Learning to Read and Write Argumentative Text by Observation of Peer Learners

Abstract

This chapter offers a theoretical and empirical comparison of ‘learning by doing’ and learning-by observation, applied to the field of reading and writing. Participants are fifteen-year old high school students, who followed one of a series of experimental courses on composition and/or comprehension of argumentative text.

The effect study focuses on observational learning, as opposed to a more traditional ‘learning by doing’ pedagogy. In two experimental groups, students (15 y.) observed either writing or reading activities performed by age-group students. Observations were made by means of authentic videotape recordings. It was the observer’s task to compare and evaluate the activities of the observed students. These two instructional programs were compared with two more conventional (control) programs in which participants learned to read or write by applying theory in exercises. Intra-modal learning as well as inter-modal transfer results were assessed for both writing and reading.

Results show that this type of observational learning was more effective than ‘learning by doing’. Learning effects for the observation groups surpassed the results for the matching ‘learning by doing’ groups. Moreover, learning to write by observation appeared to be more efficient since the experimental writing subjects more readily transferred their increased writer’s knowledge to reading tasks.