Written composition process, evaluation difficulties and modalities: an experimental study

The underlying processes used in written compositions are currently a very interesting subject. Participants in this study were 326 people between 10 and 16 years of age, divided into two groups and compared by means of a writing log. One group was provided assistance in the writing task by means of a graphic organiser, whilst the other was not given any help. Each of these groups is divided into two subgroups and evaluated with a time interval register, with an average interval temporal range of 45 seconds for one group and 90 seconds for the other, marked by a beep sound during the writing task (Kellogg's procedure). The pupils must register their activity in the process categories when the beep is heard. The results indicated that both the recording interval and the presence of the graphic organiser alter the processes in writing-time (time and order), while there was no effect of text genre. The educational implications relevant to the study are discussed. Keywords: Written Composition, Cognitive Processes, Writing Log, Graphic Organiser, Written Processes