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ERIC Number: ED220538
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1982-Mar
Pages: 41
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Unexpected Directions of Change in Student Writing Performance.
Keech, Catharine Lucas
In examining why performance scores on writing tests so often fail to improve in neat positive intervals for individuals and groups, testers have sought the answer in differences in test conditions on progressive retestings. Two other sources of performance variation are possible: the U-shaped learning curve or phenomenon of apparent regression during new skills acquisition and performance strategies; and the ill-defined nature of the writing task which allows the student writer to determine to a large extent the difficulty level of the writing attempt regardless of the testers' intention. A discourse typology was developed for identifying the kind of task the writer sets himself or herself. Abstract to concrete discourse functions; varied time focuses; and discourse narration, description, or commentary are all relevant dimensions within the chronology of the acquisition and development of text design strategies. These strategies can be pre-schema, open-schema, or closed-schema. Task construction should be taken into account when assessing growth or development of writing skills. (Author/CM)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Guides - Non-Classroom; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Inst. of Education (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: California Univ., Berkeley. School of Education.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A