Learner-Centered Classroom
Activities for Advanced
Academic Writing
TESOL March, 2012
Errin Beck
Monika Mulder
Linnea Spitzer
Portland State University
Overview
• Introduction
▫ Definition of and rationale behind “LearnerCentered Activities”
▫ Our program
▫ The class
▫ Description of activities
• Practice/Workshop time
• Final Reflection
• Questions
What is a “Learner-Centered” activity?
• Activity in which the learner plays a central role
in discovering and internalizing information
• The learners determine pace of the activity
• Learners decide when they are satisfied with the
outcome of the activity
• Teacher plays a guiding, but not leading role
Why Learner-Centered Activities?
• Allow for individual approaches to writing
• Allow for individual needs/weaknesses in the
writing process
• Individualize learning, giving students
responsibility for defining their experience
• Help students develop strategies for selfdirected learning and promote learner autonomy
The Intensive English Language Program
at Portland State University
• Five-level university academic preparation program
• Over 500 students (primary L1s: Arabic, Chinese,
Korean, and Japanese)
• Core classes:
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Grammar
Writing
Speaking/Listening
Reading
• 10 week terms (quarter system)
• Students in class 18 hours per week
• 20 hours of study outside of class expected
The Advanced Academic Writing Course
65 minute class, 3 times per week
• Highest level of writing in program
• Students both undergrads and graduate students
• Process-based writing
▫ Students work for the entire term (10 weeks) on producing
one 8-10 page research paper
• Focus on research methods
▫ Library research
▫ Evaluation of sources
▫ APA formatting
• Previous levels
▫ Essay writing (5 paragraph, cause/effect, argument,
classification, guided research-based essay)
▫ Exposure to using outside sources and APA formatting
Five Classroom Activities
1. Icebreaker and exploration of text types
2. Focused reading
1. Practicing creating and organizing a detailed
outline
1. Editing a draft: Rearranging a paragraph
2. APA formatting workshop
Ice-breaker and Exploration Activity
The activity:
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Ice-breaker (first day of class)
Exposes students to new kinds of resources
Needs assessment
Introduction to notion of
credibility/reliability/relevance of sources
Focused Reading Activity
The activity:
•
•
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Helps students build knowledge base for their
writing
Shows students how to explore and interact with
the sources
Promotes understanding of articles through
collaboration
Practicing Creating and Organizing a
Detailed Outline
The activity:
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Kinesthetic activity to practice the format of a
detailed outline
Focuses on categorization of ideas
Editing a Draft: Rearranging a Paragraph
The activity:
•
Kinesthetic activity that gives students a new
perspective on their writing, with special focus on:
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Grammar
Sentence structure and variety
Cohesion and coherence
APA Formatting Workshop
The activity:
• Allows students to practice the most relevant
citation formats for their work
• Encourages students to self edit their reference
pages
• Serves as a reminder of APA formatting tools
available outside the classroom comfort zone
Directions for workshop
You will have the opportunity to participate in three activities for 20
minutes each (plus 5 minutes for debriefing)
1. Choose your activity and go to the station.
2. Read the directions for the activity (blue).
3. Work on the activity (20 minutes).
4. Reflect on the activity (purple) (5 minutes).
5. Move to the next station.
Pros and Cons?
1. Icebreaker and exploration of text types
2. Focused reading
3. Practicing creating and organizing a detailed outline
4. Editing a draft: Rearranging a paragraph
5. APA formatting workshop
Final Thoughts from Students
Icebreaker and exploration of text types
There are many differences between different type texts. For
example, in a newspaper or magazine, it is easy to find a
daily, normal article, but in a journal, it will be more specific.
I learned that websites like Wikipedia are not the authentic
resource for writing research papers. I realized that
Wikipedia can be modified and edited by its users; therefore,
it is an unreliable resource for writing a research paper.
Final Thoughts from Students
Practicing Creating and Organizing a Detailed Outline
Before starting writing a detailed outline, I totally had no
idea where to begin my paper. Instead of reading a bunch of
examples and rules from textbooks, I learned to make a
detailed outline by reading pieces of sentences and putting
them into well-organized paragraphs without knowing the
title of the research paper.
Final Thoughts from Students
Editing a draft: Rearranging a paragraph
It was the very helpful because I had a chance to see
my paragraph in a different way. Mistakes were much
easier to spot and the organization changed for the better.
Because of this activity, I realized that when all the sentences
from a paragraph cut into pieces, my brain would have
clear and new thoughts of those pieces.
Thank you for listening!
Any Questions?