| Teacher-student writing conferences are an important part of many college composition courses because they allow teachers to intervene during the writing process and help students overcome difficulties with their writing. My dissertation will contribute to an increased understanding of how teacher response affects student revision from the context of writing conferences. Using Conversation Analysis, this case study addressed the following questions: (1) What is the relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication in writing conferences? and (2) How do verbal and nonverbal communication in writing conferences affect student and teacher reactions and textual changes in student papers?; Participants were two experienced composition instructors and two students per instructor. Data analyzed include audio and videotapes of conferences, observations of conferences and class sessions, interviews with participants before and after conferences, logs where participants recorded reactions to conferences, and essay drafts written before and after conferences.; By analyzing the nature and effect of both verbal and nonverbal communication in writing conferences, this study can provide teachers with a better awareness of how these communicative patterns impact students' understanding and ultimately lead to textual changes. To date, studies examining conferences have largely focused on verbal communication (e.g., Black, Newkirk, Walker). However, sociological research has shown that a high percentage of meaning in two-person conversations is communicated nonverbally (e.g. Gardner, Kendon). To better understand and assess the success of writing conferences, nonverbal communication needs to be considered along with verbal communication. Although exchange of information occurs mostly through talk, other kinds of meaning such as acknowledgement or confusion are communicated nonverbally. This dissertation focuses on the concept of directives and how teachers provide instructions for student revisions. It also breaks down the types of questions teachers and students ask to elicit more information from each other. In addition, it addresses one type of conversational mechanism---repair---in order to analyze how teachers and students negotiate meaning. Understanding these communicative patterns will lay the groundwork for conference practices in which composition teachers and students can communicate more actively and effectively while working together to improve student writing. |
