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The Writing Resource Lesson Plan
Teacher’s Name: Dion Clingwall Topic: Writing Problem Areas
Class: EAP 140 – Academic Writing
University of Alberta Faculty of Extension 		Length of Lesson: Ongoing
Target Students & Learning Environment:

This lesson is aimed at advanced ESL students that are in need of targeted practice in order to reach a university writing level. The students will either be enrolled as bridging type students (taking several university level courses in addition to this ESL writing class) or be planning to begin their undergraduate studies the following September. The class will have access to both a smart classroom and the Faculty of Extension computer labs whenever needed. With this degree of technical support available either a class or homework based online exercise may be carried out regularly.
Explanation of Lesson:

This lesson will not be a stand alone lesson. Instead it is designed as a supplementary writing task to compliment the regular classroom activities.

At the end of the term’s first lesson this activity will be presented and its goals discussed.
The instructor will introduce the students to “The Writing Resource” webpage and show them how to navigate through the links. They will also be shown how to search out more specific information using both search engines and links found embedded within the various websites.
During this first lesson, students will also be asked to complete two exercises of their choice from amongst the available links and show the instructor.

Besides the first in- class, instructor-lead activity, all computer-based lessons will be completed for homework. Over the course of the first month students will be required to use their computer to complete at least two exercises from each of the “Writing Resource’s” targeted problem areas - a total of 18 different exercises. These will be collected every Friday (the number of exercises the students finish each week is at their discretion). At the end of the first month progress will be gauged based on the outcome of an essay activity which uses the “5-paragraph essay” link found on the writing resource webpage.

Language Objectives: Learners will…

  1. Develop their writing skills.
  2. Notice specific areas of their own writing that need improvement.
  3. Develop their English writing skills in a manner that lowers their anxiety towards writing English and fosters their autonomy as English learners.

Technical Objectives: Students will learn to…

  1. Use a web-based writing resource to search out writing information.
  2. Navigate from a webpage using links and site-embedded search engines.
  3. Bookmark important web pages.
  4. Use the computer resources available at The Faculty of Extension: specifically computers, printers and the lab projector.
Theoretical Rationale:

There is an ever growing body of research that discusses computers and their effect on writing. Sharmila Pixy Ferris, writing in the Journal of Electronic Publishing (August, 2002), suggests that computer-enabled electronic writing has had a significant effect on traditional writing. Skinner (1990)[1] in his study of the effects of computer-based instruction found that not only did it significantly affect traditional writing, it also encouraged writing in undergraduate students (particularly in lower level students), lowered student anxiety levels and increased learner autonomy. A group of Swedish researchers (Knutsson et al, 2007)[2] found that through the use of a grammar checking program student autonomy was fostered and subsequently writing was encouraged. These three studies are a mere sampling of the growing research-supported claim that computers are having a profound (I would add positive) effect on writing. For a broader look at the literature please follow this link to a group literature review that looks at the various impacts computers have had on writing. Impact of CALL on Writing

lesson plan continued -> next page

[1] Skinner, M., E. (1990). The effects of computer-based instruction on the achievement of college students as a function of achievement status and mode of presentation. Computers in Human Behavior, 6, 351-360.

[2] Knutsson, O., Ceratto Pargman, T., Eklundh, K. S., & Westlund, S. (2007). Designing and developing a language environment for second language writers. Computers & Education, 49, 1122-1146.