What skills are being assessed? Evaluating L2 Chinese essays written by hand and on a computer keyboard

Abstract

As writing on computers has become increasingly common in L2 assessment and learning activities, it is crucial to understand the mediation effects induced by the computer on writing performance and to compare them with those of handwriting. This is especially important for L2 Chinese learning, given that handwriting characters has been claimed to play an essential role in the development of Chinese literacy. The current study extends the scope of writing modality investigation by examining the linguistic, metadiscourse, and organizational properties of handwritten and typed essays by L2 Chinese learners. Furthermore, predictors of holistic ratings of writing quality were identified in the two modes to understand whether the focal points of raters’ evaluations may differ between the two mediums. The results yielded moderate to strong evidence about how the two modalities allow for distinct affordances, interact differently with the L2 (i.e., Chinese), and consequently affect writing performance in various dimensions.