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DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC LITERACY IN WRITING // Pedagogical Review. 2018. Issue 1 (19). P. 128-134

The article deals with various diagnostic systems in assessing the results of teaching academic writing. The author distinguishes levels of academic writing literacy and sets objectives for each level. The levels are characterized with reference to the Russian educational context. The diagnostic system is dynamic: a student moves from stage to stage starting with comprehension of academic writing functioning in Russia, following to application of writing requirement in study at higher institutions, until (s)he is able to create and present new knowledge in an autonomous research. The article touches upon different approaches to assessing academic writing results, for instance, ‘genre’ approach and ‘cognitive taxonomy’ approach, known also as ‘study skills’ and ‘academic literacies’ approaches, respectively. The suggested diagnostic system employs cognitive objectives to assess level of critical thinking in writing. To achieve the objectives, the syllabus is designed with the focus on Russian education realia, developing intrinsic and professional motivation through the theoretical part, reference to the real-life examples and their analysis. Consequently, the diagnostic system, first, establishes students’ study needs in the learning field. The genre in this system is the means, not the aims of assessment, as the focus is on the development of critical thinking in writing.

Keywords: level of writing, academic literacy, diagnostic assessment, cognitive learning objectives