Defining Pathways for Engagement
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MacArthur, Brenda L., Lindenfeld, Laura A., Aurbach, Elyse L., Bevan, Bronwyn, and Newman, Todd P.
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Science communication that fosters shared understanding, co-creation of meaning, and prompts large-scale change, is far from a one-way transmission of information. Rather, it is a multifaceted system that integrates different forms of knowledge and ways of knowing, attends to the complexity of social and environmental challenges, and conveys strong verbal and nonverbal skills (Brown et al., 2010). In this paper, the authors argue that effective science communication requires "engagement" rather than traditional knowledge transfer, and highlight the relevance of social considerations to accomplish effective engagement. The authors offer primary pathways for engagement that are key to spanning the boundary between science and society, and specify concrete suggestions for communication centers to implement these pathways. The authors conclude by discussing examples wherein social factors played a role in successful engagement.
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- 2020
28. Teacher Development Potential (Creativity and Innovation) Education Management in Engineering Training, Coaching and Writing Works through Scientific Knowledge Intensive Knowledge Based on Web Research in the Industrial Revolution and Society
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Rosa, Ade Tutty Rokhayati and Mujiarto
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This research is an empowerment of the potential of vocational school teachers in the form of scientific writing to function as a vehicle for communication and dissemination of works and ideas for teachers or others. The problems are: (1) the making of scientific papers of any type is partly, vocational teachers do not understand much and are unable to write good scientific works, are still done traditionally, whereas writing web-based scientific papers/research is urgently needed in the revolutionary era and society now and in the future. (2). Until now, "SMK" (Vocational High Schools) have not strengthened the ability to respond to the needs of the world of work, business, industry with innovation and digital-based interdisciplinary curriculum, education in "SMK" should be as a reference for innovation, and most responsive to the development of knowledge and technology according to the needs of industry and civil society. is the ability to change midset action in writing scientific papers, which are designed through implementation, and empowering the potential of vocational school teachers in the methods of editing, inquiry, compiling the results of scientific papers and others relevant to the development of the era of the industrial revolution and the Society. Research methods include holding workshops. training scenarios using in class systems on the job training and presentation of results on the job, at the end of the workshop, motivating and creativity, a web-based scientific/research writing contest was held using the science and technology media built through vocational teachers. The results of the study include: (1) The realization of birth of human resources (teachers) in vocational schools, especially in Bandung in writing web-based scientific research and digitizing in Management of Multicultural Education with Strengthening Education and National Identity in an integrated manner in line with the development of the Industrial Revolutionary Era and society.
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- 2020
29. Superimposing R.E.A.L. Principles on the Project Writing Pyramid: A Paradigm Shift in Teaching Professional Writing
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Vengadasalam, Sarbani Sen
- Abstract
Institutions of higher education introduced professional writing classes as a way of preparing students for on-the-job-writing. To better accomplish the goal as well as to get a more consistent output from these classes that require the writing of a project proposal or report, writing teachers may want to incorporate "R.E.A.L." principles onto the "Find-Test-Deliver" pedagogical triangle that mark the three phases of their project writing courses. When R.E.A.L principles, where R stands for "Reader oriented," E for "Extensively researched," A for "Actionable solution," and L for "Looped composition," are used, the writing output becomes both academically sound and workplace appropriate. The article delves into the rationale behind the principles and proffers suggestions on how teachers could incorporate them into their teaching. It concludes that such an approach is a paradigm shift in professional writing instruction. First presented at the University of Maryland Global Campus's "Explore, Collaborate, Innovate" conference in 2017, the article grows out of the author's experiences and insights from being Marketing Director and Technical communicator at INFINITEE & other corporate houses as well as a Professor and content expert of business and technical writing courses at Rutgers University and other institutions of higher learning in the United States.
- Published
- 2020
30. Metacognitive Model for Developing Science, Technology and Engineering Functional Literacy
- Author
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Cencelj, Zvonka, Aberšek, Boris, Flogie, Andrej, and Aberšek, Metka Kordigel
- Abstract
Science, technology and engineering functional literacy should be developed purposely in the school system -- like any other competence, it does not develop spontaneously. For this purpose, a didactic model, the Metacognitive Model for Developing Science, Technology and Engineering Literacy (McM_T&E), was developed. Apart from acquiring knowledge and skills from the field of technology and engineering, the McM_T&E is equally focused on developing functional literacy in the field of technology and engineering, as well as in the field of science, through the development of students' metacognitive knowledge about reading strategies for reading STE explicatory texts and for reading manufacturing instructions. The McM_T&E was implemented in a Technology and Technique' (T&T) class, grade six, in Slovenia. Results show that focusing on science, technology and engineering literacy in Technology and Engineering classes by using the McM_T&E model increases the students' science, technology, and engineering functional literacy, which is a fundamental competence in the 21st century.
- Published
- 2020
31. Promoting Critical Reading with Double-Entry Notes: A Pilot Study
- Author
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Ives, Lindsey, Mitchell, Taylor Joy, and Hübl, Helena
- Abstract
Recognizing a need to promote critical reading among students at our STEM university, the authors implemented an active reading strategy called double-entry notes across four general education writing and humanities courses. We hypothesized that the tool would help engage students in the critical reading strategies they tended to lack. The tool aimed to encourage students to think critically about assigned readings by analyzing texts, applying assigned readings to the world outside the text, synthesizing multiple texts, and the like. After assigning the tool, we assessed its effectiveness through a survey of students' perceptions and coded artifacts (N=182) for six markers of critical thinking. Results suggest that the tool succeeded in helping students to think critically about texts but that some markers of critical thinking were more consistent than others. Also, students' perceptions of the double-entry notes' benefits did not align with our findings based on analysis of their texts. Because results revealed critical engagement in reading, we plan to continue the study, adjusting the tool to address more specific critical thinking strategies.
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- 2020
32. English 402: Technical and Professional Writing
- Author
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Cozza, Vanessa
- Abstract
This article describes a course design that offers an innovative approach to using client-based projects (CBPs) in technical and professional writing. It shows how teachers can incorporate CBPs in hybrid or fully virtual instruction, adapt it for a quarter or semester, and tailor it to meet students' needs. While there are standard writing assignments, such as letters, memos, progress reports, and job application materials, other writing activities assigned depend on the CBP. These projects can involve creating operation manuals, employee handbooks, event planning guides, rewriting gaming instructions, summarizing scientific reports, producing website content, and/or compiling annotated bibliographies. First, CBPs foster students' different talents and abilities and provide different ways to improve communication skills, allowing students to pursue their writing interests across a range of disciplines. Secondly, this course has broad enough goals to support CBP integration. This course was designed around three such broad goals: (1) composing in professionally appropriate modes; (2) understanding professional obligations and ethical behaviors in diverse situations; and (3) working individually and collaboratively. Finally, the learning objectives for each goal are flexible, thus providing both instructor and student with an open framework for pursuing client-based work.
- Published
- 2020
33. Motivating and Shaping Scientific Argumentation in Lab Reports
- Author
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Gouvea, Julia, Appleby, Lara, Fu, Liren, and Wagh, Aditi
- Abstract
Writing a lab report can be an opportunity for students to engage in scientific thinking. Yet students' lab reports often do not exhibit evidence of such engagement. Students' writing can appear focused on "filling in" required components and reporting on predetermined conclusions. We conducted a design experiment in an introductory biology laboratory course and examined the impact on students' engagement in argumentation in lab reports. Over two design iterations, students' arguments more often considered and integrated multiple claims, included a broader range of evidence and ideas, and gave appropriate attention to uncertainty in conclusions. We argue that two interrelated changes to the design of the lab course made these shifts possible. First, we restructured the role of instructors to position them as an audience interested in students' thinking. Second, we introduced more uncertainty into the lab activities to provoke consideration of multiple interpretations. We propose that these changes created a different "rhetorical context" that helped motivate and shape students' engagement in argumentation. More broadly, we suggest that an important alternative to explicitly scaffolding knowledge and skills is to design learning environments that can inspire students to engage in a range of scientific practices more authentically.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Improving the Performance of MUET Students in Report-Writing: From Experiment to Actions
- Author
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Voon, Boo Ho, Teo, Ai Kiat, and Voon, Joyce E. C.
- Abstract
Students always need sincere and kind guidance from the teachers. Hence, a true customer orientation is instrumental in teaching English as it is always good to understand the students' needs to improve their performance. This paper addresses the requirement to understand the students' needs and then teach accordingly to improve the quality of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) report-writing. A class-room based experiment was done on 40 students in a government school. The students were briefed on the requirements for report writing in MUET. There were experimental and control groups in this study. This research found that the format-driven teaching (FBT) had significantly improved the writing performance of the MUET students. The results indicated that the overall mean score of the students before the FBT teaching stood at 18.50 (out of maximum 40.00), but the score significantly increased to 23.95 after the students were briefed and taught based on the format and requirements of the report-writing. The quality of their writings was much better than before. This research suggested the need of putting the interests of the students first in teaching. The students might have different needs such as not knowing the expectations of the examiners or teachers. Implications and direction for future research were also discussed.
- Published
- 2019
35. Determination of Primary School Teachers Candidates' Thoughts on Laboratory Report Writing
- Author
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Uzoglu, Mustafa
- Abstract
This study was carried out to determine the opinions of the pre-service primary teachers about the laboratory report writing in laboratory courses. Data were collected by using an open-ended questionnaire. The sampling of the study consists of 68 pre-service primary teachers who situated at a public university in the northeast of Turkey. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Two faculty members and one teacher jointly assessed the responses of the pre-service primary teachers to the questionnaire and determined the themes and codes for each question. The results showed that the pre-service primary teachers in the study paid attention to the content while writing laboratory report in the laboratory course. Also, they had positive and negative opinions about the contribution of laboratory report on their learning. Some of the preservice primary teachers stated that writing a laboratory report had positive effects such as providing learning, encouraging thinking, reinforcing what was learned, increasing interest and attention towards the lesson, and ensuring the permanence of the concepts learned. Some of the pre-service primary teachers thought that writing reports had a negative effect such as being boring and not contributing to the development of the individual. In addition, it was determined that performing a laboratory report reduced the students' interest in the course and pre-service primary teachers did not want to write a laboratory report. However, pre-service primary teachers accept that laboratory report increases their ability to comment.
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- 2019
36. The Engineers' Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding Engineers
- Author
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Khan, Abdul Wadood
- Abstract
Engineers, being hands-on experts, need to produce technical documents that are convincing to colleagues, executives, and clients. This study analyzes different technical documents written by engineers and offers instruction on how to approach the task of technical writing. The quantitative part of the study involved gathering statistics on the types of documents most frequently written by engineers and the importance engineers assign to technical writing in their career. The study participants consisted of 60 engineers selected through a snowball sampling method. Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire. The results of the data are presented in frequencies and percentages. An analysis of the data reveals that engineers currently practicing in Saudi Arabia believe writing to be important in their field. In total, 66.7% believe writing to be "very important," whereas the remaining 33.3% believe it to be "important"; none of the respondents believe writing to be only "slightly important" or "not important." When asked whether their background education in the engineering field adequately prepared them for writing on the job, only 30 (50%) were confident of their writing abilities following their engineering degrees. The other 30 (50%), although they found their skills in technical writing to be useful, were not confident of its adequacy in the workplace. Given the option of selecting more than one answer, respondents recorded the following frequencies for the type of writing they usually do at work: 40 out of 60 respondents (6.7%) stated that they frequently write interim or progress reports; 30 (50%) stated that they write final or recommendation reports. However, only 10 (16.7%) of the respondents revealed that they often write more focused reports, such laboratory reports. Engineers also write a fair number of non-report documents, including memos, emails, and logbook entries.
- Published
- 2019
37. The Effects of Genre-Based Teaching on Enhancement of Thai Engineers' Technical Writing Ability
- Author
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Ueasiriphan, Tanaporn and Tangkiengsirisin, Supong
- Abstract
This paper aims at investigating the effects of a genre-based approach to teaching technical writing to Thai engineers, with a focus on writing work instructions, and the attitudes of Thai engineers toward this genre-based writing. The lesson plan was evaluated by three experts for the appropriateness of teaching technical writing to Thai engineers. Learning achievements have been examined using a comparison of pre- and post-tests for ten engineers who are in the same discipline, yet have different backgrounds of English proficiency. The learning outcomes were measured by the difference in scores between pre-test and post-test, and revealed that there was a significant difference between after teaching at p-value < 0.05 (p= 0.002) as indicated by their paired t-test analysis. Lastly, a satisfaction interview of the overall course has been conducted for four participants and showed that the engineers' attitudes were positive about the teaching method.
- Published
- 2019
38. A Case Study: Focusing on Sustainability Themes and Ecocomposition through Student Blogs in a Professional and Technical Writing Course
- Author
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Hembrough, Tara
- Abstract
Tackling environmental and sustainability issues has grown in popularity in writing courses. Yet, for teachers designing professional and technical writing classes, what are the benefits and drawbacks in asking students to interact with place-based discourses in their digital compositions, including blogs? How does implementing an ecocomposition curriculum and sustainability topics in professional and technical writing courses affect students' research, digital writing, collaborative, and critical-thinking outcomes, along with influencing their personal and larger goals? This article discusses a four-year case study at a Southwestern university of an experimental course assignment's design, and it involves 252 students, including many Native Americans. Students engaged with environmental themes and ecocomposition methods in an upper-division class. This article includes a description of the class's major assignment, a blog site and reflective essay, and the blog's assessment criteria, with raters measuring the blog's writing outcomes. Overall, employing ecocomposition practices within the blog assignment unit provided students with a relevant curriculum, assisting them in conducting research for a blog space; writing digitally and thinking critically about diverse spaces related to their backgrounds, majors, and futures; and forging ties with classmates and potential outside audiences. The study's results have implications for implementing ecocomposition design in writing classes.
- Published
- 2019
39. Error Analysis in the Descriptive Text Writing of Vocational High School Students
- Author
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Ratnaningsih, Sita and Azizah
- Abstract
English is one of the subjects that has been studied at the elementary to secondary level for many years in Indonesia. One area that must be studied is technical writing skills in English. In the technical writing process in English, there are still many mistakes made by students in Indonesia. So it is very necessary to recognize some common mistakes made by students, to help them improve their teaching and learning strategies in English and improve their learning outcomes. Therefore, this study aims to investigate errors in English technical writing of students at secondary vocational level and the factors that cause these errors. This study focused on errors made by the eleventh grade students of State 10 Vocational High School Jakarta, in their written descriptive text. A total of 30 students were the subjects of this study and they were asked to write descriptive texts. Data is analyzed based on Procedure Analysis. This descriptive qualitative study explains and investigates student errors in writing the technique and the causative factors. Research shows that the typical mistakes students make in their writing: the highest place is capitalization with 60 errors (14.67%) and the lowest place is sentence 3 error (0.73%). According to a typical error, the author found the source of the error. The highest place is transfer between languages with 172 errors (42.05%) and the lowest place is a communication strategy with 49 errors (11.98%).
- Published
- 2019
40. Creative Thinking Patterns in Student's Scientific Works
- Author
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Syahrin, Alfi, Dawud, Dawud, Suwignyo, Heri, and Priyatni, Endah Tri
- Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to explain creative thinking patterns, including imaginative thinking, divergent thinking, and lateral thinking of students in scientific work. The scientific work studied was in the form of the Student Creativity Program at Malang State University, Indonesia. Research Methods: This study used a qualitative approach with content analysis method. The data were in the form of sentences, sentence groups, paragraphs, paragraph clusters, and whole text. The data source of this research was the writing of student scientific work. The data were collected through surveys, documentation studies, and interviews. The process of data analysis was grouped into three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. Findings: The findings of this study indicated that (1) the pattern of imaginative thinking in student scientific work appeared in the diversity of ideas based on experience and use of metaphorical language. Ideas were born through simple propositions in paragraph form. (2) Divergent thinking patterns in student scientific work could be seen from the diversity of ideas and techniques for problem solving. Criteria for markers of divergent thinking patterns were characterized by originality, flexibility or elaboration. (3) Lateral thinking patterns in student scientific work could be seen from the use of a variety of unique ideas according to the complexity of problem solving. Implications for Research and Practice: Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that creative thinking patterns of students in scientific work showed the use of various forms of ideas in accordance with the complexity of problem solving. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the importance of using creative thinking patterns in scientific writing. However, for further research it is recommended that we examine creative thinking patterns with different levels of objects so that the findings of this study appear more widely in various levels.
- Published
- 2019
41. Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Students' Views of Their Literacy Practices: Implications for Support in a Time of Change
- Author
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Bangeni, Bongi and Greenbaum, Lesley
- Abstract
Background: From 2020, the Law faculty has decided to discontinue the five-year Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) stream within the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree for a variety of reasons, including students' perceptions of stigma, the poor throughput rate of this stream and the identified need to extend academic support to more students in the mainstream class. Objectives: This article argues that we need to gain insight into the struggles experienced by novice writers on the ECP to inform the nature of support that will need to be provided to LLB students going forward. We thus sought to explore the nature of the challenges experienced by two sets of first-year LLB ECP students with acquiring legal writing practices, namely students from high school and postgraduate students with degrees from other faculties. Method: Two semi-structured interviews on students' perceptions of their challenges experienced with legal writing were conducted with 12 participants. Results: Students' struggles with legal writing could be traced to difficulties with engaging appropriately with legal concepts and sources, reading effectively and accommodating the discipline's valuing of conciseness in presenting arguments. We also show how students' English additional language status and prior degrees inform these struggles. Conclusion: The article shows the value of looking to ECP students' challenges with literacy practices (legal writing) in their first year to inform support for all first-year LLB students.
- Published
- 2019
42. Utilizing Argument-Driven-Inquiry to Develop Pre-Service Teachers' Metacognitive Awareness and Writing Skills
- Author
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Erenler, Sumeyye and Cetin, Pinar Seda
- Abstract
Recent reform efforts in science education have brought scientific literacy to researchers' attention. Researchers have been searching for new instructional models to engage students' variety of scientific practices to fulfil the requirements of scientific literacy. Argument Driven Inquiry (ADI) is a novel instructional model that integrates the practices of argumentation and inquiry. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of ADI to preservice science teachers 'metacognitive awareness and scientific writing skills. For this purpose single group pre-posttest design was conducted with 50 pre-service science teachers. It was found that ADI helped to improve pre-service science teachers' meta-cognitive awareness and writing skills. There are some conclusions and implications of the study for researchers and teachers dealing with scientific literacy and laboratory applications in the current study.
- Published
- 2019
43. Error Analysis of Passive Voice Employed by University Students' in Writing Lab Reports: A Case Study of Sudan University of Science and Technology (SUST) Students' at Faculty of Sciences, Chemistry Department
- Author
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Abualzain, Osama Yousif Ibrahim
- Abstract
The study aims at analyzing errors made by Sudan University of Science and Technology students' at faculty of Sciences-Chemistry Department in employing passive voice in writing lab reports. The study focuses precisely on identifying the types of errors occurred in using passive voice and the reasons behind these errors. Descriptive qualitative method is adopted and applied to obtain and process the gathered data. To run this study and to collect reliable data, thirty chemical students are chosen randomly as the subject of the study. Samples of the students' lab reports are collected and analyzed. The collected data is analyzed according to the Dulay et al. (1982) Surface Strategy Taxonomy model. Teachers' questionnaire is also used to find out the sources of the students' errors from the teachers' point of view. The findings of the study reveals that the majority of the students' errors are categorized as omission and misinformation whereas additions and misordering errors are fewer and unconsidered. According to the teachers, these errors are attributed to the interference of the mother tongue, lack of knowledge and carelessness of the students.
- Published
- 2019
44. Rethinking Business Communication Skills Education: Are Communication Courses Preparing Students for the Workplace?
- Author
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Al-Musalli, Alaa
- Abstract
This paper calls for a reexamination of the kind of transferable business communication skills that new graduates require as they enter the workforce. Market needs are studied as the focal point for developing relevant exercises to train towards workplace communication competence. The arguments presented in this study are based on an investigation of the communication skills that a sample of Canadian companies in British Colombia deem necessary for new employees. Findings shed light on the importance of bridging the gap between the kind of training offered in business communication skills courses and what the job market expects of new graduates.
- Published
- 2019
45. An English for Research Publication Purposes Course: Gains, Challenges, and Perceptions
- Author
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Giraldo, Frank
- Abstract
Academic writing for scholars wanting to publish in English has gained considerable research attention in writing circles. This article reports the findings of a case study on the gains, challenges, and perceptions about writing in English that a group of scholars had while taking an academic writing course. Two questionnaires, an in-depth interview, and a teacher-researcher's journal were used for data collection. The findings emphasize gains emerging from genre-based pedagogy as a holistic approach to academic writing and usefulness of teaching strategies for writing. The study reports time, discipline, and language proficiency as challenges to overcome. Finally, the participants report differing views towards peer feedback and a predominantly positive perception of English as the language for scientific writing.
- Published
- 2019
46. Teaching Technical Communication to Engineering Students: Design, Implementation, and Assessment for Project-Based Instruction
- Author
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Gao, Yang
- Abstract
Through the project-based instruction (PBI) method, this paper described the design, implementation, and assessment of a technical communication course for engineering graduate students. The paper first addressed an increasing demand of engineering students with great communication skills through analyzing the existing literature and industry criteria. It then introduced concepts and characteristics of PBI and explained why PBI is a fit pedagogy in teaching technical writing to engineering students. Next, it elaborated components involved in the holistic design of the PBI course, including student sample, timeline, designed sections and units, and designing rationale and principles. This paper then reported the teaching effectiveness of this course through the course evaluation. Through the instructor's critical reflection, the paper finally discussed challenges in implementing and assessing a PBI method in this course and also provided insights to improve curriculum design for future scholars.
- Published
- 2019
47. Scientific Article Preparation: A Comprehensive Introduction
- Author
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Lamanauskas, Vincentas
- Abstract
Writing and publishing scientific articles (research, review, position etc. articles) are referred to as responsible academic activities. Any scientist/researcher is somehow involved in scientific writing. Thus, this is a technique assisting the researcher with demonstrating individual performance. Most of the main scientific/research journals are published in English, and therefore scientific information is made internationally available by a wide audience and actually becomes accessible to every scientist and/or researcher. On the other hand, a valid point is that scientific/research journals are published in different national languages. Nevertheless, it should be noted that science policy has recently become one-dimensional and resulting in a blind orientation towards support for scientific/research journals published in English. As noted by Poviliunas and Ramanauskas (2008), national languages face a legitimate risk of becoming domesticated and to one degree or another being excluded from scientific, cultural, education and public areas of life. However, this is material for another discussion.
- Published
- 2019
48. Designing Assessment for Technical Writing and Academic Literacy: Structuring and Wording Questions Using Bloom's Taxonomy--A Case Study
- Author
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Mokgwathi, T. S., Macha, Annah S., and Morolong, Lebogang
- Abstract
This study investigated how lecturers of Technical Writing and Academic Literacy assessed their students at a science and technology university in Botswana. The data for the study were obtained from the past test, assignment and examination papers administered to year one, year two and year three students enrolled in various programmes under the College of Sciences (including the Department of Information Communication and Technology), and the College of Engineering and Technology at the said university. In addition, a focus group of six teaching staff was interviewed to triangulate the data and to get in-depth information on how they set the assessment pieces. The data obtained from the assessment pieces were analysed qualitatively to determine the nature and the level of questions used. The data from the interview held with the teaching staff were also analysed qualitatively to determine what informed the way they set questions. The results from the study showed that the students were mainly tested for knowledge application; and many of the questions were from the low-level category as per Bloom's Taxonomy (1956) revised for the 21st Century Learners (The University of Utah's Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence, 2001). The results also showed that lecturers did not take into account the level at which the students were studying. University students should be required to analyse, synthesise and evaluate information before them in order to demonstrate deeper understanding. It is recommended that lecturers should apply Bloom's Taxonomy when setting assessment tasks, taking into consideration the level at which the students were studying. It is hoped that the results from the study will sensitise the teaching staff at this university and other tertiary institutions on the importance of applying Bloom's Taxonomy when assessing their students.
- Published
- 2019
49. Science-Edu-Communication: Trends Reveal in 20 Years of Science Communication Research
- Author
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Wu, Leon Yufeng, Truong, Nathan M., Lu, Hsin-Yen, Tseng, Yuen-Hsien, and Chang, Chun-Yen
- Abstract
By investigating scholarly output in science communication from 1997 to 2018, this research sought evidence that science education has been increasingly focusing on communication methods to reach the public. Through an automatic scientometric method, this study analyzed 1300 articles published in two leading journals in the field of science communication. As a result, seven trends were revealed and categorized into three themes: Public engagement with science (PES); Media and science (MS); and Issues in science (IS). Furthermore, PES and MS scholarly output were found increased significantly. The findings confirmed the goal of this research. However, it then suggested a research area of bridging science education and science communication that is currently less explored. Given increased focus towards PES and MS, these fields are primed for further collaboration to more engage the public in science learning.
- Published
- 2019
50. Metacognitive Model for Developing Science, Technology and Engineering Functional Literacy
- Author
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Aberšek, Metka Kordigel, Cencel, Zvonka, Aberšek, Boris, and Flogie, Andrej
- Abstract
Technology and engineering functional literacy should be intentionally developed in the school system -- like any other competence, it does not develop spontaneously. For this purpose, a didactic model, the Metacognitive model for developing technology and engineering literacy (McM_T&E), was developed, implemented and evaluated. The results of evaluation show that focusing on technology and engineering literacy in Technology and Engineering classes using the McM_T&E model increases students' technology and engineering functional literacy. [For the full proceedings, see ED619611.]
- Published
- 2019
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