An extensive reading strategy to promote online writing for elementary students in the 1:1 digital classroom

Abstract

The rapid development of the digital classroom has made it possible to combine extensive reading with online writing, yet research and development in this area are lacking. This study explores the impact of online writing after extensive reading in a classroom setting in China where there was one computer for each student (a 1:1 digital classroom). Thirty-nine fifth graders from an elementary school participated in the study. These students were divided into three groups with equivalent pretest score averages. Members of each group wrote Chinese compositions online after reading in one of the following three conditions in the same 1:1 digital classroom: (1) Objective-Focused Fast Extensive Reading (OFFER), an extensive reading strategy developed for and tested in this study; (2) one-size-fits-all extensive reading; (3) zero extensive reading, using only the class textbook. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed using data from four sources: scores from three teacher judges, comments from those judges, comment icons from classmates, and writing speed data collected via the learning management system. The results indicated that the OFFER group showed significant superiority in writing quality and quantity compared to the other two groups. It is concluded that (1) extensive reading can be utilized not only for cultivating reading interest, but also for promoting writing, and (2) the OFFER strategy can lead to improved writing quality and fluency compared to one-size-fits-all extensive reading. Further suggestions for researchers and language teachers are proposed in the final part of the paper.

Keywords:

• extensive reading
• 1:1 digital learning
• online writing

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants of this study. Special thanks to Mary Hennessy for proofreading and to the anonymous reviewers for valuable suggestions to improve the readability and quality of this paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Science of Education, the Twelfth Five-year Plan Key Project of Beijing, China (grant number AJA12132); Science Technology Basic Project of Beijing, China (grant number KM20131002801).

Notes on contributors

Zhong Sun

Zhong Sun is an associate professor in the Informational Technology Education Department, Capital Normal University, China. Her research areas include second language learning and computer technology, teaching methods, and material development.

Xian Min Yang

Xianmin Yang is a lecturer at the Institute of Education at Jiangsu Normal University. His main research interests are technology-enhanced learning, mobile and ubiquitous learning, and corporate e-Learning.

Ke Kang He

Ke Kang He is a distinguished professor in the Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, China. His research areas include initiative theories and practices of IT in education.