Writing Process Feedback Based on Keystroke Logging and Comparison With Exemplars: Effects on the Quality and Process of Synthesis Texts

Abstract

This intervention study aimed to test the effect of writing process feedback. Sixty-five Grade 10 students received a personal report based on keystroke logging data, including information on several writing process aspects. Participants compared their writing process to exemplar processes of equally scoring (position-setting condition) or higher-scoring students (feed-forward condition). The effect of the feedback on writing performance and process was compared to a national baseline study. Results showed that feed-forward process feedback had an effect on text quality comparable to one grade of regular schooling. The feedback had an effect on production, pausing, revision, and source use, which indicates that it supported participants in self-regulating their writing process. Additionally, we explored the students’ perception of the feedback to get an insight into its strengths and weaknesses. This study shows the potential of writing process feedback and discusses pedagogical implications and options for future research.

A Digital Approach to Teach Synthesis Writing for a Defence University: A Needs Analysis

“…The educators in this study echoed previous research (Vandermeulen et al, 2023;Van Ockenburg et al, 2019), stressing the paramount importance of synthesis writing for university students, a sentiment supported by Luna et al (2022), who identified synthesis writing as fundamental for academic success. Synthesizing information from multiple sources not only meets university requirements but also nurtures critical thinking and analytical skills crucial for higher education.…”

“…Acquisition of these skills is imperative in the context of higher education because it contributes to academic literacy (Castillo-Martínez & Ramírez-Montoya, 2021). However, synthesis writing does not simply involve a "reading-then-writing" strategy but demands a complex interaction of reading and writing processes (Vandermeulen et al, 2023). Based on the cognitive writing model by Flower and Hayes (1981), synthesis writing is cognitively more taxing because it adds an extra step during the planning stage, which is multiple-text comprehension.…”

“…The central challenge in teaching synthesis writing lies in the intricacies of this process, which are often unfamiliar to university students (Vandermeulen et al, 2023;Van Ockenburg et al, 2019). Mastery of synthesis writing necessitates that students learn to skilfully select, organise, and interconnect information culled from multiple texts, culminating in the creation of wellsynthesised essays (Luo & Kiewra, 2019).…”

“…These challenges include the complexity of the writing process, students' poor language proficiency, and the need for explicit instruction and feedback. Integrating mobile applications for synthesis writing instruction could address some of these challenges by providing interactive and accessible learning opportunities (Vandermeulen et al, 2023).…”

Measuring multiple-source based academic writing self-efficacy

“…As these sources often present complementary (information across different sources is part of a larger whole not specified in any single source) or conflicting information, student writers are tasked with synthesizing or integrating information across different perspectives and arguments to demonstrate their writing competence or communicate their understanding. Such multiple-source based, integrated academic writing tasks have been found to represent a formidable challenge across educational levels that may require particular instructional interventions ( Mateos et al, 2018 ; Weston-Sementelli et al, 2018 ; Granado-Peinado et al, 2019 ; Du and List, 2020 ; Kiili et al, 2020 ; Marttunen and Kiili, 2022 ; Barzilai et al, 2023 ; Kullberg et al, 2023 ; Vandermeulen et al, 2023a ). As such, they can also be assumed to require considerable motivation on the part of the students, not least with respect to their confidence in their ability to successfully complete such tasks (i.e., their self-efficacy beliefs; Bandura, 1997 ).…”