Writing Center Resources

Writing can be used in any classroom and in any discipline to aid in learning. These activities have been proven to aid in comprehension, retention, and engagement in the college classroom. You do not need to be a writing teacher to use them. At the end, active reading strategies are also offered.

“Writing to learn” activities are typically:

• Short—they often take no more than five minutes to complete
• Informal
• Worth little or no points
• Usually not graded
• Planned or impromptu
• Can be done either in or out of class, online, on paper, on notecards, on the board

What are the benefits of using writing to learn activities?

• Robert Marzano says, “Writing to learn focuses on deepening understanding and improving retention of content. The writing activities, which typically are short and informal, resemble an advanced form of note taking.”
• Linneman and Stephany write that, “The underlying processes of writing can be used to deepen the understanding of knowledge, to structure and to generate new knowledge” (69).
• Van Drie, Broxel, and Breeksma agree that “the act of writing is seen as a means of transforming the writer’s knowledge,” particularly when it focuses on “content-related” knowledge (94-5). In a history class, students who were asked to engage in writing to learn activities were better able to understand “history and the role of historians;” additionally, these students could “recognize the differences between two historical accounts of the same event,” (95) thereby demonstrating an ability to begin thinking as an expert might.
• MacArthur notes writing is an important tool for scaffolding knowledge (152).

The benefits of “writing to learn” activities also include:

• To better grasp of threshold concepts (the basic vocabulary or concepts needed for mastery of a course or content area)
• To help students to make sense of an experience (lecture, experiment, interview, survey)
• To make learning visual
• To reveal gaps in a student’s learning to an instructor
• To practice synthesis by organizing ideas, information, or experiences into relationships with each other on a small scale
• To practice analysis by exploring one or more components of a concept
• To practice applying a theory to a new situation or case study
• To make judgements about new information
• To reflect critically on an idea, dilemma, ethical situation, or artifact
• To articulate perceived strengths, weaknesses, or questions on a topic
• To break down a complex topic into manageable pieces
• To create active reading opportunities to aid in engagement and retention of information

Here is a list of “writing to learn” activities to consider trying in your classroom:

The Recorder

Ask students to observe a video, experiment, film, or process and then record what they see. Both text and drawings are okay for this one.

The Discussion Starter

Give students a question to write about for a few minutes before launching into a discussion in class.

The Learning Log

At the end of class students might write briefly about a question such as:

• What one idea that we talked about today most interested you and why?
• What was the clearest point we made today? What was the foggiest point?
• What do you still not understand about the concept we've been discussing?
• If you had to restate the concept in your own terms, how would you do that?
• How does today's discussion build on our last class discussion?

Synthesis Practice

Have students identify a key theme in one or more texts and write about it.

Interpretation Practice

Consider using one or more of these questions to help students interpret information:

• Why are certain details more memorable?
• What connections can you make between X and Y?
• How did you arrive at this conclusion?
• Why is this conclusion significant?
• How does this assignment touch you personally?
• How does this assignment change your thinking on the idea?
• How could you write about your new insight?
• What other information might you need to pursue this topic?
• How does this reading/writing/discussion/group work build on our earlier discussion of the larger concept of X?

Reflective Writing

• What was the most important concept/example/idea we covered in class today? Why is this important?
• What new vocabulary did you learn? How does it help you understand an important concept?
• What examples can you think of that conflict, illustrate, or confirm the concepts we covered in class today?
• How did you solve this problem (in math, science, or another context)?
• How would you contextualize this historical event/social phenomenon/artistic message/etc.?

Dialogic Writing

• On the left side, record a concept. On the right side, offer your own example or interpretation or definition.
• On the left side, record a quote from the textbook/scholarly article/other text. On the right, offer your opinion or interpretation in a response.
• On the left side, record a key event/philosophy/person/place/etc. we covered in class. On the right, use secondary sources to record information about it.
• On the left side, record a concept. On the right, add a visual to aid in recalling it from memory.
• On the left, write an historical event. On the right, describe a parallel event in history.

Trace the Process

Either while doing something or after, have students record the steps in a process.

Pre-Test Warm Up

Have students offer one problem that could be used on an upcoming test. Ask them to include the solution.

Analysis Practice

Have students break a complex topic into parts. You can also have students explore just one component of a larger concept/text/idea.

Connect the Theory to the Real World

Have students apply a theory to a situation or problem in a real-world context.

Active reading is known as using writing to increase reading comprehension, engagement with a text, and retention of key concepts in the material. Active reading strategies are used to:

• Summarize the key points in each paragraph in their own words
• Record definitions to words they don’t know
• Record information on references to people, events, places, philosophies, etc. that are unfamiliar
• Underline the thesis
• Record responses, evaluative statements, and questions
• Make connections between the new material and familiar concepts
• Record key ideas by outlining or marking places in a text
• View the Reading Journal on the WAC Clearinghouse

 

Other Ideas from the WAC Clearinghouse Website:

• Summaries
• Writing a Problem Statement
• Pre-Test Warm Ups
• What Counts as a Fact?
• Project Notebooks
• Writing Journals

 

References:

Most of these activities come from “Writing to Learn Activities” on the WAC Clearinghouse.

Several key ideas came from “How To Create High-Impact Writing Assignments That Enhance Learning and Development and Reinvigorate WAC/WID Programs: What Almost 72,000 Undergraduates Taught Us” from Across the Disciplines by Paul Anderson, Miami University (Ohio), Chris M. Anson, North Carolina State University, Robert M. Gonyea, Indiana University Bloomington, and Charles Paine, University of New Mexico

Marzano, Robert J. “Writing to Learn.” Educational Leadership, vol. 69, no. 5, Feb. 2012, pp. 82–83. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=71100812&site=ehost-live.

Writing as a Learning Activity, edited by Perry Klein, et al., BRILL, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uaz/detail.action?docID=1688656.

How can you best give feedback? Consider these options:

• A check +, check – , or check could be enough on an assignment worth little or no credit.
• Offer summative feedback that is the same for each student and personalize at the end. See the example below. No need for a rubric or comments in the text. This is good for shorter assignments as opposed to longer research papers.
• For longer research assignments, consider comments in the text, a rubric, and summative feedback.
• Spoken feedback using a tool in Brightspace or a video using Kaltura that focuses on the student’s paper. You can make a 3-4 minute video walking them through the strengths and weaknesses of the paper submitted.

What you might include on a rubric

Rubrics can be used to avoid repetition in your feedback. They usually address:

• the thesis or expression of the main idea.
• The use of evidence for support.
• The quality of evidence and/or sources used.
• Clear organization. Each body paragraph should have a clear point expressed in the first sentence.
• Documentation or formatting style.
• Coherence. Some call this arrangement. Some think of this as staying on topic throughout the paper.
• Expression. Does the writing make sense? Is the style appropriate for the genre?
• Content. Was the writer to include certain ideas? To follow a particular genre? Did the writer avoid repetition and wordiness?
• Editing.

Consider adding a “resources” section

Are there certain resources you keep pointing out for students? For example, you may include a link to Purdue’s OWL for MLA or APA on your rubric as a resource. You might have a particular textbook chapter you wish to refer students to for content. You may have a particular database you want them to use. You can include final reminders on a rubric.

Rubric generators

https://www.quickrubric.com/

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php

These are just a couple.

You do NOT have to:

• Use five categories. Try three. Or four.
• Be vague. You can tailor to your specific assignment. If you asked them to include three concepts from the textbook, then make “excellent” the inclusion of three concepts, “good” the inclusion of two concepts, and “incomplete” the inclusion of one or none, for example
• Wait until the final draft to use a rubric.
• Create your rubrics entirely on your own. Ask your students to suggest descriptions or criteria.
• Assign points to the rubric. You can rate them in the categories you create and then assign a grade.

In addition to the rubric, consider summative feedback

Here’s an example for a course reflection submitted at the beginning of the course:

You have offered a clear narrative of your experiences with writing, discussing the challenges, strengths, and goals you have in an organized, detailed manner. You have provided examples that tie into this narrative. 1-2 were relevant visual elements. You have spent some time on the design and exceeded the 500 word requirement. The portfolio is a great start! You have made a nice beginning in this course!

Favorite line from your reflection:

As you can see, I have described the assignment and offered encouragement for meeting those requirements. I personalize it by choosing a favorite line from the reflection.

In text feedback

If you choose to do so, you can offer feedback in the paper itself. Some advice:

• Avoid editing for the student. Instead, you can point out the first instance of a particular error and then include a link to a resource to learn about the error. For example, I often see comma splices. I have the window open at Purdue’s OWL for comma splices and can copy/paste that link for students to visit who want to edit more effectively.
• Limit yourself. Comment on one positive thing and suggest one area to work on. You do not need to write the student a ton of advice for improvement.
• Consider using annotation tools to highlight or circle good spots and problematic spots. Then make a brief comment on the side.
• If a student has many areas of weakness, do not overwhelm the student with lots of annotations or comments in the text. Instead, sum up the weaknesses and offer suggestions on how to address them in terms of resources, such as a particular website or the writing center.

 

Rubric for Journals

1-4 points                     5-7 points               8-10 points

Rubric for a paragraph

	Beginner	Basic	Intermediate	Advanced
Topic sentence	Topic sentence is unclear and/or not complete.	Topic sentence is somewhat unclear or is not complete.	Topic sentence is complete but could be more specific.	Topic sentence is strong and clearly states the main idea.
Body/supporting sentences	Short or overuse of simple sentences.	Overuse of simple sentences and/or vague details. May be lacking one of the three main points.	Has all three main points, but the details are vague in places.	Consistently clear, specific details used to support three main points. Creates interest through varied sentence structure.
Transition words	Few or none used.	Few used.	Mostly used in front of key points.	Used in front of each key point.
Punctuation, spelling, word choice	Needs a lot of editing.	Needs some editing.	Has a few editing issues.	May have a couple of editing issues.
MLA format	Not used or lots of mistakes with MLA format.	Several mistakes with MLA format.	Mostly perfect MLA format.	Perfect MLA format.
Concluding sentence	No concluding sentence.	Unclear or partial concluding sentence.	Vague concluding sentence.	Clear, strong concluding sentence that ties up the main idea effectively.

Long Essay Rubric

	Beginner	Basic	Intermediate	Advanced
Introduction	Introduction is unclear and/or not complete.	Introduction is somewhat unclear or is not complete.	Introduction is complete but could be more specific or use more work to gain the reader’s interest.	Introduction is strong and clearly states the main idea. It gains the reader’s interest.
Thesis Statement	Is missing, is posed as a question, is incomplete, or is not the right type for the paragraph’s purpose.	May be incomplete or not the right type for the paragraph’s purpose.	Is clear but could be more specific.	Is clear, is a statement, is specific, and is the right kind of the type of essay being written.
Body paragraphs	Short or overuse of simple sentences in most of the three body paragraphs.	Overuse of simple sentences and/or vague details. May be lacking one of the three main points or short a body paragraph.	Has all three main points, but the details are vague in places.	Consistently clear, specific details used to support three main points. Creates interest through varied sentence structure. There are three clearly organized body paragraphs.
Conclusion	Is short, missing, or unclear.	Is short or not developed nicely.	Is not focused or does not effectively tie things together.	Is clear, complete, focused, and ties everything together nicely.
Transition words	Few or none used.	Few used.	Mostly used in front of key points.	Used in front of each key point.
Punctuation, spelling, word choice	Needs a lot of editing.	Needs some editing.	Has a few editing issues.	May have a couple of editing issues.
MLA format	Not used or lots of mistakes with MLA format.	Several mistakes with MLA format.	Mostly perfect MLA format.	Perfect MLA format.
Concluding sentence	No concluding sentence.	Unclear or partial concluding sentence.	Vague concluding sentence.	Clear, strong concluding sentence that ties up the main idea effectively.

 

Argumentative Research Paper Summative Feedback

Essay One Feedback

The first essay for this class gave you a chance to put what you learned about recognizing and analyzing arguments into practice. You were to write a good thesis that clearly stated your focused topic and your opinion on a controversial social or political issue. If you are still confused about what a thesis is, visit this website.

This thesis was to come at the end of an engaging introduction. We visited this website to learn about techniques for how to write a good introduction.

This was followed by two background paragraphs where you could demonstrate your ability to correctly cite quoted and paraphrased information. When you have two or more sentences from the same source that you put in your own words (paraphrased), then you can either:

1. Cite each sentence with the author’s last name at the end of the sentence. If there was no author, then you can cite using 1-3 words of the title.
2. OR you can use a signal phrase to show where you began using the source such as: According to Bob Waters. This is followed by the paraphrased sentences. When you are done paraphrasing, you could use a citation with the author’s last name at the end of the sentence (or a piece of the title if no author).

For help with the basics of internal citations, visit this website.

After that, you had three paragraphs that began with a topic sentence that clearly stated one reason to agree with your position on the controversial topic that you stated in the thesis. This is called a “point” in a PIE paragraph. For a review with examples of the basics of writing a good paragraph, visit this website. For more information or examples on writing a PIE paragraph, visit this website.

In each body paragraph, you were to use at least one of the three required secondary sources to support your point. This information from a source might provide evidence for your claims or offer opinions from experts or give facts that support your claim. Anything from a source, quoted or paraphrased, must be cited using a set of parentheses at the end of each sentence from that source that contains the author’s last name. This is the “illustration” in a PIE paragraph.

In each body paragraph, you needed to write a couple of sentences or your own. You could have explained how the evidence supported the point. You could have elaborated on the evidence given from the sources. You could have made connections between the point of the paragraph and the evidence from sources clear.

Each of these three paragraphs should have been at least five sentences long, just as is required for every paragraph in the research paper.

After these three paragraphs that focus on reasons to support your argument, you were to write a paragraph addressing one strong opposing argument and then refute that argument. You were to use at least one secondary source.

You were to complete your essay with a strong conclusion. We visited this website for techniques on how to do that.

Other aspects of this paper that were important included:

1. Learning how to recognize what makes a scholarly article different from other types of sources. If you still do not understand this, visit this website. This article was to be a minimum of 5 pages long. It was to include sources used in the article and listed at the end. We also have librarians at SMC who can help you find these types of sources, so if you are stuck, visit the library for additional help.
2. Learning how to find a scholarly article using either One Search in our library or a database, such as Opposing Viewpoints. If you missed the library orientation, you missed some really important information. View this video to get up to speed on how to use our college library.
3. Learning how to choose good supporting quotes or paraphrased information from your secondary sources for use in the research paper. This requires you to read the source, think about the points you are trying to make in your paper, and decide where this information fits the best. We used an outline to make a good plan for this.
4. Learning how to evaluate sources for credibility, especially if you are using a website found using Google. Is the author an expert? Is the website up to date? Is the purpose of the website appropriate for use as a source for a college level research paper?  Visit this website if you are missing this information.
5. Learning to follow MLA format for the paper, for the internal citations, and for the works cited page. If you are still confused, visit content, unit one, then help for you in MLA at the end of that unit, right after our assignment sheet. That’s where you will find the MLA template, links, and a guide on internal and works cited page citations. Use the resources you have been given and reach out if you still have questions.

Part of this paper required you to write a rough draft, get feedback from me in a conference on the paper, and then revise and edit a final draft of the paper. I encouraged you to look up any editing concerns using Purdue’s OWL. For example, if I have commented that you have a problem with comma splices, visit the website and put “comma splice” in the search box to find information and examples of how to fix that error.

Part of the paper was to find, evaluate, and use at least three secondary sources, but no more than five. One had to be a scholarly article. One had to be a current news article. The other type of source was up to you, so long as it met our criteria in terms of how old it was and was created by someone who was an expert on the topic you were researching.

What you did well:

Rubric for a Visual Analysis Essay

Rubric:

Content and Organization:  Is the purpose of the analysis clear? Is the visual included and cited properly? Is it described in clear, precise detail? Did the writer discuss how the visual's message is part of a larger conversation or controversy? Does the writer discuss how the parts of the visual work together to create a particular message?  Are secondary sources used to bring out important parts of the context or message? Does the writer cover important aspects of the context? Does the writer clearly communicate evidence drawn from a close analysis of the visual?

Are paragraphs focused on the visual? Are sources used to help offer good information, contexts, or insights? Is there an engaging introduction and a clear thesis? Is there a strong conclusion? ___ out of 75 points

Grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction, style: ___out of 10 points

MLA format: ____out of 15 points