On-line Peer Supported Writing Improvement Program for English Majors
Rodney H. Jones, David C.S. Li, Graham Lock, Angel Garalada
Report
1. Background
The Language Clinic is a project designed to enhance the English language proficiency of the students in the English department to ensure they are prepared for their future careers and to preserve the reputation of the department as a competent trainer of professional communicators and English language teachers. In 2004/05 the project was funded with $100,000 from a Teaching Development Grant supplemented by an additional $50,000 from the department.
Face-to-face consultation service
The main service provided by the Language Clinic is a face to face consultation service where students can go to get advice about specific writing assignments or on ways to improve their English reading and writing more generally. The service is mostly run by student-tutors who have been selected on the basis of their high English proficiency and have undergone an intensive training program and period of apprenticeship with experienced ESL teachers. In the academic year 2003/04 the face to face consultation service was open from 15 to18 hours a week starting from October 2003. In the course of seven months the service received 225 visits from students. As can be seen from Appendix Graph 1, the number of clients has varied considerably from month to month, with students tending to use the services more at times when major writing assignments were due in their courses (i.e., near the end of the semester).
Deliverables: Database driven on-line booking service for appointments
(see http://www.cityu.edu.hk/language_clinic/)
Training protocol for student-tutors
On-line consultation
The Language Clinic has also operated an on-line counseling service run by student tutors. On-line counseling has been available every evening from 8-12. Two ICQ accounts have bee set up to provide this service. In the course of seven months, the on-line counseling service received 664 visits from students (see Appendix 1 Graph 2).
On-line database of errors/self-help system
An online database of common student errors in grammar and word choice has been developed to supplement the work of the Language Clinic. The database is designed so that it can be continually added to and improved as time goes on. The database guides students with error corrections, explanations and links to external websites containing information about particular errors.
Deliverables: Data-based driven on-line English self-help website
(see http://www.cityu.edu.hk/language_clinic/)
Reading corner
In order to encourage our students to read more, a database driven on-line reading corner has been established in which students can post short reviews of books they have read and read the reviews written by other students and staff members.
Deliverables: Data-based driven on-line reading corner
(see http://www.cityu.edu.hk/language_clinic/)
Literacy Activities
Student tutors and staff working on the project have sponsored a number of literacy activities in the course of the academic year, including six workshops on basic English grammar, and one workshop each on proofreading skills, word choice and using dictionaries and grammar books.
Integration with first year writing course
The services provided by the project have been integrated into the department’s first year writing course (EN2702/4). Students in the course have been regular users of the Clinic’s services, and assignments for the course are marked with a special software which inserts hyperlinks next to errors that take students to relevant sections in the Clinic’s English self-help website.
Database of student proficiency
The project has developed a database of the English proficiency problems of all first year students in the department which will allow us to closely monitor their problems and progress over time. The database includes student scores on diagnostic tests, their grades in departmental proficiency courses, and comments regarding their strengths and difficulties. When students visit the clinic, their information is updated by tutors. This database is available to all staff in the department and help to help them in giving students more targeted and appropriate help with their English writing.
Although the benefits of a project of this nature are often subtle and incremental, there is strong evidence to suggest 1) that students are highly satisfied with the services provided, and 2) that the project has had a positive effect on the written English proficiency of students in the department.
Survey
A survey was conducted in January with 41 students who had used the clinic’s face to face consultation service. As can be seen in Appendix II, respondents gave student tutors very high scores both in the area of knowledge and in the area of helpfulness. More importantly, most of the respondents believed that visiting the Language Clinic empowered them to be better able to improve their writing themselves through the use of such resources as dictionaries and grammar books.
Diagnostic test results
Three diagnostic writing tests were administered to all first year students, once in September, once in December, and once in April. The test consisted of three sections: a cloze test, a error correction test and a short essay based on a reading passage. As can be seen in Appendix III, scores for all students increased over the course of the year. Scores for students who had made use of the Language Clinic’s face to face consultation services showed a modestly higher rate of improvement than the general norm.
The Future
Improving the language proficiency of students and the culture of literacy in the department are long-range goals; they cannot be totally achieved in only a year, but rather require on-going, sustainable support. Because of the success of the project, the department has allocated HK$35,000 to it for the upcoming academic year. Six new student-tutors have been recruited and will work with veteran student-tutors to build upon and improve what has been established.
Graph 1: Face to Face Consultations
Graph 2: On-line Consultations
Q1: I felt that the student tutors knew enough to give me useful advice.
Q2: I felt that the student tutors were helpful and had a good attitude
Q3: I felt the student tutors helped me to understand how to improve my assignment.
Q4: I felt the student tutors help me to learn how to improve my assignment MYSELF.
Q5: I felt that the student tutors helped me to understand how to use resources like dictionaries and grammar books.
Appendix III: Results of Diagnostic Tests
