Neuroscience in Writing Assessment: A Translation

A Case Study on a Student with Learning Disability

By Carol Lam

Writing is conceived as the preparation of a message and its conversion into a graphic form (Planton et al., 2013). Cognitive neural scientists normally disentangle the complicated writing networks into a series of writing-specific and related components to examine the function of a distinct region in the writing process. Although most of the studies focus on single-word/character writing, recent meta-analyses of the writing brain, summarized from both neural imaging research and legion studies, have revealed more comprehensive results that can be translated into functional writing implemented in classrooms. Students with a learning disability in reading or writing can benefit from neuroscience findings in the assessment of their disability areas and the design of an effective intervention to address the underdeveloped ability. Compared to the traditional assessment method of counting correct sequences and word frequency, it is believed that an assessment based on examination of neural functions can better assess the student’s ability and/or disability areas in writing.

An assessment based on examination of neural functions can better assess the student’s ability and/or disability areas in writing.

This research aims to bridge the gap between cognitive neuroscience and writing assessment for students with learning disabilities. Based on scientific data, the researcher identified five categories of writing ability. Each is described in three sub-levels from severe disability, mild to moderate disability, to general ability. The five categories include semantic concepts, working memory, planning and inhibition, graphic conversion, and motor production. The assessment scale will be examined on one writing sample from a student with reading and writing disability. Drawn on multiple cognitive educational models, corresponding intervention strategies will be suggested.

Reference

Planton, S., Jucla, M., Roux, F., & Démonet, J. (2013). The "handwriting brain": A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies of motor versus orthographic processes. Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior, 49(10), 2772-87.