“Student Perceptions of Writing Instruction: Twitter as a Tool for Pedagogical Growth”

by Sarah Lonelodge and Katie Rieger | Xchanges 15.1, Spring 2020

Findings/Discussion

We identified two overarching categories of tweets: instructor-focused and student-focused. The tweet’s identification of the source of concern, issue, event, or other topic created the distinction between these categories. Instructor-focused tweets discussed specific ways an instructor presented a concept or taught in general, indicated that the professor is the audience for student writing, discussed feedback or comments, or mentioned some aspect of the topic of the assigned writing. Student-focused tweets discussed the student’s perspectives on writing including giving minimal effort, taking responsibility for incomplete work, and the student’s confidence as a writer. While the tweets in this latter category are worthwhile as data for future research, our goal of improving pedagogy calls our attention to instructor-focused tweets.

In the following sections, we discuss four major themes identified in instructor-focused tweets: Teaching Methods, Professor as Audience, Feedback, and Topics. Within each of these subcategories, we further categorize the tweets into the stage of the writing process (before, during, after, not) and the perceived attitude (positive or negative).

Teaching Methods

The most common subcategory of tweets, Teaching Methods, encompassed a range of issues, including how professors explain assignments, lengths of writing, timing and time between assignments, and more. Generally, tweets provided some insight into what students value and find frustrating in how their professors teach.

Before

In the subset of tweets that we coded as occurring before writing began, an indication of positive and negative experiences with receiving assignments and being taught or told how to write them is apparent (see Table 4).

Tweets coded as positive discussed ways the professor taught concepts, referred to the professor’s use of fun, humorous, and/or interesting explanations, clear language, and other positive experiences that increased learning, thus a clearly positive or appreciative tone was apparent in regard to the way the instructor taught. Students discussed valuing or finding humor in these methods. Although intention is difficult to pinpoint, students at least seemed to enjoy this part of the writing process as a result of the instructor’s teaching practices, explanations, and policies.

In tweets coded as negative, the students expressed frustration at the instructor’s inability to explain the prompt or assignment well enough for the student to understand the purpose and/or requirements of it. Particularly annoying for students was the professor’s reference to writing assignments of six to ten pages as minimal work and/or scheduling assignments that overlapped or immediately followed one another or that were to be completed during a school break.

During

Tweets posted during writing often indicated the impact of a professor’s methods on the student’s perception of their current writing project.

After

Tweets indicating that a writing project was complete often focused on teaching methods related to sequencing and scaffolding or moving due dates but also indicated that students desired validation for their work.

Not

Tweets that connected the professor’s methods to not writing indicated several important pedagogical aspects to consider.

Professor as Audience

Tweets that indicated student perceptions of the instructor were also prominent. The Professor-as-Audience subcategory consists of tweets that show students’ awareness of their professors and how this impacts their writing and process, including the professor’s identity, political views, likes/dislikes, and more as potential barriers and/or supports for their writing.

Before

During

Not

Feedback

Tweets focusing on feedback indicated a number of practices that students found helpful and/or problematic. Due to the nature of feedback as a practice, tweets in this subcategory occurred only after writing was completed.

Topics

The final subcategory addressed topics assigned for essays.

Before

During