A Study of the Use of Lexical Cohesion in Chinese Postgraduate Writing at a UK University

As a key feature in the creation of coherent texts (Tanskanen, 2006), lexical cohesion is of critical importance for students’ academic performance. Chinese students, whose writing is the subject of this thesis, have been identified as lacking awareness of lexical cohesiveness in English academic writing (Zhang, 2000). In order to inform EAP pedagogy for them, this thesis used a corpus-based approach to conduct in-depth investigations of lexical cohesive devices used in Chinese postgraduates’ writing at a UK university. Based on Halliday and Hasan’s model (1976), an analytical framework for the analysis of lexical cohesion was developed in two corpora, incorporating a new sub-category of lexical cohesive device alongside modifications of existing categories. One corpus consisted of 52 module assignment samples (17,538 words) allocated into four marking-scale groups (failed, pass, merit and distinction), the other corpus comprising 45 dissertation excerpts (19,148 words) divided into five functional-section groups (introduction, literature review, methodology, findings/discussion, and conclusion). Applying this framework, manual analysis of the corpora identified homogeneities of lexical cohesion as context sensitivity, topic-based use of lexical cohesion, dominant use of repetition, and use of modifiers to indicate lexical cohesive relations, suggesting the value of context-based pedagogy and the need to teach complex lexical cohesive devices with exemplars. The results of the ANOVA test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test suggested a significant difference in the use of lexical cohesion between the marking-scale groups due to fewer repetition pairs identified in the merit group, and no statistically significant difference in overall the use of lexical cohesion among the functional-section groups although the function of each section influences the use of certain lexical cohesive devices. Several factors are proposed as influencing the use of lexical cohesion: topic variety, writers’ choice and function of texts, indicating the complexity of both applying and teaching lexical cohesion in academic writing

The Relationship between Rhetorical moves and Lexical Cohesion Patterns; the case of Introduction and Discussion sections of Local and International Research Articles

Communicative moves and lexical cohesion patterns (LCPs), as mounting evidence shows, are two important indicators in writing and publishing the RAs. However, the interaction between these two crucial elements and the contribution of this interaction to the failure or success of the RAs have not been given due attention to date. Having this in mind and based on a sound theoretical framework, attempt was made to find the possible interaction between the generic moves and LCPs centralized within such moves. To this end, Swales' (1990) and Kanoksilapatham (2007) move analytical models and Hoey's (1991) LCPs model were drawn upon in the analysis of 40 local RAs written by Iranian writers and 40 RAs written in international journals across sub-disciplines of Applied Linguistics. Results of the move analysis showed no significant differences regarding the obligatory moves of Introduction section across the two corpora; however, significant differences in Discussion section were revealed. Findings of the interaction between moves and LCPs indicated that there are significant differences between local and international RAs in the use of M1 of Introduction as well as M2 and M4 of Discussion sections and the way LCPs are manipulated within these moves. As long as the interaction of these two linguistic and rhetorical features were concerned, at least four possibilities were observed across local and international journals which are thought to determine, among other factors, where these academic genres might be different; similar moves, similar LCPs; different moves, different LCPs; similar moves, different LCPs; and different moves, similar LCPs

SEARCHING BASED ON QUERY DOCUMENTS

Searches can start with query documents where search queries are formulated based on document-level descriptions. This type of searches is more common in domain-specific search environments. For example, in patent retrieval, one major search task is finding relevant information for new (query) patents, and search queries are generated from the query patents One unique characteristic of this search is that the search process can take longer and be more comprehensive, compared to general web search. As an example, to complete a single patent retrieval task, a typical user may generate 15 queries and examine more than 100 retrieved documents. In these search environments, searchers need to formulate multiple queries based on query documents that are typically complex and difficult to understand. In this work, we describe methods for automatically generating queries and diversifying search results based on query documents, which can be used for query vi suggestion and for improving the quality of retrieval results. In particular, we focus on resolving three main issues related to query document-based searches: (1) query generation, (2) query suggestion and formulation, and (3) search result diversification. Automatic query generation helps users by reducing the burden of formulating queries from query documents. Using generated queries as suggestions is investigated as a method of presenting alternative queries. Search result diversification is important in domain-specific search because of the nature of the query documents. Since query documents generally contain long complex descriptions, diverse query topics can be identified, and a range of relevant documents can be found that are related to these diverse topics. The proposed methods we study in this thesis explicitly address these three issues. To solve the query generation issue, we use binary decision trees to generate effective Boolean queries and labeling propagation to formulate more effective phrasal-concept queries. In order to diversify search results, we propose two different approaches: query-side and result-level diversification. To generate diverse queries, we identify important topics from query documents and generate queries based on the identified topics. For result-level diversification, we extract query topics from query documents, and apply state-of-the-art diversification algorithms based on the extracted topics. In addition, we devise query suggestion techniques for each query generation method. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we conduct experiments for various domain-specific search tasks, and devise appropriate evaluation measures for domain-specific search environments

The painted portrait

None provided

The Play of Visually Impaired Preschoolers With Their Mothers

This thesis answers the following questions: (a) Is the Play Assessment Scale a true measure of development? (b) Does the mother have a significant, positive influence on the child\u27s level of development? (c) Does the mother\u27s interactional style influence the child\u27s development as measured by the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory? The subjects were 13 visually impaired preschoolers. Development was measured with the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Maternal interactional style was assessed with the Parent / Caregiver Involvement Scale. The study indicated that the Play Assessment Scale is a valid, reliable measure of development in the preschool child. Mother was able to significantly raise the child\u27s developmental level through play. And, maternal interaction style appeared to be sensitive to the child\u27s level of development . To highlight the developmental importance of interaction in the context of play, an interactive paradigm was used to answer the three questions posed by the study

CE 615 Syllabus: Group Theory and Practice

In this course students are introduced to the theory and practice of group counseling. The course will provide students with an academic/theoretical overview of groups and group work as well as the opportunity to develop group leadership skills through experiential learning activities

CE 615 Syllabus: Group Therapy and Practice

In this course students are introduced to the theory and practice of group counseling. The course will provide students with an academic/theoretical overview of groups and group work as well as the opportunity to develop group leadership skills through experiential learning activities

CE 615 Syllabus: Group Therapy and Practice

In this course students are introduced to the theory and practice of group counseling. The course will provide students with an academic/theoretical overview of groups and group work as well as the opportunity to develop group leadership skills through experiential learning activities

The Importance of Education in Self-Care in Social Care Work Programmes for the Professionalisation of Social Care Work

This article outlines approaches to self-care in a third level social care programme in Ireland with a view to establishing and maintaining a social care worker’s well-being in line with requirements by CORU, as part of the professionalisation of social care work. It explores the importance of self-care for social care work practice, the challenges which can impact a worker’s wellbeing, the CORU Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers (SCWRB 2017b) related to the self and self-care and the functions and theories associated with experiential group work. It then further considers how group work approaches can prepare a student for professional practice, especially in relation to common difficulties, such as burnout, lack of support and workplace violence. Helpful educational supports for self-care and resilience are also outlined

Examining Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Microblogging-Based Learning Environments

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of the study is to provide foundational research to exemplify how knowledge construction takes place in microblogging-based learning environments, to understand learner interaction representing the knowledge construction process, and to analyze learner perception, thereby suggesting a model of delivery for microblogging. Background: Up-and-coming digital native learners crave the real-time, multimedia, global-interconnectedness of microblogging, yet there has been limited research that specifically proposes a working model of Twitter\u27s classroom integration for designers and practitioners without bundling it in with other social media tools. Methodology: This semester-long study utilized a case-study research design via a multi-dimensional approach in a hybrid classroom with both face-to-face and online environments. Tweets were collected from four types of activities and coded based on content within their contextual setting. Twenty-four college students participated in the study. Contribution: The findings shed light on the process of knowledge construction in microblogging and reveal key types of knowledge manifested during learning activities. The study also proposes a model for delivering microblogging to formal learning environments applicable to various contexts for designers and practitioners. Findings: There are distinct learner interaction patterns representing the process of knowledge construction in microblogging activities ranging from low-order to high-order cognitive tasks. Students generally were in favor of the Twitter integration in this study. Recommendations for Practitioners: The three central activities (exploring hashtags, discussion topics, and participating in live chats) along with the backchannel activity formulate a working model that represents the sequential process of Twitter integration into classrooms. Impact on Society: Microblogging allows learners omnichannel access while hashtags can filter the global noise down to meaningful bytes of information to target formal and informal learning. When shared amongst global users for participatory communication, it gives access to collaborative knowledge. This study gives practitioners and designers a working model to leverage microblogging and connect to their tech-savvy learners for more connected learning. Future Research: Future research may include experiments of this proposed model for delivering microblogging in: prolonged studies; compared to other microblogging methodologies; in non-hybrid delivery models such as asynchronous-only; in other academic or professional disciplines; or in other educational age ranges