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Yahan Chang, Dr. Joseph Cheatle, The Writing and Media Center, Iowa State University, 515 Morrill Rd, Ames IA 50011
The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between Iowa State University’s Writing and Media Center(WMC) and English as an additional language(EAL) students through survey data collection. In the 2019-2020 academic year, the ISU WMC saw 1695 appointments encompassing 545 clients who identified their first/home language as other than English. Although there has been substantial research conducted on EAL students in writing centers across the United States, ISU’s own EAL student body remains a population that needs to be explored further in-depth. This project will explicitly measure the WMC’s effectiveness and delineate EAL student perception of its services. The research results will provide a comprehensive review of EAL student interaction with the WMC - starting from the fundamental usage of its services, previous consultation encounters, preferences for future sessions, and finally their impression of the WMC environment and resources for fellow EAL students. The first focus is to determine EAL student usage of the WMC through demographic questions such as visit frequency and who recommended them. The second objective is to assess the consultation experience and effectiveness by asking questions about the student’s interactions with consultant feedback and writing retention. The third factor examines EAL student preferences such as online versus in-person consultation and hands-on versus hands-off tutoring approaches. The final part concludes with general feedback on the diversity and support of the WMC. This multi-level understanding aims to improve communication between WMC staff and EAL students. The study results will gauge the WMC’s current standing with EAL students, specifically identify sectors that are lacking in support, and provide evidence for future adaptations and resolutions. This study can also promote future research between the WMC and EAL students, and as well as other student populations.
Presenter: Yahan Chang
Institution: Iowa State University
Type: Poster
Subject: Diversity Studies
Status: Approved
