Measuring Writing

This volume provides a state-of-the-art overview of theory, methodology and practices in the assessment of writing. The focus throughout the book is on the construct of writing and its assessment: what constitutes writing ability and how can it be defined (in various contexts)? This question cannot be answered without looking into the methodological question of how to validate and measure the construct of writing ability. Throughout the book, therefore, discussions integrate theoretical and methodological issues. A number of chapters discusses whether varying definitions and varying operationalizations of writing ability are needed in various contexts, such as formative assessments versus summative assessments, large scale assessments versus individual assessments, different tasks, different genres, and different languages, but also different age groups. A range of rating methods is investigated and discussed in this book. The ongoing debate on holistic versus analytic ratings, and the different underlying conceptions of writing proficiency, is a pertinent matter, on which a number of chapters in this volume shed new light. The matter is discussed and analyzed from various angles, such as generalizability of judgements and usability in formative contexts. Another fundamental debate concerns computer scoring of written products. A nuanced discussion of its validity is presented in this volume.

This book provides a unique reference and comprehensive overview of the issues pertinent to conceptualizing, measuring, researching and nurturing writing motivation. Abdel Latif covers these theoretical, practical and research issues by drawing on the literature related to the eight main constructs of writing motivation: writing apprehension, attitude, anxiety, self-efficacy, self-concept, learning goals, perceived value of writing and motivational regulation. Specifically, the book covers the historical research developments of the field, the measures of the main writing motivation constructs, the correlates and sources of writing motivation, and profiles of motivated and demotivated writers. The book also describes the types of the instructional research of writing motivation, provides pedagogical guidelines and procedures for motivating students to write, and presents suggestions for advancing writing motivation research, measurement and pedagogy. Detailed, up-to-date, and with a glossary which includes definitions of the main terms used in the six chapters, this book will be of great interest to academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of language education, applied linguistics, psycholinguistics and educational psychology.

The College Instructor’s Guide to Writing Test Items: Measuring Student Learning addresses the need for direct and clear guidance on item writing for assessing broad ranges of content in many fields. By focusing on multiple-choice response items, this book provides college instructors the tools to understand, develop, and use assessment activities in classrooms in a way that consistently supports learning. Including dozens of example items and additional resources to support the item development process, this volume is unique in its practical-focus, and is essential reading for instructors and soon-to-be educators, professional development specialists, and higher education researchers. As teaching, assessment, and learning are inherently intertwined, The College Instructor’s Guide to Writing Test Items both facilitates the development of instructors’ own practice and improves the learning outcomes and success of students.

Assessing Writing assembles the essential research for any writing instructor — from graduate student to program director — who wants to understand and implement effective large-scale writing assessment. Topics include the history of the field; the concepts of validity and reliability; assessment methods, such as portfolios, essay exams, and directed self-placement; and models of successful assessment programs.

The Sage Handbook of Research on Classroom Assessment provides scholars, professors, graduate students, and other researchers and policy makers in the organizations, agencies, testing companies, and school districts with a comprehensive source of research on all aspects of K-12 classroom assessment. The handbook emphasizes theory, conceptual frameworks, and all varieties of research (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods) to provide an in-depth understanding of the knowledge base in each area of classroom assessment and how to conduct inquiry in the area. It presents classroom assessment research to convey, in depth, the state of knowledge and understanding that is represented by the research, with particular emphasis on how classroom assessment practices affect student achieventment and teacher behavior. Editor James H. McMillan and five Associate Editors bring the best thinking and analysis from leading classroom assessment researchers on the nature of the research, making significant contributions to this prominent and hotly debated topic in education.

This book introduces a new framework for analyzing second language (L2) learners’ written texts. The authors conducted a major study on changes and differences in English L2 learners’ writing performance to advance understanding of the nature of L2 writing development over time, in relation to L2 instruction and testing, and to offer a model that professionals and researchers can use in their own longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of L2 writing development. Grounded in research, data, theory, and technology, this will be a welcome how-to for language test developers, scholars, and graduate students of (L2) writing and assessment.

Student writing is only as good as the feedback we give In this remarkable book, Patty McGee shares research-based how-to’s for responding to writers that you can use immediately whether you use a writing program or a workshop model. Put down the red-pen, fix-it mindset and help your writers take risks, use grammar as an element of craft, discover their writing identities, elaborate in any genre, and more. Includes lots of helpful conference language that develops tone and trust and forms for reflecting on writing.