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Feedback on writing in the virtual classroom. “It became a new way of thinking of learning for me as a teacher”

Research topic/aim

The Covid-19-pandemic gave desires to stive for new pedagogical and didactic ways and habits of literacy use in classroom teaching. In this paper I explore the linking of teachers' feedback on writing and students' achievement of disciplinary literacy in social sciences in virtual classroom teaching at upper secondary school. The aim is to turn attention to the influence of the teachers' feedback as a tool for thinking, talking and meaning-making to develop disciplinary literacy (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008, 2012; Sandahl, 2015; Gibbons, 2006) in students collective writing for learning. Questions asked are:

• How does the teacher use feedback in writing to contribute to the students' knowledge development?
• What function does the use of text and collective writing have in the virtual teaching?
• How are the use of digital breakout rooms reshaping classroom teaching? 

Theoretical framework

This study takes a multimodal approach to learning and digitalisation in the classroom (Jewitt, 2006; Bezemer & Kress, 2016; Jewitt & Kress, 2003; Nordmark, 2023). In accordance with Jewitt and Kress (2003), four aspects for representing meaning are considered: materiality, framing, design, and production.

Methodological design

Data were collected in 2020-2022 and consist of classroom audio recordings in social science during the pandemic, and post-pandemic video recordings. In total 7 lessons and 10 video recorded interviews with students.

Expected conclusions/findings

Preliminary findings, the teacher's feedback on writing during the students' text composition is highly appreciated and seen as very valuable. Also that the teacher in virtual teaching classroom is always present as an expert who helps the students to develop the text and answer questions. The text-oriented teaching contributes to students gaining access to more complex forms of text and text composition through social studies subject concepts and thinking tools. Students identify writing in social studies as focused on the content and not on form and structure.

Relevance to Nordic educational research

This study is relevant in a Nordic context and contributes to greater understanding of how virtual classroom teaching requires language awareness, and teachers planning for students' active participation to scaffold learning in disciplinary literacy.

References

Gibbons, P. (2006). Stärk språket, stärk lärandet. Språk- och kunskapsutvecklande arbetssätt för och med andraspråkselever i klassrummet. Hallgren & Fallgren. 

Jewitt, C. (2006). Technology, Literacy, Learning. A Multimodal Approach. Routledge.

Jewitt, C. & Kress, G. (2003). Multimodal literacy. Peter Lang. 

Jewitt, C., Bezemer, J. & O´Halloran, K. (2016). Introducing Multimodality. Routledge. 

Nordmark, M. (2023). Legitimation of digitalisation in education. A case study of vocational student teachers´lesson plans. Utbildning & Lärande, 17(1), 65–83. https://doi.org/10.58714/ul.v17i1.12757

Sandahl, J. (2015). Medborgarbildning i gymnasiet. Ämneskunnande och medborgarbildning i gymnasieskolans samhälls- och historieundervisning. [Doktorsavhandling, Stockholms universitet]

Shanahan, C. & Shanahan, T. (2008). Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents: Rethinking Content Area Literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 40­–59. 

Shanahan, T. & Shanahan, C. (2012). What is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does it Matter? Topics in Language Disorders, 32(1), 7-18.