THE "POWER" OF TEXT PRODUCTION ACTIVITY IN COLLABORATIVE MODELING : NINE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE A COMPUTER SUPPORTED SITUATION WORK

Language is not a direct translation of a speaker’s or writer’s knowledge or intentions. Various complex processes and strategies are involved in serving the needs of the audience: planning the message, describing some features of a model and not others, organizing an argument, adapting to the knowledge of the reader, meeting linguistic constraints, etc. As a consequence, when communicating about a model, or about knowledge, there is a complex interaction between knowledge and language. In this contribution, we address the question of the role of language in modeling, in the specific case of collaboration over a distance, via electronic exchange of written textual information. What are the problems/dimensions a language user has to deal with when communicating a (mental) model? What is the relationship between the nature of the knowledge to be communicated and linguistic production? What is the relationship between representations and produced text? In what sense can interactive learning systems serve as mediators or as obstacles to these processes

ACCESSING REFERENTIAL INFORMATION DURING TEXT COMPOSITION : WHEN AND WHY ?

When composing a text, writers have to continually shift between content planning and content translating. This continuous shifting gives the writing activity its cyclic nature. The first section of this paper will analyse the writing process as a hierarchical cyclic activity. A methodological paradigm will be proposed for the investigation of the writing process. In the second section, we will partially present two experiments that were conducted independently, with this paradigm. Both give a coherent and interesting picture of what happens with content while the writer is planning. The characteristics of cycles depend both on the nature of the content information being recovered and on the complexity of the processes applied to this content

Rédiger contre son opinion : des étudiants avancés en communication peuvent-il faire abstraction de leurs connaissances du domaine ?

Dix-sept étudiants québécois en communication, des premier et deuxième cycles universitaires à l’Université de Sherbrooke, se sont prêtés à l’exercice d’écrire deux rédactions sur un même sujet, la menace pesant sur l’environnement, après avoir lu deux sources documentaires contradictoires traitant de l’économie et l’environnement : « Gaz à effet de serre : le grand responsable, c'est l'homme » (528 mots) ; « Changements climatiques : la mise au point de nouvelles technologies » (551 mots). Les participants, dont la formation comprend une composante sur l’apprentissage de l’écriture en situation professionnelle, étaient invités à rédiger successivement deux textes en adoptant le rôle d’un rédacteur professionnel travaillant soit pour l’association Amis de la Terre (défense du point de vue écologique), soit pour la société BioPétrole (défense du point de vue industriel). Le temps de rédaction était libre mais la longueur de la rédaction imposée (2 pages manuscrites). La consultation des sources documentaires n’était pas autorisée pendant la rédaction (mais la consultation des notes de lecture l’était) et l’intégration d’idées personnelles encouragée. Cet article s'intéresse à la temporalité de l’écriture et à l’existence de certaines traces textuelles lorsqu’un rédacteur est amené à soutenir deux points de vue contraires sur une même réalité qu’il connai

Differences in Attitudes Toward Reading: A Survey of Pupils in Grades 5 to 8

Recent research on literacy has highlighted the impact of affective factors on learning to read. Among these factors, attitudes toward reading have been clearly shown to influence the development of reading skills and academic success. Nevertheless, differences in children’s attitudes across schooling have yet to be properly documented, especially for the French language and the transition between elementary and secondary education. In this cross-sectional study, our goal was to gauge the attitudes of French-speaking pupils across this transitional period. We therefore administered a computer-based questionnaire to 469 pupils in Grades 5 to 8 in Quebec (Canada), to gather their views about leisure reading and academic reading. Results showed that their stated attitudes toward reading remained stable across the final 2 years of elementary school, as well as across the first 2 years of middle school, but differences were observed for the transition from one education level to the next, with stated attitudes toward reading being less positive in the latter. This effect, which was observed for both leisure and academic reading, concerned girls and boys alike. We discuss possible explanations for these differences in reading attitudes at this juncture in children’s schooling

Argumenter pour ou contre son opinion

Cette recherche évalue comment des étudiants en communication professionnelle peuvent composer un texte argumentatif en faisant abstraction de leurs convictions personnelles. L’analyse des arguments produits montre que l’accent est mis sur l’ethos et le pathos plutôt que sur le logos, pour influencer le lecteur par l’identification et les émotions. Des pistes didactiques pour amener les étudiants à se détacher de leurs propres opinions sont proposées en conclusion.This research assesses how well students in professional communication succeed in writing an argumentative essay without introducing their personal beliefs. Content analysis shows that the emphasis is put on ethos and pathos rather than on logos, so as to influence the reader by appealing to his/her identification and emotions. Educational guidelines, designed to help students temper their own opinions, are proposed in conclusion.Este artículo se refiere a la investigación que evalúa de qué manera los estudiantes en redacción profesional pueden escribir un texto argumentativo, haciendo abstracción de sus propias convicciones. El análisis de los argumentos expresados evidencia que el énfasis está puesto más bien en los ethos y pathos que en los logos, para influenciar al lector a través de la identificación y las emociones. En la conclusión del artículo, se proponen enfoques didácticos a fin de encaminar a los estudiantes a que tomen distancia de sus propias opiniones

Through the models of writing: Ten years after and vision for the future

International audienceno abstrac

Through the models of writing

International audienc

Mémoire de travail et production écrite : quelques modèles récents et bilan des premiers travaux

International audienc

Through the models of writing: Ten years after and vision for the future

International audienceno abstrac