Abstracts - Earli

E 1329 August 2007 14:30 - 16:30Room: HarmóniaSymposiumLearning to write and writing to learn: Effects of learning environmentand individual writing styleChair: Rainer Bromme, University of Münster, GermanyChair: Gert Rijlaarsdam, University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsOrganiser: Rainer Bromme, University of Münster, GermanyOrganiser: Gert Rijlaarsdam, University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsDiscussant: Hein Broekkamp, University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsA great deal of research on the learning and teaching of writing, and on effects of writing onlearning, implicitly assumes that writing is a unitary process. Effects of writing instruction aretypically assessed in terms of whether they lead to improvements in the global quality of writing,and effects of writing on learning are typically assessed in terms of its overall effect on a singlelearning outcome. Our aim in this symposium is to explore variability in the effects of differentforms of writing instruction and in the effects of writing on learning. The contributions willexplore a range of different sources of variability - including learner characteristics, forms ofwriting task, and interactions between components of the writing process – as well as variation inthe effects of writing on learning, including the quality of ideas, of content knowledge and ofwritten text. Galbraith et al. will present a study on the effects of learner characteristics andlearning conditions on the development of conceptual coherence through writing. Kieft et al. willinvestigate whether different forms of writing instruction have differential effects depending onlearner characteristics. Braaksma et al. will describe the effects of different forms of writing(hypertexts versus traditional linear texts) on writing process, domain knowledge, text quality,knowledge of writing, and self efficacy, showing that the effect of learning condition interacts withlearner characteristics. Schulte-Lßbbert et al. will report the effects of stimulating reflection aboutdifferent aspects of the communicative situation on the processes involved in revising and theresulting effect on text quality. Hýbner et al will explore how the effects of metacognitiveprompting on the writing of learning journals vary with time. The implications for learning andteaching of writing and for the use of writing as a tool for learning will be discussed.Constructing knowledge objects though writingDavid Galbraith, Staffordshire University, United KingdomMark Torrance, Staffordshire University, United KingdomJenny Hallam, Staffordshire University, United KingdomThis paper describes the results of an experiment designed to test a dual-process model of writing,which suggests that the development of ideas in writing depends on an interaction between twodistinct types of process: explicit planning and spontaneous text production. 96 undergraduates,divided into two groups of low and high self-monitors, were asked to write under one of threedifferent conditions: (i) a rough draft condition; (ii) a planned essay condition; and (iii) a controlcondition. Participants were asked to generate lists of ideas before and after writing, and tocompare the ideas they contained. This enabled us to calculate the extent to which they haddeveloped new ideas through writing. They were also asked to rate the degree of relationship– 283 –