next »

[wellfleet]

When I grade a pile of essays that betrays widespread inattention to style, I often grab bits from 6-10 of them, and use those in an exercise where students work in pairs or groups to explore possible revisions and then explain their choices to the class. I am always careful to point out that the examples come from a wide range of essays, and we discuss the strengths of each passage as we explore revisions and refinements. I find it an effective way to encourage students to be more thoughtful about their prose style.

[wilbrish]

As stated above, I believe this must be done tactfully. If you say, "What's going on here? So many of these papers are bad," the class may turn against you.  I know that's not what you are talking about, though.

[wellfleet]

"I know we've all got a lot going on, and it's hard to find the time to craft your language as well as you might like, but the ability to write great prose will be one of your most marketable skills after college.  Let's spend a little time together figuring out how you can better present your ideas!"

[litdawg]

I dislike giving blanket feedback, but I will hit the highlights of trends. When I generalize, I make it a point to have a few different categories of students. Like others have said, if you don't, all of the conscientious students will freak out and think you are only talking to them.

[betty_p]

I do it all the time. If there's a pervasive error, I'll note it in the margins of individual papers and then devote a 10-minute lecture to clarify best practices. I find that it's more effective to correct the error that way than to approach it case by case.

If I approach it case by case, the individual students tend to think of it more as a matter of their own personal voice, and who-the-hell-does-she-think-she-is-to-tell-me-how-I-should-express-myself. When I frame it as a common error that many folks make, they seem to be more amenable to correcting it.

Mostly I'm talking sentence fragments, misuses of the term "begging the question," comma splices, and misunderstanding of the difference between "opinion" and "argument." After the first assignment in one of my classes I usually have to define the term "bias," also.

And when I teach Hawthorne I usually have to make a blanket statement about the ways in which his language differs from Old English.

[polly_mer]

As stated above, I believe this must be done tactfully. If you say, "What's going on here? So many of these papers are bad," the class may turn against you.  I know that's not what you are talking about, though.

Yes.  As Dochalladay wrote, framing is everything.  I use the framing as "I see some people could benefit from more practice in X, Y, and Z.  Let's review X, Y, and Z and then do an exercise to practice so you'll be ready next time you encounter X, Y, and Z."

Zuzu_ is right that framing as "This assignment was too hard" gives whiners ammunition.  Framing as helping the students because you the teacher are so goshdarned invested in helping everyone succeed that you'll give out a few points for trying again with a bit more explanation in the pocket works pretty well.

[anakin]

As stated above, I believe this must be done tactfully. If you say, "What's going on here? So many of these papers are bad," the class may turn against you.  I know that's not what you are talking about, though.

Yes.  As Dochalladay wrote, framing is everything.  I use the framing as "I see some people could benefit from more practice in X, Y, and Z.  Let's review X, Y, and Z and then do an exercise to practice so you'll be ready next time you encounter X, Y, and Z."

Zuzu_ is right that framing as "This assignment was too hard" gives whiners ammunition.  Framing as helping the students because you the teacher are so goshdarned invested in helping everyone succeed that you'll give out a few points for trying again with a bit more explanation in the pocket works pretty well.

Different perspective. Sometimes, if well-framed, "yep, that assignment was too hard" can be a mea culpa that disarms both parties. I did it once after I wrote a test that only in hindsight was just way too hard. The class bombed it, they were demoralized. I went in the day after they got their results back and said, "Yep. That test was too hard." There was an audible relaxation to all three sections. I got little pushback; I don't recall anyone using it as ammunition (500+ students that semester).

That's probably a big gun you pull out once a semester, tops, and only when it's clear that it's not just a case of a smaller group not mastering 2 or 3 concepts or ideas.

But the use of blanket feedback - as polly and others have said, well-framed - is a demonstrably useful learning tool for students. Especially if you write assignments specifically to evoke a certain common mistake so that students can see what that mistake looks like and learn how to correct it in your class.

[polly_mer]

As stated above, I believe this must be done tactfully. If you say, "What's going on here? So many of these papers are bad," the class may turn against you.  I know that's not what you are talking about, though.

Yes.  As Dochalladay wrote, framing is everything.  I use the framing as "I see some people could benefit from more practice in X, Y, and Z.  Let's review X, Y, and Z and then do an exercise to practice so you'll be ready next time you encounter X, Y, and Z."

Zuzu_ is right that framing as "This assignment was too hard" gives whiners ammunition.  Framing as helping the students because you the teacher are so goshdarned invested in helping everyone succeed that you'll give out a few points for trying again with a bit more explanation in the pocket works pretty well.

Different perspective. Sometimes, if well-framed, "yep, that assignment was too hard" can be a mea culpa that disarms both parties. I did it once after I wrote a test that only in hindsight was just way too hard. The class bombed it, they were demoralized. I went in the day after they got their results back and said, "Yep. That test was too hard." There was an audible relaxation to all three sections. I got little pushback; I don't recall anyone using it as ammunition (500+ students that semester).

I suppose this depends on the students and what is being taught.  You know as well as I do that some classes are going to have large numbers of students bomb tests even though the test and preparation on the teacher part are right.  Telling those people that you as instructor made something too hard upon further review is just pouring gasoline over yourself and handing the matches to the students.

Reasonable students with reasonable expectations might let you slide once (my engineers have).  However, students who are looking for reasons to run to the dean in the hopes that they can get an easier instructor shouldn't be handed ammo.  The only thing in those cases is still to frame it as a learning experience (Good try, students!  That was hard!) and give another opportunity to earn comparable points (now try this one that is more your speed where competent is an A). 

[anakin]

As stated above, I believe this must be done tactfully. If you say, "What's going on here? So many of these papers are bad," the class may turn against you.  I know that's not what you are talking about, though.

Yes.  As Dochalladay wrote, framing is everything.  I use the framing as "I see some people could benefit from more practice in X, Y, and Z.  Let's review X, Y, and Z and then do an exercise to practice so you'll be ready next time you encounter X, Y, and Z."

Zuzu_ is right that framing as "This assignment was too hard" gives whiners ammunition.  Framing as helping the students because you the teacher are so goshdarned invested in helping everyone succeed that you'll give out a few points for trying again with a bit more explanation in the pocket works pretty well.

Different perspective. Sometimes, if well-framed, "yep, that assignment was too hard" can be a mea culpa that disarms both parties. I did it once after I wrote a test that only in hindsight was just way too hard. The class bombed it, they were demoralized. I went in the day after they got their results back and said, "Yep. That test was too hard." There was an audible relaxation to all three sections. I got little pushback; I don't recall anyone using it as ammunition (500+ students that semester).

I suppose this depends on the students and what is being taught.  You know as well as I do that some classes are going to have large numbers of students bomb tests even though the test and preparation on the teacher part are right.  Telling those people that you as instructor made something too hard upon further review is just pouring gasoline over yourself and handing the matches to the students.

Reasonable students with reasonable expectations might let you slide once (my engineers have).  However, students who are looking for reasons to run to the dean in the hopes that they can get an easier instructor shouldn't be handed ammo.  The only thing in those cases is still to frame it as a learning experience (Good try, students!  That was hard!) and give another opportunity to earn comparable points (now try this one that is more your speed where competent is an A). 

Hang on...check the part of my original post you didn't quote:

That's probably a big gun you pull out once a semester, tops, and only when it's clear that it's not just a case of a smaller group not mastering 2 or 3 concepts or ideas.

There are times when resisting and pushing back, or holding the line, are absolutely and only required, and you are correct: there were certainly many more of these instances than the exception I noted. There are (probably many fewer) times when not pushing back can have its benefits too. It behooves us all to be reflective enough to recognize when this might be the case and when a carefully-framed mea culpa might be in order.

[bookishone]

Oddly, most bad writers don't seem to know they are bad writers. This makes the blanket advice difficult sometimes.

I recently read about research that shows (yet again) something like:
people who score poorly on skills they'll need in school, like reading comprehension or writing, actually are MORE likely to score themselves as superior in those skills.

In other words, their poor learning ability is tied to their poor ability to assess their own skills, and their tendency to grossly overestimate their skills.

[There was a similar study a while back showing that some huge majority of men scored themselves as superior to the average driver -- they were all above average! -- while statistically men have more accidents, or something like that].

What does this mean for tackling poor writing skills in the classroom? I've tried the "general writing review session" and found it does not seem to make much difference with my students other than annoying them,* though I still do bring up specific phrases when I find that many students are misusing them.

*I framed the session as "I know this is review for all of you, but most of your papers show that you need a reminder about some of this stuff." But I still got one or two complaints about it.

These days what I do is

1) If the paper is very poorly written, refuse to grade it. Hand it back to the student and they get a week to turn in a readable version (I recommend the writing center for all students at the beginning of the semester). They miss out on the rewrite option available to the rest of the class, though, since their rewrite is essentially the first version I'm actually grading. If they don't turn in a readable version, the zero stands.

2) I spend some time at the beginning of the semester talking about the myth of multitasking and recent research about how contemporary life changes how we think and focus. I don't go all gloom and doom on them, because there are also good things about being "wired," but I make it clear that the reading and the writing in this class require a deep, prolonged attention that is incompatible with electronic (or other) distraction, and which may feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable at first. I say, which is true, that distracted students' papers often sound like English is a second language for the author, even when the student is a native English speaker: the prepositions and idioms are wrong, the rhythms are off, etc. "You cannot succeed in this class unless you make a quiet space in your life for the work of this class." This seems to have helped a little bit. When it doesn't, see #1.

[polly_mer]

I agree with you Anakin on the value of a mea culpa when one is in order.

However, I want to be crystal clear that some cases call for a mea culpa and some cases call for hushing up and figuring out what else to do.  Context matters a lot.  Based on some recent threads, I worry that some of our new folks are looking for rules that always work and that they can see themselves doing instead of advice that says, "Step one is to figure out what kind of students you have and how they are likely to respond based on what they did in the past".  The vibe I've gotten recently is a bunch of new people who will be quick to say, "I messed up", and then be eaten alive for it since they should be holding a line or asking quietly for modifications to avoid a repeat.  I want to make sure that message isn't lost as one sentence in a post that otherwise says, "Own up to your mistakes".

In owning up to my own mistakes, I could have quoted more of your post.  However, I still think that once a semester is far too frequently.

[anakin]

I agree with you Anakin on the value of a mea culpa when one is in order.

However, I want to be crystal clear that some cases call for a mea culpa and some cases call for hushing up and figuring out what else to do.  Context matters a lot.  Based on some recent threads, I worry that some of our new folks are looking for rules that always work and that they can see themselves doing instead of advice that says, "Step one is to figure out what kind of students you have and how they are likely to respond based on what they did in the past".  The vibe I've gotten recently is a bunch of new people who will be quick to say, "I messed up", and then be eaten alive for it since they should be holding a line or asking quietly for modifications to avoid a repeat.  I want to make sure that message isn't lost as one sentence in a post that otherwise says, "Own up to your mistakes".

In owning up to my own mistakes, I could have quoted more of your post.  However, I still think that once a semester is far too frequently.

In hindsight I believe you're correct there; I should've considered that frequency more carefully in context. Having now done so, I can recall doing it exactly twice. Both times, interestingly enough, I did it as a result partly of advice I received on these fora for very specific instances and sets of circumstances. In that sense, the process was much more akin to "doing an exercise" than "solving a problem." (The advice in those two limited instances was dead-on.)

As we discuss how learning develops in our students on other threads, it's interesting to compare their process of learning as differences between experts and novices, to how new educators develop as well. I wonder if this is an essential part of mapping the problem-solving space in many? most? domains of knowledge.