Action Research Project Final

Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION
The Impact of Digital Writing on Student Writing and Motivation Rachel Davey University of New England EDU 690 April 18, 2012
Abstract
The Action Research Project investigated the impact of digital writing on students motivation to write, writing stamina and the quality of their writing. Data collection tools included teacher observations, a student questionnaire, self-assessment, and writing samples. Writing samples were collected from a focus group of four low average to average performing students. Twenty-one fourth grade students participated in a student questionnaire and self-assessment. Students were involved with traditional writing assignments at the beginning of the school year and digital writing assignments during the second half of the school year. Writing samples, teacher observations and questionnaire results were compared pre-intervention and post-intervention. The research findings supported the hypothesis that students motivation would improve with the use of digital writing. Keywords: digital writing, digital stories, motivation, writing stamina
Table of Contents
Abstract.2 Introduction...6 Rationale for Study.6 Statement of Problem.7 Primary Research Questions......7 Hypothesis..8 Review of the Literature8 Introduction.8 Multiple Literacies..9 Digital Storytelling...11 Blogging/Twitter..11 Gaming.12 Reaching a Variety of Learners....13 Student Motivation...14 Conclusion14 Methodology15 Research Design15 Data Collection Plan..15 Sample Selection17
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Instruments.....17 Results...19 Findings..19 Discussion...33 Limitations..37 Further Research.38 Action Plan38 Conclusion.40 References.42 Appendices44 Appendix A: Student Questionnaire..44 Appendix B: Student Self-Assessment..46 Appendix C: Teacher Observation Charts (Research Projects).47 Appendix D: Research Project Rubric.......51 Appendix E: Teacher Observation Charts (Poetry)...52 Appendix F: Poetry Rubric54 Appendix G: Teacher Observation Charts (Literature Responses)55 Appendix H: Literature Response Rubrics57 List of Tables Table 1 ..16
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List of Figures Figure 1 ....20 Figure 2 ....21 Figure 3 ....22 Figure 4 ....22 Figure 5 23 Figure 6 23 Figure 7 24 Figure 8 25 Figure 9 ....25 Figure 10 ......26 Figure 11 ..28 Figure 12 ..28 Figure 13 ......29 Figure 14 ..30 Figure 15 .30 Figure 16 ..31 Figure 17 ..32 Figure 18 ..32
Introduction
Rationale for Study Research done by Sylvester and Greenidge (2009), Kurtz (2009), and Willet (2009) all suggest that literacy today includes a new set of literacy skills including: collaborating, networking, and multi-tasking. Students need to know how to do more than just read and write printed text. They are living and learning in a digital society. In order for them to become successful participants in this society they need to receive instruction based on these new literacy skills. Researchers believe that the best way to incorporate these new skills into current curricula is to utilize digital writing. In addition to incorporating a variety of literacy skills, digital writing is also highly motivating for students. Ikpeze (2009), Drexler, Dawson, and Ferdig (2009), and Willet (2009) all believe that digital writing increases students motivation to write. Research suggests that students motivation increases because students recognize that they have a more global audience when their work is published online and because the work is more relevant to their lives and interests. The researcher was concerned about the lack of motivation and writing stamina she had observed in her fourth grade students. She noticed that students were frequently off task during writing time. She also recognized that there were very few students that truly became engaged in their writing. The researcher believes that it was due to this lack of motivation and stamina that students quality of writing was inconsistent. She was especially concerned about her struggling writers that refused to write without assistance from a teacher or aide. 6
The purpose of this study was to introduce web-based applications as the medium for creating students written work. These assignments included all aspects of digital writing including: written and oral language, graphics, moving images, and audio. The researcher wanted to investigate if providing this type of writing instruction would motivate students. She also wanted to explore the possibility that increased motivation could also improve students stamina and the quality of their writing.
Statement of Problem When the researcher reviewed the fourth grade students writing it was apparent that there was a lack of depth and structure. In addition, when observing fourth grade students during their writing sessions they lacked stamina to write for extended amounts of time. It was frequently observed that students hurried through assignments and exhibited a lack of interest. The fourth grade students had been involved in traditional writing instruction throughout their elementary careers. They were taught the writing process and how to respond to prompts. The students also had learned strategies to generate ideas for writing. In the primary grades, students had writers notebooks in which all of their written work was conducted. Students occasionally used computers to type their final written projects. The students had not been exposed to any digital writing activities. Some students had created some type of digital writing at home.
Primary Research Questions Does digital writing enhance student writing? 7
Are digital writing assignments more motivating to students? Do digital writing assignments increase students writing stamina?
Hypothesis The fourth grade students exhibited struggles with their writing, particularly with lack of structure, topic development and depth in their writing. The students also demonstrated a lack of writing stamina and enthusiasm. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that fourth grade students writing will improve when involved with digital writing activities. In addition to improved writing their ability to write for extended amounts of time and their interest in writing will improve.
Review of the Literature
Introduction Young people are very involved with interacting online while at home, but not all schools are preparing students to fine tune their technological skills to become successful participants in a digital society. According to Merchant (2006), reading and writing with new technology involves changing social practices. It requires people to produce and consume different types of texts. Currently many schools and educators view writing and technology as two separate entities. Research has shown that there is a great advantage to weaving the two together to embed more digital writing into the curriculum.
Throughout the process of reviewing the literature, it became apparent that todays student, the digital native, must have access and practice in multiple literacies. In order for students to become fully functioning members of a digital society they need to learn how to appropriately utilize their digital skills. Many forms of digital writing encompass a large variety of literacies. Digital writing allows for teachers to incorporate both writing and technology skills into lessons. Utilizing digital tools with writing assignments can serve as a scaffold for many students that are confident in their digital skills, but struggle with traditional writing assignments. Although many young people have become highly engrossed with online interactions many educators are just beginning to grapple with these forms of writing and communicating. The research also made it apparent that digital writing is highly motivating for many students. In addition, digital writing provides an avenue for teachers to reach many different learning styles. Unfortunately, many teachers are unsure of where to begin with digital writing instruction. There are not set curricula that involve different forms of writing. Teachers must take it upon themselves to utilize digital writing strategies and embed them across their curriculum in an effort to engage and motivate students.
Multiple Literacies Researchers believe that to be literate today incorporates a variety of literacies or skills that students must learn. When students are involved with digital writing the assignment requires them to engage many other skills beyond a traditional writing assignment. Some researchers have labeled these as a new set of literacies, while other
researchers have identified specific skills that students must learn in order to be successful with digital writing. What it means to be literate has broadened to not only include traditional literacies, reading and writing print text for example, but also reflect the needs of students living and learning in a digital world. (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009, p. 284) According to Sylvester and Greenidge (2009), there are four types of literacies including: technological literacy, visual literacy, media literacy, and information literacy. Each of these literacies involves a set of skills. Technological literacy involves the ability to use a computer adequately. Visual literacy is proficiently viewing and interpreting images, while media literacy is the ability to access, evaluate, and produce in written and oral language, as well as graphics, moving images and audio. Finally, information literacy is the capability to find, evaluate, analyze and synthesize information. These new literacies are all embedded when students are involved with digital writing tasks. Jenkins et. al. (as cited by Willet, 2009) says that new media requires skills such as appropriation, multitasking, collective intelligence, judgment, networking and negotiating. Kurtz (2009), observed his students discussing, debating, listening and collaborating while generating posts to submit to their class Twitter page. The research makes it apparent that educators need to involve a vast variety of skills in writing instruction. Digital writing is an adequate way to incorporate all of these skills into the writing curriculum. These skills are vital for students to learn in order to be successful participants in todays digital society and should be integrated into schools curricula. 10
Digital Storytelling Digital storytelling allows teachers to incorporate both old and new literacies together (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009). There are many forms of digital stories, but they all require that students compose a narrative, record their voice, and include visuals, music and sometimes videos. According to Robin (2006) and Willet (2009), a digital story must include seven elements. These elements include point of view, a dramatic question, emotional content, gift of voice, power of soundtrack, economy and pacing. They believe that all of these elements must be present to have a successful digital story. A digital story must have an introduction and the narrative should flow. Because students record their narratives to create a digital story the editing process may be less daunting for some learners. When students have the opportunity to listen to their writing read aloud the gaps or lack of flow in the narrative become more apparent. According to Sylvester and Greenidge (2009), digital stories make students more aware of their voice and they are more willing to edit and revise their work than with a traditional written assignment. Digital stories provide a venue to reach all learning styles. They can be used to motivate struggling writers or to challenge gifted students. Digital stories allow students to share their work with a larger audience and they feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment, which is motivating for students (Robin, 2006).
Blogging/Twitter Blogs give students a more global audience. It allows them to receive feedback on their work not only from each other, but also people beyond their classroom. Blogs stretch beyond the school environment and school schedule restraints (Drexler, Dawson, 11
& Ferdig, 2007). Working with blogs also allow for students to collaborate with peers outside of their own classroom. Ikepze (2009), states that blogging gives students a voice and allows them to be involved with real life writing in a non-intimidating environment. He found that his students were writing for a real purpose and a real audience (Ikpeze, 2009, p.2). Drexler et. al. (2007) found that third graders that blogged with pre-service teachers throughout the process of researching and writing a paper had improved attitudes toward their writing assignment. These students also showed more enthusiasm and were more careful with their drafts. The students explained that they found the feedback to be especially motivating, even more so than the technological aspect of the assignment. There were other writing assignments occurring in the classroom during the time of the blog assignment, which may have also had an impact on the students increased motivation. In a first grade classroom Kurtz (2009), used Twitter as a means to document and share his students learning. He found that having his students create posts for a class Twitter page throughout the school day allowed him to embed writing instruction throughout the entire day, rather than as a separate entity. His students were learning the real purpose and power of literacy: communication (Kurtz, 2009, p.2).
Gaming There is not sufficient research on the use of gaming or creating games within classrooms, but early experimental studies have shown that there are four key factors that have led to motivated and engaged students, including narrative context of a game, 12
incorporation of fantasy elements, student choice, and the ability to personalize the game. (Owston et. al., 2009). Gee argues (as cited by Willet, 2009), that learning through game play is active, meaningful, multimodal and scaffolded, entails participation in social networks, encourages learners to take risks and allows for self-reflectionskills are acquired in the context of an activity rather than through abstract exercises. (Willet, 2009, p. 14) A study conducted in fourth grade classrooms in Canada found that game development increased students content retention, there was higher engagement, and students were utilizing more research methods and a vast variety of research materials, and their editing and questioning skills improved. Students were more aware of the quality of their work because they were mindful that their peers would be playing their games (Owston et.al, 2009).
Reaching a Variety of Learners Digital writing allows teachers to reach a variety of learning styles. It also allows for teachers to differentiate work to best suit their learners. All forms of digital writing can be adapted to reach a struggling writer or to challenge a gifted writer. Most of the research highlighted how digital writing could be utilized to reach struggling writers. Struggling writers tend to grapple with generating text and following the writing process. Their writing tends to be short and poorly organized. Once they have generated text they often dont want to change their work (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009). Digital writing may be motivating for struggling writers because they are more literate in new
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION literacies and employ these to scaffold traditional literacies (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009, p.294).
Student Motivation Digital writing is highly motivating for students. Ikpeze (2009), says it provides a real purpose and a real audience for students. Many researchers believe that one of the most motivational aspects of digital writing is the sense of a global audience. Students recognize that their work will be seen and shared with a wider audience, therefore, they are more aware of the quality of their work. Drexler et. al. (2007), believes that using technology as an opportunity to receive feedback is highly motivating for students. In addition, students are able to collaborate with others outside of their classroom. Willet (2009), believes that learning should shift from the concept of an individual learner to collaborative learning in which people come together to share their knowledge about similar interests and goals. Digital writing can provide the environment for this to occur.
Conclusion The National Commission on Writing (2006) suggests that writing instruction has become the neglected R out of reading, writing and arithmetic. They recommend that writing curriculums should be improved by doubling the amount of time spent on writing instruction, embedding writing across the curriculum, encouraging out of school writing, and incorporating technology into writing instruction (Drexler, Dawson, & Ferdig, 2007).
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Research has shown that multiple forms of digital writing provide all of these opportunities. Digital writing is highly motivating and can reach a variety of learners. These are two characteristics that educators are always seeking in their instruction. According to Vygotsky (as cited by Merchant, 2006), writing is a technology that has always been changing. Writing is essentially mark-making and humans have utilized a variety of technologies throughout history to produce these marks. The screen is the medium of new times, digital writing is the sign of the times (Merchant, 2006, p.185).
Methodology
Research Design To examine the identified research questions there will be a single intervention put into place in the classroom, digital writing. In the fall and winter of the school year, students will be involved with traditional writing assignments. These assignments will include poems, literature responses and a research paper about a colonial trade. Throughout these assignments students will learn how to generate ideas for writing, how to utilize the writing process, and how to structure their writing. In the spring of the school year, students will be involved with a variety of digital writing assignments. These tasks will include working collaboratively to create a Wordle poem, using a blog to write a literature response and creating a digital story to report on a famous New Hampshire person. During these assignments students will continue to practice the writing skills taught in the fall and winter 15
Student questionnaires and teacher observations will also contribute to the data collection process. Some information will be collected from the entire fourth grade class while other samples will be collected from a small focus group.
Data Collection Plan Information will be collected in a variety of ways in an attempt to answer the identified research questions (see Table 1). The most significant pieces of data will be students writing samples. The writing samples will be collected from students within a focus group. These samples will be collected throughout the school year, prior to the intervention and during the intervention. The researcher will collect written samples from the fall and winter that were completed during traditional writing assignments. In the spring, digital writing samples will be collected. In addition to the writing samples of the focus group, teacher observations will contribute to the evaluation of the entire classs writing motivation and stamina (see Appendices C, E, and G). Finally, all students will participate in a student questionnaire that will be conducted at two times throughout the school year. Students will first participate in the questionnaire in the winter and again in the late spring.
Table 1. Data Collection Matrix Research Questions Does digital Data Source 1 Traditional Data Source 2 Digital Writing Data Source 3
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Writing Samples Colonial Report, Poems, and Literature Responses Samples Wordle Poem, Digital Story, and Literature Responses using Blog Does digital writing motivate? Does digital writing increase stamina? Table 1. Identifies the data that will be collected in an attempt to answer the research questions. Student Questionnaire Teacher Observations Student Self Assessment Teacher Observations
writing enhance writing?
Sample Selection Data will be collected in two ways. There will be data collected from the entire fourth grade class. The class consists of twenty-three students, twelve are male and eleven are female. There are two special need students that are included in the classroom that require the assistance of one-on-one aides. One of these students will not be involved with the data collection. There was also a new student that moved into the area and joined the class in the early spring. This student will not be included in the data collection. There will be a focus group within the classroom. This group consists of four female students. Three of these students are average performing students that struggle 17
with structure and depth within their writing. One of the students within the focus group is a low performing student that struggles with generating ideas, structure and following the writing process.
Instruments The researcher will collect information about student writing throughout the school year. Writing samples from the identified focus group, teacher observations, a student self-assessment, and a student questionnaire will be the instruments utilized during the data collection period (see Table 1).
Writing Samples The writing samples will be collected from the four students in the identified focus group. In the fall and winter, traditional writing assignments will be gathered. These assignments will include a research paper written about a colonial trade, a literature response written in the students readers notebook, and a poem. In the spring similar assignments will be collected. The second set of samples that will be analyzed will be digital writing assignments. These assignments will include a research project written about a famous person from New Hampshire. Students will utilize Photostory 3 software to create a digital story for this project. The next sample collected will be a poem that is written collaboratively with a partner using the website Wordle. The final sample will be a literature response that students will write using a blog.
Teacher Observations The researcher will conduct observations throughout the school year. These observations will take place during both the traditional writing 18
Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION assignments and the digital writing assignments. The researcher will be observing students motivation level and their writing stamina throughout these assignments. The researcher will use a rating scale to gauge their motivation and stamina. The observations will take place during the colonial research paper, traditional poetry assignment, traditional literature response, digital story assignment, Wordle assignment, and the literature response using the blog.
Student Questionnaire and Self-Assessment All fourth grade students will participate in a student questionnaire in the winter and late spring (see Appendix A). This questionnaire will ask students questions pertaining to their feelings about writing. This questionnaire will first be conducted in the winter after the traditional writing assignments have been completed. The questionnaire will then be conducted again in the late spring once students have been involved with several traditional and digital writing assignments. A student self-assessment will also be conducted during the Wordle poetry assignment (see Appendix B). This self-assessment will require that students rate their own work and effort during this particular project.
Results Findings Research Projects Throughout the data collection process students were involved in a variety of writing activities. The researcher collected data throughout two research-writing 19
assignments, two poetry-writing assignments, and two literature response assignments. During each of these assignments students motivation level and writing stamina were observed (see Appendices C, E, and G). The first assignment included in the data collection was a research paper conducted in a traditional manner. All fourth grade students wrote a report about a colonial trade of their choice. The researcher observed the motivation level of students twice throughout this assignment (see Figure1). The researcher rated the students motivation and writing stamina using a rating scale (see Figures 1 &2). The second research project conducted during the data collection period required students to create a digital story about a famous person in New Hampshire history. Again students motivation level and writing stamina were observed twice throughout this assignment (see Figures 1 & 2). The same rating scale was used to rate students motivation levels and writing stamina (see Appendix A). The rating scales were created to gauge students ability to stay on task during their writing time and their engagement level while writing.
Figure 1. Motivation Levels During Research Projects

14.00 12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 1 2 3 Project 1-Observation #1 Project 1-Observation #2 Project 2-Observation #1 Project 2-Observation #2
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Figure1. Students were rated on a scale of 1-3. 1 indicates a student was frequently off task or unmotivated, 2 means somewhat on task or somewhat motivated, and 3 means a student was engaged in their writing and motivated. The graph compares the motivation levels of students throughout two research projects.
Figure 2. Writing Stamina During Research Projects

14.00 12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 1 2 3 Project 1-Observation #1 Project 1-Observation #2 Project 2-Observation #1 Project 2-Observation #2
Figure 2. The students writing stamina was rated on a scale from 1-3. A 1 indicates students that were rarely writing or would only write with assistance. A 2 demonstrates students that were writing most of the time and 3 shows students that were always writing. The graph compares students writing stamina throughout two research projects.
The researcher collected writing samples from four students within a focus group. Their scores from the first research project were compared to their scores on the second assignment. Both assignments were graded based on four criteria: topic and details, format, word choice and sentence structure, and visual aides (see Appendix C for rubric).
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These four scores were compiled to find an overall score for each student. The students were provided with similar instruction during each research assignment. The researcher modeled how to format each of the projects and strategies to enhance their writing. Figures 3-6 display the focus students scores on both research assignments.
Figure 3. Student 1s Research Project Scores

20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 Topic & Details Format Word Visual Choice & Aides Sentence Structure Total Points Colonial Report Digital Story
Figure 3. Compares Student 1s scores on a traditional research paper to a research assignment utilizing digital story software.

25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 Topic & Details Format Word Visual Choice & Aides Sentence Structure Total Score Colonial Report Digital Story
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Figure 4. Compares Student 2s scores on a traditional research paper to a research assignment utilizing digital story software.

20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 Topic & Details Format Word Visual Choice & Aides Sentence Structure Total Score Colonial Report Digital Story

25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 Topic & Detials Format Word Visual Choice & Aides Sentence Structure Total Score Colonial Report Digital Story
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Poetry Writing In the early spring of the school year the fourth grade students were involved with a traditional poetry writing assignment. Later in the spring, students were involved with a poetry assignment in which they collaboratively wrote with a partner to create a poem using the website Wordle. The researcher observed the motivation level and writing stamina of students during both assignments (see Figures 7 & 8). A rating scale was used to compare their motivation and stamina during each of the assignments (see Appendix E). The researcher created the rating scale to gauge if students were on task during their work and their engagement level while writing. During each assignment the students received instruction about generating ideas for poems, using sensory language, and how to engage their reader.
Figure 7. Motivation Levels During Poetry Writing

12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1 2 3 Traditional Poetry Assignment Wordle Poetry Assignment
Figure 7. Students motivation level was rated on a scale of 1-3. A 1 indicates that a student was often off task or unmotivated, 2 a student was somewhat on task or somewhat motivated, and 3 a student was engaged and motivated. The graph compares students
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motivation level during a traditional poetry assignment compared to a collaborative poetry assignment conducted using the website Wordle.
Figure 8. Writing Stamina During Poetry Writing

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1 2 3 Traditional Poetry Assignment Wordle Poetry Assignment
Figure 8. Students writing stamina was rated on a scale of 1-3. 1 meaning a student was rarely writing, 2 a student was writing most of the time, and 3 a student was writing all of the time. The graph compares students writing stamina during a traditional poetry writing assignment to a collaborative poetry assignment using the website Wordle.
After completing the Wordle assignment students completed a self-assessment (see Appendix B). Students were asked to rate how they thought the project went on a scale of one to four, one being poor and four being great (see Figure 9). Students were asked to base this rating on their own effort and their final work during this particular project.
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Figure 9. Self-Assessment Results
Poetry Self Assessment

4 - This was great! 3- It was pretty good 2- It could have been better 1- It didn't go well
Figure 9. Demonstrates students response to a question asking how it went for them working with a partner and using the Wordle website to create a poem.
One of the focus students poetry work was compared during each of the poetry assignments (see Figure10). The poems were scored based on three different criteria: was the poem engaging for the reader, descriptive word choice, and a clear topic or theme (see Appendix F for rubric). During the Wordle project, student 3 was partnered with a higher performing student. Figure 10. Student 3s Poetry Writing Scores
12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00
Traditional Poetry Assignment Wordle Poetry Assignment
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Figure 10. Compares Student 3s scores on a traditional poetry assignment to a collaborative poetry project created using the website Wordle.
Literature Responses The fourth grade students were involved with writing literature responses throughout the school year. These literature responses required that students provide a summary of their current reading in their independent reading book. Students also were required to add thoughts, questions, or reading strategies they utilized during their reading. Throughout both assignments students received instruction about how to properly summarize their reading, how to utilize reading strategies and recognize when to use them, and how to track their thoughts and questions while reading. The researcher tracked students motivation level during literature responses written in the fall (see Appendix G). These motivation and stamina levels were then compared to a literature response that was written in the spring during which students utilized a blog (see Figures 11&12). Students motivation and stamina levels were rated using a scale to gauge students ability to stay on task and their engagement level while writing their responses.
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Figure 11. Motivation Levels During Literature Responses

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1 2 3 Traditional Literature Response Literature Response via Blog
Figure 11. Motivation levels of students were rated on a scale of 1-3. 1 indicates students were off task or unmotivated, 2 students were somewhat on task or somewhat motivated, and 3 students were engaged or motivated. The graph compares the motivation levels of students during a traditional literature response to a literature response written using a blog.
Figure 12. Writing Stamina During Literature Responses

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1 2 3 Traditional Literature Response Literature Respone via Blog
Figure 12. Students writing stamina was rated on a scale of 1-3. 1 indicates that students were not writing or rarely writing, 2 students were writing most of the time, and 3
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students were writing all of the time. The graph compares the writing stamina of students during a traditional literature response and a literature response using a blog.
Literature responses written by the four students in the focus group were compared. Both the traditional literature response and the literature response written on a blog were scored based on three criteria: content, reading strategies, and grammar and spelling (see Appendix H for rubric). Students received similar writing instruction throughout both assignments. Figures 13-16 illustrate the focus students scores on their literature response.
Figure 13. Student 1s Literature Response Scores

10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 Content Reading Grammar Strategies & Spelling Total Points Traditional Literature Response Blog Literature Response
Figure 13. Compares Student 1s scores on a traditional literature response to a literature response written using a blog.
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Figure 14. Student 2s Literature Response Scores
8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 Content Reading Grammar Strategies & Spelling Total Points Traditional Literature Response Blog Literature Response
Figure 15. Student 3s Literature Response Results

10 8 6 4 2 0 Content Reading Grammar Strategies & Spelling Total Points Traditional Literature Response Blog Literature Response
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Figure 16. Student 4s Literature Response Scores
10 8 6 4 2 0 Content Reading Grammar Strategies & Spelling Total Points Traditional Literacy Response Blog Literacy Response
Figure 16. Compares Student 4s scores on a traditional literature to a literature response written using a blog.
Student Questionnaire All of the fourth grade students participated in a questionnaire asking questions about their feelings towards writing (see Appendix A). Students completed this questionnaire in the winter and again in the late spring. The questionnaire was first conducted at the conclusion of the traditional writing assignments and again once the digital writing assignments were completed. There were a total of nine questions on the questionnaire, the researcher focused on two of these questions. One of these questions focused on how students felt about writing in general and the other about their preference of a writing medium. The first question asked students to gauge their feelings about writing how they felt when it was time to actually begin writing. (see Figure 17).
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Figure 17. Student Questionnaire Results

12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 Excited!I Good, I like Alright, Not Good, I can't wait to writing. writing is not really dislike get started. my favorite writing. subject.
Winter 2011 Spring 2011
Figure 17. Compares students response to a question asking how they feel when it is time to write.
The second question that the researcher focused on was added in the spring. The question asked students about their writing preference, paper and pencil or digital writing (see Figure 18). This question was added to the questionnaire in the spring after students had the opportunity to have multiple experiences with both formats of writing.
Figure 18. Student Questionnaire Results

20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 Paper & Pencil Digital Writing Spring 2011
Figure 18. Demonstrates students response to a question asking how they prefer to write.
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Discussion
Research Projects The researcher observed that motivation levels during the first research project were relatively low at the beginning of the project. Students were observed as being either off task or somewhat on task during work periods. These motivation levels remained quite consistent throughout the project. Two students motivation decreased towards the end of the colonial research project while two students motivation increased (see Figure 1). Students writing stamina levels remained very consistent throughout the colonial research project. One students stamina increased while all of the other students stamina remained the same from the beginning of the project to the end (see Figure 2). The researcher compared the students motivation level at the beginning of the first research project to their motivation level at the beginning of the digital story research project. Three students motivation had decreased from what their motivation level had been at the beginning of the colonial research project. Six students motivation level had increased compared to at the beginning of the colonial research project (see Figure 1). Additionally, three students stamina had increased at the beginning of the digital story project compared to at the beginning of the colonial research project (see Figure 2). The motivation levels and writing stamina from the end of the first research project and from the end of the second research project were also compared. By the end of the digital story project motivation levels had increased in almost half of the class, compared to at the end of the colonial research project. Ten students motivation had 33
increased while only three students motivation had decreased (see Figure 1). Writing stamina had increased for many students as well. Nine students writing stamina increased while none of the students stamina decreased from the beginning of the project (see Figure 2). The researcher observed that there was an apparent excitement in the classroom during the digital story project compared to during the colonial research project. Additionally, the researcher observed that students whose motivation decreased during the second portion of the digital story project had made comments about how they disliked hearing their voice play back after recording their information into the computer. The four students in the focus group showed an improved score overall on their second research project compared to the first research project. The topic and details portion and word choice and sentence structure score either remained the same for all students or improved slightly. All four students showed improvements in the format of their writing. Visual aides were the only area in which any of the focus group showed a decrease in their scores. Student 2 showed improvements in all areas on her second project compared to the first project (see Figures 3-6). All of the students work had improved in regards to the flow and structure of their work. The researcher also observed that students were more careful with their research during the second assignment. This careful research was obvious in the details that were included in the students final projects.
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Poetry The motivation level of the students during the Wordle assignment compared to the traditional poetry assignment had increased in fourteen students and decreased in none (see Figure 7). Sixteen students writing stamina increased and there was no decrease in stamina during the Wordle assignment compared to the traditional assignment (see Figure 8). The researcher had students take a self-assessment at the completion of the Wordle project. The students were asked to rate how they thought their Wordle project went, including working collaboratively with someone and using the Wordle program. On a scale from one to four, all students rated the assignment as a three or four (see Figure 9). The researcher observed that there was an apparent excitement in the room during the Wordle project compared to the traditional poetry assignment. Students were immediately engaged in the assignment and quickly got to work with their partners. She recognized that this was quite different from the traditional poetry assignment. Several students required the teacher to redirect them several times during the traditional poetry assignment. The researcher compared Student 3s poetry work during the traditional assignment to her work during the Wordle project. The poems were scored based on three criteria: was the poem engaging for the reader, word choice, and topic or theme. Student 3 demonstrated an improved score in all three of these areas. Her score improved by one point in all areas (see Figure 10). Student 3 was paired with a higher performing student during the Wordle assignment. She was an equal contributor during the assignment
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though. She also demonstrated more confidence in her writing abilities during the Wordle assignment.
Literature Responses While writing a literature response through a blog format all students motivation increased compared to writing a traditional literature response (see Figure 11). In addition to their motivation level improving, writing stamina also improved in all but one student (see Figure 12). The researcher also observed that students motivation level was increased due to awareness of their audience during the second literature response. Students read and responded to each others literature responses, the researcher believes that this was a major factor in students increased motivation levels. All four of the focus students scores on their literature responses improved when comparing their traditional literature response to the literature responses using a blog. In the area of content, the four students scores either remained consistent or improved on the second literature response. All four students showed an improved score with their grammar and spelling on the second literature response. The students reading strategy scores varied from the traditional literature assignment to the blog assignment (see Figures 13-16). All of the literature responses were more structured and the summaries were more conducive then during the traditional assignment.
Student Questionnaire In the winter and spring there were no students that disliked writing. More students rated their feelings towards writing had improved in the spring compared to in 36
the winter (see Figure 17). In the spring, students were asked to answer a question asking about their preferred method of writing, a majority of the class preferred digital writing to paper and pencil writing (see Figure 18). In addition to students giving their feelings about writing a higher rating, the researcher also noticed that many students appeared to feel more confident in their writing abilities and were more creative with their digital writing compared to their traditional writing.
Limitations The researcher recognizes that there are limitations to this research. The first limitation is the number of students involved with the study. The number of students that were involved with the questionnaire was not consistent from winter to spring due to student illnesses. Additionally, there were only four students involved in the focus group. This small group of students writing samples was the only student writing compared throughout the research. Having such a small sample of student writing doesnt make this research generalizable to all students. A limitation in the research pertaining to poetry was the variance in the assignments. The first poetry assignment that students participated in required them to write a poem independently. The second assignment was an assignment that students worked on collaboratively with another student. The collaboration portion of the Wordle assignment could be a factor in students improved motivation, stamina, and the improvement in their writing. A second limitation to the poetry data is the lack of writing samples. Only one writing sample was collected during the poetry unit, due to students lost work. 37
The final limitation the researcher recognizes is that the improvements in student writing, motivation, and stamina could be due to the time frame the data was collected. All of the initial writing assignments were conducted early in the school year and the second assignments were conducted towards the close of the school year. The improvements could be due to students writing progress in general and not only the involvement of digital writing.
Further Research The researcher will continue to study the effect digital writing has on student writing, motivation and stamina. With future classes the researcher will analyze an entire classs written work and the scores they receive on that work rather than just a small focus groups work. The researcher will compare the work from traditional writing assignments to digital writing assignments. She will also continue to observe students motivation during writing assignments and their writing stamina. The researcher will also analyze future data to find if digital writing is especially helpful for struggling writers as suggested by Sylvester and Greenidge (2009).
Action Plan The researchers goal was to increase students motivation during writing assignments. She was expecting that if students motivation improved then their stamina and the quality of their work would follow suit. To determine if this was an accurate hypothesis, the researcher first involved students in a variety of traditional writing 38
assignments. These assignments occurred in the first half of the school year. They included a literature response, poem, and a research paper. During these assignments the researcher observed students motivation and writing stamina. She also collected writing samples from a focus group of four students. At the completion of these traditional assignments, students participated in a student questionnaire gauging their feelings about writing. During the second portion of the school year students were involved with digital writing assignments. These assignments mimicked the traditional assignments students had worked on previously in the school year. These assignments also included a literature response, poem, and research project. All of these assignments were completed using web-based applications. Again, the researcher observed students motivation during these assignments and their writing stamina. She also collected another set of writing samples from the small focus group. At the end of the school year students completed the same questionnaire they had participated in during the winter. The researcher plans to continue exploring the effect of digital writing on students writing performance. With future classes she will continue to begin the school year with traditional writing assignments to observe students writing abilities. After students have demonstrated their writing capabilities with traditional assignments, the researcher will then introduce digital writing assignments. The researcher will keep the digital writing assignments similar to the traditional writing assignments that students experienced. This will provide the researcher with the opportunity to continue to compare students motivation, stamina, and the quality of the work when using different writing formats. In the future, the researcher will analyze writing samples and scores from all 39
students in the classroom rather than just a small focus group. Within the whole classroom the researcher will create focus groups to investigate if digital writing benefits specific populations of students (ex: struggling writers or gifted students). The researchers goal is to utilize digital writing as a means of differentiating writing instruction for students. While collecting the data for this research project, the researcher noticed that during the digital writing assignments there was more technological instruction occurring then writing skills and grammatical instruction. The researcher will aim to integrate more grammar, spelling, and strategic writing lessons during digital writing lessons. The researcher will share findings from this continued research with colleagues at grade level meetings. She will also share this information with the entire staff during a staff meeting.
Conclusion As a result of this research project the researcher has expanded her thoughts of what writing instruction should include. She has also recognized that writing for todays students involves many more skills than just reading and writing printed text. According to Sylvester and Greenidge, (2009) literacy must integrate the needs of students that are living in a digital world. Students need to be able to produce both written and oral language as well as graphics, videos, and audio (Sylvester and Greenidge, 2009). The computer can no longer be used as just a means of typing a final copy. According to Willet (2009) students need to learn how to utilize many skills when they are engaged in digital writing activities. They need to be able to collaborate with 40
others, multi-task, and network. Incorporating all of these skills into digital writing activities in the classroom helps to prepare students to become members of a digital society. Ikpeze (2009) suggests that digital writing is motivating to students because it provides a real purpose and a real audience for students. Digital writing enables students to have a more global audience that expands beyond the classroom. The researcher believes that while students were involved with the use of digital writing in the classroom their motivation to write did improve. She also believes that the increased motivation levels led to enhanced student work and improved students writing stamina. The researchers goal, as a result of this research, is to motivate students to write, incorporate a vast skill set into writing instruction, increase writing stamina, and improve the quality of student writing. The researcher believes that digital writing is the tool that will assist her to meet these goals. The researcher looks forward to continuing her study of digital writings effects on student writing.
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References
Drexler, W., Dawson, K. & Ferdig, R. (2007). Collaborative blogging as a means to develop elementary expository writing skills. E-Journal of the Integration of Technology in Education, 6, 140-160. Retrieved from ejite.isu.edu
Ikepeze, C. (2009). Writing for real purpose. Learning and Leading with Technology, 36(7), 36-37.
Kieler, L. (2010). A reflection: trials in using digital storytelling effectively with the gifted. Gifted Child Today, 33(3), 49-52.
Kurtz, J. (2009). Twittering about learning: using twitter in an elementary school classroom. Horace, 25(1), 1-4.
Merchant, G. (2006). A sign of the times: looking critically at digital writing. In J. Marsh & E. Millard (Eds.), Popular literacies, childhood and schooling (pp. 85-100). New York, NY: Routledge.
Owston, R., Wideman, H., Ronda, N., & Brown, C. (2009). Computer game development as a literacy activity. Computers and Education, 53(3), 989-997. doi: 10.1016
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Robin, B. (2006). The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (pp. 709-716). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Sylvester, R. & Greenidge, W. (2009). Digital storytelling: extending the potential for struggling writers. Reading Teacher, 63(4), 284-295. doi: 10.1598/RT.63.4.3
Willet, R. (2009). Young peoples video productions as new sites of learning. In V. Carrington & M. Robinson (Eds.), Digital literacies: social learning and classroom practices (pp. 13-26). London, England: SAGE Publications Ltd.
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Appendix A Student Questionnaire
1. How do you feel when it is time to write? Excited, I cant wait to get started. Good, I like writing. Alright, writing is not my favorite subject. Not good, I really dislike writing time. 2. What type of writing do you enjoy the most (circle all types or writing that you like). Research Papers Poetry Stories Free Writing
3. When it is time to write do you prefer to have a choice about what youre writing or being told what to write? Free Choice I like being told what to write so I dont have to come up with my own idea.
4. How do you like learning how to write best? Watching the teacher model how to write Reading books Listening and reading different poems I dont feel like I know how to write very well.
44
5. Where do you get ideas for your writing topics (circle all that apply)? From what the teacher tells us to write about From my own reading and class read alouds From TV or music From my own life Other 6. Do you ever write at home? Yes No
7. What type of writing do you do at home (circle all that apply)? Poetry Letters Stories Blogging Journal writing Chatting on the computer Lists
I never write at home 8. Do you enjoy sharing your writing with your peers? Yes No
9. Which do you enjoy more, paper and pencil writing or digital writing? Paper and Pencil Digital Writing
45
Appendix B Wordle Self-Assessment
Name
Partners Name Self-Assessment Wordle Collaborative Writing Project
Please use the scale below to answer each of the questions. The numbers on the scale will be used as shown in the table below. 4 This went great! 3 This part went pretty good. 2 This part could have gone better. 1 This didnt go well at all.
1. How would you rate how it went for you to interview others to find a partner to work with that had similar topics on their list? 4 3 2 1 2. How did it go working with your partner to choose a topic from your lists? 4 3 2 1 3. How did it go working with a partner to create a list of words about the topic you chose? 4 3 2 1 4. How was it working with your partner to actually create your poem from the list of words you had generated? 4 3 2 1 5. How did the revising process go with your partner? 4 3 2 1 6. How did you like working with a partner on a computer to create a Wordle with your writing? 4 3 2 1 7. Overall, how did you like working with a partner to write? 4 3 2 1
46
Appendix C Teacher Observation Charts Research Projects
Colonial Research Paper Motivation/Stamina Scales Student Motivation Stamina Date Number Score Score 2/14/10 #1 2 2 #2 2 2 #3 2 2 #4 2 1 #5 2 2 #6 2 2 #7 1 1 #8 1 1 #9 1 1 #10 2 2 #11 2 2 #12 3 2 #13 2 2 #14 2 1 #15 2 2 #16 1 2 #17 1 1 #18 2 2 #19 1 1 #20 2 1 #21 1 1 Motivation Scale: 1- Off task/unmotivated 2- Somewhat on task/somewhat motivated 3- Excited about writing/motivated Stamina Scale: 1- Not writing (or will only write with assistance) 2- Writing most of the time 3 Writing all of the time
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Date 3/3/10
Student Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21
Motivation Score 1 2 2 1 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1
Stamina Score 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Digital Stories Motivation/Stamina Scales Student Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 Motivation Score 2 3 2 2 3 3 1 2 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 3 2 Stamina Score 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
Date 5/7/11
Motivation Scale: 1- Off task/unmotivated 2- Somewhat on task/somewhat motivated 3- Excited about writing/motivated Stamina Scale: 1- Not writing (or will only write with assistance) 2- Writing most of the time 3 Writing all of the time
49
Date 5/16/11
Student Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21
Stamina Score 3 2 2 1 3 3 1 1 1 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 1 3 1 1 1
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Appendix D Research Project Rubric
6
Topic and Details
Topic and details richly developed. Includes details to support topic. Strong beginning, middle, end. Logical progression . Vivid language. Varied, correct sentences
5
Topic and details fully developed. Provides 12 details to support topic. Strong beginning, middle, end. Conveys completene ss. Varied, correct sentences with some precision in word choice.
4
Stays on topic. Provides little support.
3
Some topic developme nt.
2
Somewhat related to topic. Details provide inadequate support. Weak beginning, middle, and/or end. Lacks completene ss. Word choice limited. Sentence structure weak.
1
Minimally addresses topic. No supporting details.
Format
Simple beginning, middle, and end. May be weak in one area.
Word Choice and Senten ce Structu re Illustra tions
Interesting words and vocabulary. Simple sentence structure.
May have weak beginning, middle, or end. More than one area is weak. Uses simple words and simple sentence structure.
Fragmentar y listing of ideas. Little organizatio n
Limited and/or inappropria te word choice.
All illustratio ns are accurate and add to the reader's understan ding of the topic.
Many of the illustratio ns add to the reader's understan ding of the topic.
Some of the illustratio ns add to the readers understan ding of the topic.
One of the illustratio ns provided adds to the readers understan ding of the topic.
Illustratio ns are not relevant to the topic.
No illustratio ns are provided.
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Appendix E Teacher Observation Charts Poetry Assignments
Poetry Motivation/Stamina Traditional Assignment
Date 3/23/11
Student Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21
Stamina Score 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 3 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Poetry Motivation/Stamina Wordle/Collaborative Writing Assignment
Date 4/14/11
Student Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21
Stamina Score 3 3 3 1 3 3 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3
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Appendix F Poetry Rubric
4
Engaging
Really engages reader because of interesting word choice and interesting theme. Includes interesting and descriptive words throughout poem. Includes interesting details about topic/theme. Poem relates to the topic/theme.
3
Really engages reader because of interesting word choice or interesting theme.
2
Somewhat engages reader because of some interesting words or interesting theme. Word choice is simplistic.
1
Does not engage reader.
Word Choice
Includes some interesting and descriptive words.
Limited and/or inappropriate word choice.
Topic/Th eme
Includes some interesting detail about topic/theme. Poem relates to the topic/theme.
Includes one interesting detail about topic/theme. Poem somewhat relates to topic/theme.
Poem does not relate to the topic/theme.
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Appendix G Teacher Observation Charts Literature Responses
Literature Response Traditional Assignment Motivation/Stamina
Date 10/18/10
Student Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21
Stamina Score 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION Literature Response Blog Motivation/Stamina
Date 4/29/11
Student Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21
Stamina Score 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 2 2
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Appendix H Literature Response Rubric
4
Includes a conclusive summary that provides the reader with a good understanding of what is happening in the students reading. Student includes some of their own thoughts or questions about their reading.
3
Includes a good summary that gives the reader a vague idea of what is happening in the students reading.
2
A summary is provided, but it does not give the reader a good idea of what is happening in the students reading. Student makes a generic comment about the book.
1
A summary is not included.
Content
Reading Strategies
Student makes a comment about their reading, but doesnt specify a question or thought. There are some grammatical or spelling errors in the entry.
None of the students thoughts are questions about their reading are included.
Grammar & Spelling
There are no grammatical or spelling errors in the entry.
There are many grammatical and spelling errors in the entry.
The grammatical and spelling errors make the entry difficult to read.
57

Action Research Project Final

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Running head: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL WRITING ON STUDENT WRITING AND MOTIVATION

Primary Research Questions Does digital writing enhance student writing? 7

Review of the Literature

writing enhance writing?

Figure 1. Motivation Levels During Research Projects

Figure 2. Writing Stamina During Research Projects

Figure 3. Student 1s Research Project Scores

Figure 4. Student 2s Research Project Scores

Figure 5. Student 3s Research Project Scores

Figure 6. Student 4s Research Project Scores

Figure 7. Motivation Levels During Poetry Writing

Figure 8. Writing Stamina During Poetry Writing

Figure 9. Self-Assessment Results

Poetry Self Assessment

Traditional Poetry Assignment Wordle Poetry Assignment

Figure 11. Motivation Levels During Literature Responses

Figure 12. Writing Stamina During Literature Responses

Figure 13. Student 1s Literature Response Scores

Figure 15. Student 3s Literature Response Results

Figure 17. Student Questionnaire Results

Winter 2011 Spring 2011

Figure 18. Student Questionnaire Results

Appendix A Student Questionnaire

Appendix B Wordle Self-Assessment

Partners Name Self-Assessment Wordle Collaborative Writing Project

Appendix C Teacher Observation Charts Research Projects

Appendix D Research Project Rubric

Simple beginning, middle, and end. May be weak in one area.

Word Choice and Senten ce Structu re Illustra tions

Interesting words and vocabulary. Simple sentence structure.

Fragmentar y listing of ideas. Little organizatio n

Limited and/or inappropria te word choice.

Illustratio ns are not relevant to the topic.

No illustratio ns are provided.

Appendix E Teacher Observation Charts Poetry Assignments

Poetry Motivation/Stamina Traditional Assignment

Appendix F Poetry Rubric

Includes some interesting and descriptive words.

Limited and/or inappropriate word choice.

Poem does not relate to the topic/theme.

Appendix G Teacher Observation Charts Literature Responses

Literature Response Traditional Assignment Motivation/Stamina

Appendix H Literature Response Rubric

Grammar & Spelling

There are no grammatical or spelling errors in the entry.

There are many grammatical and spelling errors in the entry.

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