Integrating Technology to Assist English 101
Students with Their Essays
Outcome
Composing a variety of essays
by developing content,
employing specific
organizational patterns, and
selecting language appropriate
for a particular audience and
purpose.
Objective Measure(s) Assessment
Measurements
Students will be able to apply graphic Graphic Organizers
organizers based on an organizational
pattern (descriptive, compare and
contrast, cause and effect, and
argumentative) to capture and organize
ideas for their essays and to develop
working theses to further organize
generated ideas.
Students will be able to relate notes
written on graphic organizers to
identify sources of relevant information
for specific audiences and purposes.
Students will be able to plan rough
drafts using a specific graphic
organizer.
Students will be able to provide peer Peer Review
review feedback using Google Docs.
Students will be able to evaluate peer
review and use feedback to edit and
revise their rough drafts.
Students will be able to apply a Rubrics
specific rubric to help them write and
publish essays for specific audiences
with intended purpose that develop a
thesis with relevant material and that
follow a logical pattern of
development.
Students will be able to use self- Self-Reflection
reflections to recall, explain, and
defend their writing experiences.
(The self-reflections will be discussed
with the instructor using Skype.)
Reflection – Graphic Organizers

Lee, C., Bopry, J., & Hedberg, J. (2007). Methodological issues in using sequential

representations in the teaching of writing. ALT-J Research in Learning Technology,

15(2), 131-141. doi:10.1080/09687760701482234

Per the requirements of College Department of English, students will write a minimum of
four papers, and each required essay must be two to three pages in length. Three of the essays
will be written in the following expository forms: comparison/contrast, definition, and cause and
effect. Additionally, students will complete an in-class timed writing assignment which may be
one of the two to three page essays. The fourth essay, an argumentation essay, will be a five to
ten page documented research paper on a current, controversial issue.

Struggling writers often find it difficult to plan and write essays. Therefore, students must
be introduced to tools that will help them to comprehend the writing process and to respond
positively to the writing process. Many struggling writers find it difficult to find a connection
between new information and prior knowledge. The writing process of poor writers can be aided
with the introduction to and use of graphic organizers. Graphic organizers are mental maps based
on organizational patterns such as comparing and contrasting, classifying, describing, narrating,
and process analysis. They can also take on numerous forms like Venn diagrams, mind maps,
spiders, and fishbones.

Cognitively, students should be able to define the steps of the writing process, explain the
writing process, and outline a topic for an essay. In the case of poor writers, these cognitive
objectives are difficult to achieve, and they need graphic organizers to scaffold the writing
process. In the first stage of the writing process, prewriting, graphic organizers serve as an
excellent way to help writers identify what information is important for expository writing, how
the information is relevant, and where to locate specific information. Lee, Bopry, and Hedberg
(2011) make the case for the use of graphic organizers when they write the following about
graphic organizers:

a. Writers are required to complete graphic organizers with ideas.

b. Ideas can be manipulated.
c. Students focus on key words.

Graphic organizers not only benefit students, who are trying to overcome the anxiety
associated with the writing process; they are also advantageous for teachers. Graphic organizers
can be used in any subject area and make great assessment tools. For example, English teachers
can use graphic organizers in place of an essay question. Furthermore, graphic organizers can be
used with groups. In such a case, students would work together to complete a graphic organizer
and, then, each student would complete an individual assignment based on the graphic organizer.
Overall, graphic organizers benefit all involved in the teaching and the learning of the writing
process.
Reflection – Peer Review

Cathey, C. (2007). Power of peer review: An online collaborative learning assignment in social

psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 34(2), 97-99. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Cho, K., & MacArthur, C. (2011). Learning by reviewing. Journal of Educational Psychology,

103(1), 73-84. doi:10.1037/a0021950.

When teachers conference with students, they use the experience to help students clarify
their thinking; assist students in reflecting on their logic; respond to their comments; and
facilitate self-evaluation. Teachers increase their workload when they are the only people
providing feedback to numerous students. An alternative to the traditional form of feedback is
the use of peer review. Far too many teachers undervalue the results of peer review because it is
assumed that only they are qualified to provide feedback to students. While students have vast
knowledge and could also provide feedback, their services are never fully tapped. According to
Cho and MacArthur (2011), peer review affords students two roles – writer and reviewer. In both
roles, students learn what they will and will not put into their own writing. Without peer review,
students do not consider other perspectives. They may not fully address the needs of their
audience. Moreover, peer review reminds writers of their purpose for writing.

In an effort to the test the effects of online peer review, Cathey (2007) had her social
psychology students anonymously post their essays to an online discussion board to receive
feedback from classmates. When she compared students’ writing on the first essays where she
provided feedback to the essays reviewed by student peers, there was not much difference in the
grades. On the other hand, Cathey (2007) concluded four crucial things about online peer review.
First, her workload was reduced as there was no need to collect papers, comment on them, and
return papers. Second, she withheld her comments until students posted their comments and
learned that students did an excellent job of accessing each other’s work. Third, students put
more effort into writing their second essay. Last, students learned from others.

Be it online discussion boards (ANGEL, WebCT, or Blackboard), wikis, blogs, or

Google Docs, online peer review encourages collaboration, editing, and revising. Students
become reviewer and writer, and writing is enhanced as a result. Given the opportunities to
provide peer review, students are just as capable of using higher-order questions to assess other’s
thoughts and feelings.

Reflection – Rubrics

Reeves, S., & Stanford, B. (2009). Rubrics for the Classroom: Assessments for Students and

Teachers. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 76(1), 24-27. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

The essays required of English 101 students are considered extended performance tasks
because numerous instructional objectives are involved. There are several smaller tasks involved
in writing essays that can be assessed separately, but they are all part of a much larger task that
encompasses critical thinking skills. Rubrics serve to define and differentiate various levels of
performance. In the case of essays, checklists would not be an accurate indicator of student
performance because checklists are only indicative of the presence of an attribute or an absence
of an attribute.

Performance assessments require the application of knowledge to a real-life experience.

For example, students will define and the elements of the writing process and explain the writing
process, but, writing essays with a purpose and audience requires an authentic performance – the
act of composing the essays. According to Reeves and Stanford (2009), rubrics, when designed
well, evaluate students’ knowledge and measure teaching. Furthermore, rubrics can be used to
provide feedback on formative measures throughout the writing process and summative
measures for the final essay. However, rubric criteria must be discussed with students prior to the
start of an assignment, so that they will be adequately prepared to produce the required essay.

When students become familiar with rubrics, they understand how to use them to assess
their essays. Rubrics help validate how teachers score assignments. Correct usage of rubrics
should lead to better quality work. By demonstration of college-level communication skills,
students will increase their chances of having the skills desired by potential employers.