TY - JOUR
T1 - Informing understanding of young students' writing challenges and opportunities
T2 - Insights from the development of a digital writing tool that supports students with learning disabilities
AU - Vue, Ge
AU - Hall, Tracey E.
AU - Robinson, Kristin
AU - Ganley, Patricia
AU - Elizalde, Emma
AU - Graham, Stephen
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was sponsored by a grant from Education Research Grants Education Technology-Goal 2: Development U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (R305A110333), Creating Compositions Using a Technology-Based Writing Tool: Supporting Students With Universal Design for Learning.
Publisher Copyright:
© Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2015.
PY - 2014/5
Y1 - 2014/5
N2 - Conducting focus groups with target audiences to assess user needs is a critical step in the process of designing and developing a web-based writing environment. This descriptive study examined focus group data gathered to address two questions: First, do data from focus groups affirm and expand our understanding of writing and writing development among middle school students? And second, do data from focus groups provide information helpful to the use of digital technology for enhancing writing instruction, production, and engagement? Analysis of students' writing experiences across grade levels revealed that sixth graders placed more emphasis on procedural knowledge such as format, editing, and timelines, whereas seventh and eighth graders placed more emphasis on substantive processes such as plan, draft, and revise. Students' writing experiences also showed a disconnect between writing behaviors they engaged in on their own (texting, social media, and email) and writings they learned in school. Future research and instructional practice implications are discussed, including providing ongoing supports when writing and use of digital technology to enhance instruction and engagement.
AB - Conducting focus groups with target audiences to assess user needs is a critical step in the process of designing and developing a web-based writing environment. This descriptive study examined focus group data gathered to address two questions: First, do data from focus groups affirm and expand our understanding of writing and writing development among middle school students? And second, do data from focus groups provide information helpful to the use of digital technology for enhancing writing instruction, production, and engagement? Analysis of students' writing experiences across grade levels revealed that sixth graders placed more emphasis on procedural knowledge such as format, editing, and timelines, whereas seventh and eighth graders placed more emphasis on substantive processes such as plan, draft, and revise. Students' writing experiences also showed a disconnect between writing behaviors they engaged in on their own (texting, social media, and email) and writings they learned in school. Future research and instructional practice implications are discussed, including providing ongoing supports when writing and use of digital technology to enhance instruction and engagement.
KW - instructional
KW - language arts
KW - technology
KW - writing
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U2 - 10.1177/0731948715604571
DO - 10.1177/0731948715604571
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84971664103
SN - 0731-9487
VL - 39
SP - 83
EP - 94
JO - Learning Disability Quarterly
JF - Learning Disability Quarterly
IS - 2
ER -