Appraisal Theory: Opportunities for Social Networking Sites' Complementation of Writing Centres

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Author(s): Patient Rambe (Central University of Technology, South Africa)
Copyright: 2015
Pages: 22
Source title: Handbook of Research on Educational Technology Integration and Active Learning
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Jared Keengwe (University of North Dakota, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8363-1.ch018

Keywords: Education / Educational Technologies / Information Science Reference

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Abstract

While Writing Centres provide dialogic spaces for student articulation of voice, they insufficiently deal with asymmetrical power relations built into expert-novice conversations, which potentially disrupt novices' democratic expression of their voices. Yet the conversational nature of Facebook presents opportunities for ESL students to express their voices. This chapter: 1) Employs draft essays of first-year ESL students submitted to a Writing Centre to unravel their challenges with asserting their voice, 2) Uses reflective narratives of Writing consultants and ESL students to understand how their English language acquisition is impacted by their appropriation of Facebook and 3) Unravels how Facebook complements the mandate of Writing Centres of developing the academic voice of students. Findings suggest that students lacked confidence in asserting their authorial presence and familiarisation with academic conventions. Students and consultants' essays demonstrated a balanced appropriation of attitudinal and judgement categories and engagement resources, with implications for the potential of Facebook to mediate student expression of their voice.

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Appraisal Theory: Opportunities for Social Networking Sites' Complementation of Writing Centres

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