Innovation in Language Learning

This paper reports a learner-based action research project carried out in the first term of the 2012-2013 academic year, which examined the relationship between the study skill of free writing and the assessment strategy of knowledge envelopes with 18 elementary level preparatory class students at Selcuk University.Inspired from The Knowledge Wall assessment strategy by Roger S. involving helping the students learn how to learn, the term knowledge wall was modified into knowledge envelopes. The action research question to be answered was to what extent did the assessment strategy of knowledge envelopes affected the study skill of free writing. The research continued for 3 weeks and the data collection included a pre-test, a post-test and teacher-researcher observation. Data analysis included student perceptions of the usefulness of the strategies, class performances and students’ envelopes. In order to examine the results, the 6+1 Trait analytical model for assessing and teaching writing was used. This rubric is made up of 6+1 key qualities that define strong writing from which 3 elements were chosen. The results showed that the assessment strategy of knowledge envelopes improved students study skills of free writing in terms of both word choice and organization, but the same strategy had no effect on the students’ conventions/mechanics.

This paper reports a learner-based action research project carried out in the first term of the 2012-2013 academic year, which examined the relationship between the study skill of free writing and the assessment strategy of knowledge envelopes with 18 elementary level preparatory class students at Selcuk University.Inspired from The Knowledge Wall assessment strategy by Roger S. involving helping the students learn how to learn, the term knowledge wall was modified into knowledge envelopes. The action research question to be answered was to what extent did the assessment strategy of knowledge envelopes affected the study skill of free writing. The research continued for 3 weeks and the data collection included a pre-test, a post-test and teacher-researcher observation. Data analysis included student perceptions of the usefulness of the strategies, class performances and students’ envelopes. In order to examine the results, the 6+1 Trait analytical model for assessing and teaching writing was used. This rubric is made up of 6+1 key qualities that define strong writing from which 3 elements were chosen. The results showed that the assessment strategy of knowledge envelopes improved students study skills of free writing in terms of both word choice and organization, but the same strategy had no effect on the students’ conventions/mechanics.