While writing in her electronic portfolio, KaiYu reported that she enjoyed keeping a diary
and writing anecdotes the most. She noted, “I like to write the diary entries in my portfolio.
It’s a good way to express myself, and I do like to do this…” (openended questionnaire,
06/06/2005). When she was writing, she used a few strategies. First, she used planning as a
metacognitive strategy. Before she wrote an English sentence, she usually brainstormed in
her mind some tentative sentences. Then, she picked out the best one and wrote it down. In
addition, when she wrote an essay, she stated that she drew an outline so that she knew what
to write for each paragraph (2
nd
interview, 05/03/2005). Second, she used resourcing as a
cognitive strategy. When she could not think of the right word in English, she usually
referred to reference materials such as dictionaries and textbooks. She explained that “When
I can not write the word in English, I usually consult with my electronic dictionary or
classmates” (2
nd
interview, 05/03/2005). Third, she used goalsetting as a metacognitive
strategy. She set a goal that she would learn how to write better by reading some good essays
(2
nd
interview, 05/03/2005). Finally, she used elaboration of prior knowledge as a cognitive
strategy. She used her background knowledge when writing essays in her electronic
portfolio. For example, she commented, “…before I do the portfolio, I always review the
readings in the textbook. Then, I connect the readings to my experience and think of some