Article Review: Improving Undergraduates’ and Postgraduates’ Academic Writing Skills with Strategy Training and Feedback

Introduction:

The article "Improving Undergraduates’ and Postgraduates’ Academic Writing Skills with Strategy Training and Feedback," published in Frontiers in Education, investigates the effectiveness of different writing strategies and feedback types on the academic writing skills of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Authored by Anke Wischgoll from Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, the study provides valuable insights into how structured training and feedback can enhance writing quality.

Summary of Key Points:

The study explores three main writing strategies: text structure application, summarization, and language use. It also examines two types of feedback: informative tutoring feedback and try-again feedback. The research aims to determine whether these strategies and feedback types improve the coherence and overall quality of academic writing among students.

Key findings include:

•  Text Structure Knowledge Application: This strategy positively affects academic writing skills by promoting coherence.

•  Feedback Effectiveness: Undergraduates benefit more from informative tutoring feedback, while postgraduates show greater improvement with try-again feedback.

•  Combination of Strategies and Feedback: The combination of writing strategies and feedback did not significantly enhance text quality beyond the individual effects of each.

Methodology:

The study involved 212 undergraduate and postgraduate students who participated in a 2-hour experimental intervention in a computer-based learning environment. Participants were divided into three groups, each receiving different writing strategy training. After writing an abstract of an empirical article, they received either try-again feedback or informative tutoring feedback while revising their drafts. The researchers used analyses of covariance to assess the impact of these interventions on writing skills and text quality.

Discussion and Implications:

The findings suggest that tailored writing strategy training and feedback can significantly improve academic writing skills. For educators, this means that implementing specific training programs and providing appropriate feedback can help students develop better writing habits. The study also highlights the importance of differentiating feedback based on the students' academic levels to maximize its effectiveness.

Conclusion:

Overall, the article makes a significant contribution to the field of educational psychology by demonstrating the benefits of strategy training and feedback in improving academic writing skills. The thorough methodology and clear presentation of results enhance the credibility of the study. These insights can inform the development of more effective writing support programs in higher education.

Personal Reflection:

As a reader, I found the article to be well-structured and informative. The authors effectively contextualize their findings within the broader literature on academic writing and feedback. This article is a valuable resource for educators and researchers looking to enhance the writing skills of undergraduate and postgraduate students.