Using keystroke logging to understand writers’ processes on a reading-into-writing test
Authors
Chan, Sathena Hiu ChongIssue Date
2017-05-19Subjects
language testingreading-into-writing
writing assessment
L2 writing
language assessment
X162 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
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Background Integrated reading-into-writing tasks are increasingly used in large-scale language proficiency tests. Such tasks are said to possess higher authenticity as they reflect real-life writing conditions better than independent, writing-only tasks. However, to effectively define the reading-into-writing construct, more empirical evidence regarding how writers compose from sources both in real-life and under test conditions is urgently needed. Most previous process studies used think aloud or questionnaire to collect evidence. These methods rely on participants’ perceptions of their processes, as well as their ability to report them. Findings This paper reports on a small-scale experimental study to explore writers’ processes on a reading-into-writing test by employing keystroke logging. Two L2 postgraduates completed an argumentative essay on computer. Their text production processes were captured by a keystroke logging programme. Students were also interviewed to provide additional information. Keystroke logging like most computing tools provides a range of measures. The study examined the students’ reading-into-writing processes by analysing a selection of the keystroke logging measures in conjunction with students’ final texts and interview protocols. Conclusions The results suggest that the nature of the writers’ reading-into-writing processes might have a major influence on the writer’s final performance. Recommendations for future process studies are provided.Citation
Chan, S (2017) 'Using keystroke logging to understand writers’ processes on a reading-into-writing test', Language Testing in Asia, 7 (10).Publisher
Springer OpenJournal
Language Testing in AsiaAdditional Links
https://languagetestingasia.springeropen.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40468-017-0040-5?site=languagetestingasia.springeropen.comType
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
2229-0443ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1186/s40468-017-0040-5
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