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Error, Errors, Everywhere
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To Err is Human, to Not have to Correct Errors is Fabulous...
Paul Hagood
LBCC English Dept.
(Return to Tips and Techniques)
One question that most of us face is how much energy we should put into correcting student writing. You'll be happy to know that most research says - none!
Students don't learn much when we correct their writing for them. They just get used to thinking of us as proofreaders who are here to serve them.
This is certainly not to say that we should ignore student errors, however. Here are some ways that we've found to be effective strategies (you can pick the ones that appeal to you):
1. Circle the errors you see and require students to fix them before you record their grade. You can either ask them to correct it on the paper you return so that you can see the corrections, or you can ask them to highlight the changes in a new version.
Alternately, you can give them a provisional grade and give them the option to revise the errors and/or to improve the content.
2. Give them a grade for content and a grade for writing, and blend them using whatever weighting combination you want (75% content/25% writing, 90% content/10% writing etc) to get a final grade. You can either let that be the final grade, or you can let them revise. Ask them to either find and fix the errors themselves, or to take it to the Writing Desk to have some of their error patterns pointed out to them.
PLEASE NOTE: The Writing Desk is not a proofreading service. They will not fix your students' errors for them. They will give advice on content, organization, detail and development, introductions, and so on. They can also point out some patterns of errors they see in a student's paper - comma problems, spelling problems, capitalization problems - and suggest ways the student can fix them using a handbook.
3. Indicate in your syllabus what your writing expectations are so that students either wait to take it until they've brushed up their writing skills, or take a writing class concurrently with yours. For example, we tell students on the first day of our literature classes (and in the catalog) that college-level writing skills (passing WR 121) are strongly recommended in order to succeed in the class. We don't call it a prerequisite, but we tell them pretty clearly that they need to write well. You can decide what level they need for your class - to be able to write clear sentences and spell correctly, to be able to write a clear paragraph in response to a short essay question, etc.
4. Give your students who need extra help with some aspect of writing an assignment (for credit) to visit one of these other campus resources to get some additional help:
The Writing and Study Skills Lab (located next to the Learning Resource Center)
You can send your students here for a more in-depth review of one aspect of writing (common spelling errors, comma problems, sentence grammar, etc.)
The Support Lab in HO-114
Some students struggle with grammar, spelling, and punctuation because of learning disabilities or other learning obstacles. The Support Lab is designed to help students like this.
MyCompLab
This is an online reference and learning tool that students can use in a self-directed way. The English Department is requiring this resource in most of its writing classes, so many of your students may already have a copy. You can also assign them specific modules to complete, and if you set up a "class" for them the results will be emailed to you.
Students will need their own license to use this site, which they can get in the Bookstore for $15 for one year, or by buying the LB Brief Handbook for $27, including MyCompLab. You can get an instructor's version for yourself by contacting MaryJo Helmreich of Allyn & Bacon/Longman Publishing.
Contact inf
maryjo.helmreich@ablongman.com
503 524-5666
The Computer Writing Lab
If your students are having trouble finding online resources, using Ebscohost for research, or citing and documenting their sources correctly, the Computer Writing Lab in NSH-109 is able to help. It's staffed by English Dept. faculty and staff who can give them personal help and also point them to online resources. Hours are posted outside the door.
Have any other tips or techniques? Send them to us and we'll add them to this page!
Consulting Service Available: if you'd like help implementing any of these tips or techniques, Paul Hagood is available by phone (917-4570) and email ( hagoodp@ml.linnbenton.edu ) for consultation. You might even get email assistance at night or on weekends!
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