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Teaching for TransferSelf-Assessment, Learning

Outcomes, and Reflection asNecessary Components of Student

Learning in FYC

Caitlin MartinMiami University

CCCC 2013

8/13/2019 Teaching for Transfer: Self-Assessment, Learning Outcomes, and Reflection as Necessary Components of Student Learning in FYC

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Key Question

How can reflective self-assessmentfacilitate backward-reaching and forward-reaching transfer?

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Teacher-Research Methods

Surveys during the class (Fall 2012) Textual analysis of student work (both in-

class and final projects) Interviews in Spring 2013 IRB approval in October 2012

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Forward & Backward Reaching Transfer

As discussed by Dana Driscoll (2011) Backward reaching transfer occurs when an

individual encounters a new situation and uses priorknowledge.

Forward reaching transfer is the ability of individualsto anticipate future situations where they might needthe knowledge and skills they are currently learning.

These are both aspects of high road transfer ,

defined by Salomon and Perkins (1989) as theability to abstract from prior knowledge in order tosee how what an individual has previously learnedis applicable to a new and different situation.

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Transfer and Outcomes

Telling students the outcomes for a writing projector course often isnt enough for students tounderstand their learning and opportunities fortransfer.

Outcomes are often designed with the instructor orassessor in mind, using field-specific vocabularyand terms.

The language of outcomes might be verydifferent than what students experienced inprevious contexts or will need in futurecontexts, which can be a hindrance tostudents seeing opportunities for transfer.

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Two Interventions

What can I do to help students understand theoutcomes? What could I do to incorporate themmore fully in class?

Two interventions:1. Reflect/Project/Imagine activities to engage

backward- and forward-reaching transfer2. Student self-assessment of writing using

rubrics

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Jennys Inquiry 3 RPI Assignment is to complete research on a current public issue/controversy(conducting an annotated bibliography and synthesis paper), then write anargumentative/persuasive project (either an extended paper or two persuasivetexts) to real audiences.

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When asked if they found the RPIactivities helpful at the midterm,

students said. . .

6 9 9 14 3 10

2

4

6

810

12

14

16

StronglyDisagree

Disagree SlightlyDisagree

Slighty Agree

Agree Strongly Agree

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After the semester, students said

Initially, I think it helps you to not getoverwhelmed by the inquiry. But other thanthat, like I never looked back at them tosee what strategies I would be using orafter [completing the RPI] I didnt thinkabout it at all (Colleen, personal interview)

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[The RPI] let you take some things fromthe previous work and it also lets youbasically know what things youre going tohave to work on for each assignment thatyou havent done yet (Adam, personalinterview)

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Students Self-Assessing usingRubrics

The rubrics became a place of dialoguebetween the students and myself.

In their comments, students often restatedthe descriptions of the criterion withoutexplaining how they had done so.

Some students began to rephrase thedescriptions, showing connections they weremaking between previous writing experiencesand the current one.

Even though students were asked to leavecomments on all rubrics, many did not.

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Gretchens Inquiry 1 Comments

Gretchens comments on her audience and purpose for her first assignment showher working through what it means to have an audience.

We can also see connections being made between class discussions and herthinking about her project.

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Adams Inquiry 1 Comments

Adams comments on his employment of audience and purpose shows he has aconcrete idea of who his audience is, but he isnt thinking about the purpose of hisinquiry.

However, he gives himself an average rating, which makes me believe heunderstandings having an audience is only part of the criterion.

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After the semester, Adam said he hadcompletely messed up this first inquiry.

Because of this, he explains how he used theRPI activities to reflect on previous rubrics,saying I remember going back and looking atmy previous assignments, especially the first

one because the first one I looked over,realized I really didnt like adapt to anaudience at all (personal interview).

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Implementation in Class

Some students might see RPI activities asbusy work. . .

But these activities can help studentsunderstand the assignment theyreworking on and how they might already beprepared for writing it, making newassignments less confusing orintimidating.

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What about rubrics?

It can take time for students to understand how touse a rubric. As one student put it, Looking at therubric while writing really helped to keep my paperto stay focused on the analysis. It is a tool that Ihave neglected for a while but found it verybeneficial for this paper and will use the rubric inpapers to come (Evan, Inquiry 2 rubric).

It might be helpful, however, to build in specificrevision activities based off of the rubric ratings sothat students dont simply fill them out and thenmove on, not thinking about them again.

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Works Cited

Driscoll, Dana Lynn. (2011) Connected,disconnected, or uncertain: Student attitudes aboutfuture writing contexts and perceptions of transferfrom first year writing to the disciplines. Across the

disciplines , 8 (2). Retrieved fromhttp://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/driscoll2011/index.cfm

Salomon, Gavriel and Perkins, David N. (1989)Rocky roads to transfer: Rethinking mechanisms of aneglected phenomenon. Educational psychologist,24 (2). pp. 113-142.

http://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/driscoll2011/index.cfmhttp://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/driscoll2011/index.cfmhttp://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/driscoll2011/index.cfmhttp://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/driscoll2011/index.cfm