The role of feedback literacy in written corrective feedback research : from feedback information to feedback ecology

Research on written corrective feedback (WCF) has received sustained interest in the field of second language acquisition and language education. This viewpoint article extends the theoretical and conceptual discussion on WCF research by introducing the notions of “feedback literacy” and “feedback ecology”. In this article, I first review three strands of WCF research. Then, I argue for the need to shift the focus of our investigation from feedback information (focusing on impact of feedback), to feedback process (focusing on learners “and teachers” perception of feedback), to feedback ecology (focusing on learners’ and teachers’ engagement of feedback and influences of such engagement). Putting forward a “feedback ecology” conceptual framework that is informed by Ecological Systems Theory, Actor-network Theory, and Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, I suggest three research tasks for future WCF studies, highlighting the affordances of qualitative research methodologies such as narrative inquiry.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Bringing light to a hidden genre : the peer review report

While early career researchers (ECRs) often read and produce articles for peer reviewed journals, they are less familiar with peer review reports (PRRs). Most ECRs learn about the genre of PRRs by reading reports on their own manuscripts and through hands-on experience crafting their own, often with little guidance or exposure to exemplars. To demystify this ‘hidden’ academic genre, this article reports on a genre analysis of 62 ‘quality’ PRRs, focusing on their communicative purposes, and the structural, content, and linguistic elements that serve to support those purposes. Findings show that the central role of the PRR is to elicit various actions on the part of manuscript authors. Other functions serve to circumvent manuscript author’s potential negative emotional response to PRRs, and this is also seen in limited use of high modality verbs and emotional language. PRRs follow a fairly uniform structure, and focus on all elements of the manuscript, with most attention given to the methods section. The paper provides numerous practical examples that provide a practical guide to support writing pedagogies related to important academic practice.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Learner engagement with written corrective feedback in ESL and EFL contexts : a qualitative research synthesis using a perception-based framework

Although research on the efficacy of written corrective feedback has received considerable attention in recent years, there is a dearth of research on learner engagement with written corrective feedback. Understanding how language learners engage with written corrective feedback is high on the agenda of feedback research because it provides a broadened perspective that feedback uptake is only one form of engagement, and that engagement with written corrective feedback is influenced by myriad contextual and individual factors. To narrow the research gap, this qualitative research synthesis examines learner engagement with written corrective feedback in English writing contexts through the lens of ecological systems theory and a perception-based framework. Focusing on 14 articles, relevant information was extracted and synthesised following three iterative stages informed by grounded theory to identify common engagement patterns and clarify relationships between factors affecting how learners engage with written corrective feedback. The results reveal the dynamic, contextualised and individualised nature of learner engagement with written corrective feedback. Pedagogical implications for practitioners are discussed to address the lingering issues around learner engagement with written corrective feedback.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A critical review of design features of LMOOCs

This project is funded by the Teaching Development Grant, the Education University of Hong Kong (T0226).There has been an exponential growth in Language Massive Open Online Courses (LMOOCs) in the past decade. LMOOCs have also become an emergent and topical area of research in CALL, in particular, vis-a-vis learners’ perceptions and experiences. However, not much attention has been paid to analysing the features of LMOOCs. We argue that a systematic investigation of LMOOC design features is vital, especially in light of recent criticisms by some CALL and language education scholars regarding the incompatibility between LMOOC designs and language teaching and learning theories and methodologies. This systematic review, which employs Hall’s (2013) framework of web-based instruction, addresses this gap by analysing instructional and assessment features of 100 LMOOCs on edX and Coursera. The synthesised findings suggest three strengths of LMOOCs: Most LMOOCs are introductory, suitable for beginning language learners (directionality). Most are easy to navigate because of their consistency in format and features. And most employ a range of multimodal instructional materials (multimodality). Three limitations are also identified: There are few opportunities for instructor-learner and learner-learner interaction (interactivity) and learner-centred, formative assessments (accountability). Besides, LMOOCs are designed with a prescribed learning sequence without addressing individual learner differences (adaptability). Based on our analysis, practical suggestions for LMOOC developers are discussed. Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Inhaled foreign bodies: children with peanut in airway

Foreign body aspiration is a common problem in young children. Many patients present after a significant delay despite having a witnessed choking event. Moreover, their presentations may mimic other common respiratory problems like pneumonia or asthma. It is extremely important to be attentive to history taking and clinical signs that may indicate early bronchoscopy to confirm the diagnosis.published_or_final_versio

Thermodynamical Metrics and Black Hole Phase Transitions

An important phase transition in black hole thermodynamics is associated with the divergence of the specific heat with fixed charge and angular momenta, yet one can demonstrate that neither Ruppeiner's entropy metric nor Weinhold's energy metric reveals this phase transition. In this paper, we introduce a new thermodynamical metric based on the Hessian matrix of several free energy. We demonstrate, by studying various charged and rotating black holes, that the divergence of the specific heat corresponds to the curvature singularity of this new metric. We further investigate metrics on all thermodynamical potentials generated by Legendre transformations and study correspondences between curvature singularities and phase transition signals. We show in general that for a system with n-pairs of intensive/extensive variables, all thermodynamical potential metrics can be embedded into a flat (n,n)-dimensional space. We also generalize the Ruppeiner metrics and they are all conformal to the metrics constructed from the relevant thermodynamical potentials.Comment: Latex, 25 pages, reference added, typos corrected, English polished and the Hawking-Page phase transition clarified; to appear in JHE

Conservation genomics reveals possible illegal trade routes and admixture across pangolin lineages in Southeast Asia

The use of genome-wide genetic markers is an emerging approach for informing evidence-based management decisions for highly threatened species. Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammals across illegal wildlife trade globally, but critically endangered Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) have not been widely studied in insular Southeast Asia. We used > 12,000 single nucleotide polymorphic markers (SNPs) to assign pangolin seizures from illegal trade of unknown origin to possible geographic sources via genetic clustering with pangolins of known origin. Our SNPs reveal three previously unrecognized genetic lineages of Sunda pangolins, possibly from Borneo, Java and Singapore/Sumatra. The seizure assignments suggest the majority of pangolins were traded from Borneo to Java. Using mitochondrial markers did not provide the same resolution of pangolin lineages, and to explore if admixture might explain these differences, we applied sophisticated tests of introgression using > 2000 SNPs to investigate secondary gene flow between each of the three Sunda pangolin lineages. It is possible the admixture which we discovered is due to human-mediated movements of pangolins. Our findings impact a range of conservation actions, including tracing patterns of trade, repatriation of rescue animals, and conservation breeding. In order to conserve genetic diversity, we suggest that, pending further research, each pangolin lineage should as a precaution be protected and managed as an evolutionarily distinct conservation unit

Discovery of a ROCK inhibitor, FPND, which prevents cerebral hemorrhage through maintaining vascular integrity by interference with VE-cadherin

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Site-specific incorporation of phosphotyrosine using an expanded genetic code.

Access to phosphoproteins with stoichiometric and site-specific phosphorylation status is key to understanding the role of protein phosphorylation. Here we report an efficient method to generate pure, active phosphotyrosine-containing proteins by genetically encoding a stable phosphotyrosine analog that is convertible to native phosphotyrosine. We demonstrate its general compatibility with proteins of various sizes, phosphotyrosine sites and functions, and reveal a possible role of tyrosine phosphorylation in negative regulation of ubiquitination

The Entropy for General Extremal Black Holes

We use the Kerr/CFT correspondence to calculate the entropy for all known extremal stationary and axisymmetric black holes. This is done with the help of two ansatzs that are general enough to cover all such known solutions. Considering only the contribution from the Einstein-Hilbert action to the central charge(s), we find that the entropy obtained by using Cardy's formula exactly matches with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.Comment: Minor corrections, section 5 refined, references added