Denis Alamargot

Through the models of writing

Preface E. Esperet. General Introduction. A definition of writing and a presentation of the main models D. Alamargot, L. Chanquoy. Part I: Architecture of Processes in Writing Models. 1. Planning Process. 2. Translating Process. 3. Revising Process. Part II: Processing Modalities and Development of Expertise in Writing Models. 4. Nature and Control of Processing. 5. Working Memory in Writing. 6. Development of Expertise in Writing. Part III: Commentaries. Commentary on Part II: Processing Modalities and Development of Expertise in Writing R.T. Kellogg. Commentary on the Book: Through the Models of Writing J.R. Hayes. References. Index by Reference. Subject Index.

Influence of handwriting skills during spelling in primary and lower secondary grades.

We sought to identify, the impact of handwriting skills on the efficiency and temporal course of word spelling across Grades 2–9. Eighty-four students, drawn from primary and lower secondary schools, were asked to perform a dictation task to assess their word spelling. They also had to write out the letters of the alphabet, as well as their firstnames and surnames, from memory to assess their handwriting skills. Handwriting kinematics were recorded using a digitizing tablet and a computer running Eye and Pen software. Results revealed that graphomotor skills (as assessed by the name writing task) influenced the success and temporal course of spelling, but only in primary grades, whereas the influence of orthographic knowledge (as assessed by the alphabet task) could still be observed in the lower secondary grades, even if it ceased to influence the temporal course and only affected errors. We discuss what these findings tell us about changes in transcription processes over the course of child development.

Does handwriting on a tablet screen affect students' graphomotor execution? A comparison between Grades Two and Nine.

We sought to ascertain how handwriting with a plastic-tipped pen on the screen of a digital tablet affects graphomotor execution in students, compared with handwriting on paper with a ballpoint pen. We predicted that the modification to propriokinesthetic feedback induced by the screen/plastic tip combination would differently disturb younger and older students, who rely on perceptual feedback either to form letters (former) or to adjust movement execution (latter). Twenty-eight students from Grades Two and Nine were asked to handwrite the alphabet and their names and surnames under the two conditions. Kinematics were recorded using the tablet, controlled by Eye and Pen software. Results showed that handwriting on the tablet surface with a plastic-tipped pen primarily affected pen pauses in the second graders and pen movements in the ninth graders, suggesting a disturbance in segment trajectory calculation in the younger participants and reduced control of muscular adjustment in the older children.

Written documents in the workplace

Presents a linguistic definition of professional documents, describing their different types and genres. This title focuses on the mental mechanisms involved in written production in the workplace.

Learning to write effectively : current trends in European research

Knowledge sharing is the key to society‟s economic, social, scientific and cultural development. It is mainly through writing that knowledge is created, shared and acted upon across cultural boundaries. Research into writing in schools and the workplace, contributes to the quality of the knowledge cycle. Writing is an extremely varied activity, ranging from jotting down shopping lists, writing school essays and designing blogs and websites to penning novels and monographs. It can be created in various ways (handwriting, keyboarding, dictation, speech synthesis) and contexts (text messages, letters, press releases, essays, poetry, scientific papers, company reports, legal texts, etc.). The common underlying factor is that writing involves the construction of knowledge objects which are shared, understood while the writer is absent, and stored for the future. Advances in the study of writing can have far-reaching consequences for our understanding of writing processes, of evidence-based teaching methods and of democracy. The long-standing focus on reading skills is consistent with the official line that citizens must primarily be able to understand written information. However, to make their voices heard, readers must also be able to write. With the advent of new information technologies, new curricula and greater specialization in the workplace, written communication has become a vector for integration and success within our society. In order to improve the teaching and use of writing, there must be continuous development in knowledge of the cognitive and linguistic processes associated with text production by skilled and, by developing writers, and by text users. Europe has an active and dynamic writing research community that makes a significant contribution to international scientific advances. Nevertheless, for historical, linguistic and cultural reasons, European research is not as unified as in the USA; researchers are relatively isolated and inter-country cooperation could be improved significantly. This means it is difficult to develop comparative studies of writing instruction and to share good practice and sharing knowledge across boundaries. Overcoming this problem requires (i) the creation of a European platform that spans the gap between regional research cultures, promoting cooperation and providing high quality scientific data. This will permit (ii) the dissemination of recommendations on writing to a broad spectrum of end users - schools, universities, workplaces, citizens. The COST Action IS0703 European Research Network on Learning to Write Effectively (ERN-LWE) represents an efficient and effective route to achieve this twofold objective. By co-operation between research teams from different states that are already investigating writing (or are planning to do so) ERN-LWE permits the development of an active, open network, based on the commitment of researchers and boosted by regular scientific events, meetings and junior researchers‟ training. ERN-LWE and its constitutive tools (working groups, short term scientific missions, conference, training schools, workshops) are of invaluable assistance and accelerate the emergence of a European writing network, bringing concrete results from studies already underway and stimulating new ones in countries which do not yet have structured writing research. Strong links between researchers and professionals (teachers, educators, technical writers, administrators, etc.) will ensure that recommendations about how to write effectively will penetrate many areas of European society. The Action‟s research and innovation effort focuses on four areas, each associated with one of four working groups, and with the following aims: - Early acquisition of writing skills in education. describing the acquisition of writing by pupils with or without learning difficulties in their mother tongue and a second language; understanding learning difficulties; analysing the impact of teaching situations. - Improvements in written communication, in education and in the workplace: describing the development of different writing skills in two languages; understanding the factors favouring the development of expertise; comparing and designing specific and appropriate training situations. - Design of written documents in the workplace: describing how professional writers manage their skills and knowledge; improving documents‟ communicative impact; modelling expertise. - Technological advances in writing tools: developing and standardising technological tools for studying and fostering the writing process. This book is an original and interesting presentation of the main research conducted by the COST Action ERN-LWE inside these four areas. I hope that readers will find it interesting and through it they will discover the richness of European writing research and its contribution to broader European social issues.

Handwriting on a tablet screen: Role of visual and proprioceptive feedback in the control of movement by children and adults

Tablets are increasingly being used in schools for a variety of handwriting tasks. Given that the control of handwriting relies on both visual and proprioceptive feedback, especially in younger writers, this raises the question of whether the texture of the tablet surface affects graphomotor execution. A series of recent studies found that when the smoothness of a tablet screen modifies proprioceptive feedback, the impact on graphomotor execution varies according to the level of the writers handwriting skills. However, as the writing on the screen remained visible in these studies, participants may have compensated for the decrease in proprioceptive feedback by relying more heavily on visual information. The aim of the present study was therefore to unravel the respective contributions of different types of sensory feedback during handwriting development and, consequently, the compensatory role of visual information when children and adults have to write on a tablet. To this end, we asked second and fifth graders and adult participants to write letters and pseudowords on a plastic board placed on top of a tablet screen. Participants wrote on either the smooth or the granular side of the plastic board (manipulation of surface friction), and with normal vision or behind a shield that hid the hand and handwriting from direct view (manipulation of vision). Kinematic parameters and legibility were recorded to assess handwriting performances. Results revealed a significant interaction between proprioceptive and visual feedback on letter size, pen speed and legibility, regardless of participants age. Furthermore, reducing the visual and proprioceptive feedback had a greater effect on the childrens handwriting performances than on those of adults. Overall, the present study provides new insight into the contribution of the different types of sensory feedback and their interaction with handwriting development. In addition, our results on the impact of tablet surface on graphomotor execution will serve as useful pointers for improving the design of this tool for children, such as increasing the degree of friction of the screen surface.

List of Volumes

This section contains a list of volumes that have been cited for the book Learning to Write Effectively: Current Trends in European Research . The study of writing from a developmental perspective inquires about the particular ways in which knowledge of writing evolves over time. The term writing, however, has multiple meanings. It can be employed for referring to a cultural practice that fulfills different functions, writing can be used, for example for mnemonic, religious or poetic functions. Moreover, writing is a cultural, institutionally supported practice; children learn to write at school. Their evolving notions about the functions of writing, the way in which they handle the spelling system of their language and their grasp of the different genres of discourse are unavoidably intertwined with schooling. Keywords: mnemonic; spelling system; writing