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Effective Assessment and Feedback in Basic Writing Courses

Effective Assessment & Feedback

Mike Tolinski, Ryan Flaherty, Stacey Gray

How do forms of writing assessment and feedback meet student needs for placement and performance in BW composition courses?

Students placed into basic writing (BW) courses are best served by good practices of the instructors who evaluate their work and provide useful feedback about their progress. Unfortunately, the teaching of BW is sometimes complicated by less-than-reliable assessment methods used to place students. The difficulties are compounded for the many students who are sensitive about being placed into BW courses, given that some may presume they are doomed to being “bad writers” beyond help. However, these difficulties can be addressed through careful consideration of writing course placement methods, and through good BW classroom practices for providing feedback. As discussed in these FAQ components, practices that individualize student abilities and needs and put them into context are likely to be the most effective.

CompPile Search Terms: assessment, feedback, placement, testing, practice, commenting, reliability, validity, conferencing, basic, evaluation, cost, first-year