Describes a strategy whereby teachers allow students to determine the standards by which their writing will be judged, and, in doing so, convince students to share their beliefs about good writing. (ARH)

Analyzes score differences for the papers of 50 students who wrote on four different writing topics, two that were on transactional and two that were on expressive topics. Results suggested that differences between scores might be very important for individuals, so to insure fairness, teachers should use additional forms of writing assessment. (DF)

In order for students to be helped effectively to complete their writings successfully, writing centers in schools need to become more adept at "context based response." That is, writing centers need to focus not just on clarity and correctness of writing but also on the content of the assignment that students are working on. This type…

Describes a writing assignment which allows students to exercise creativity communicating set facts while utilizing narrative techniques covered in class (sentence variety, dominant impressions, narrative action, detailing, etc.), and in which peers judge how effectively and consistently the information was communicated, illuminating the…

Examines relationships between writing instruction and functional composition performance of third-year secondary education Dutch students. Finds that, of 36 instructional characteristics, effective ones included instruction and exercises in writing functional texts, writing for a specific purpose, tailoring to a particular audience, global rating…

Advantages of peer evaluation of writing are outlined, questions that arise once instructors decide to use this method are presented, and steps to develop students' awareness of what to look for and what to say about the writing of peers in English composition and other disciplines are discussed. (MBR)

A consideration of real world language use yields five questions that could prove helpful in assessing student writing achievements: (1) What is the writer's purpose or intention? (2) What audience does the writer have in mind? (3) What are the organizing principles of the piece? (4) What range of experience and knowledge might one reasonably…

Argues that when tests equate proficiency, competency, and literacy with writing academic essays, they maintain a severely understated and mistaken notion of what it means to write well and usefully and vigorously. (FL)

The writing done in a biology class has a great deal in common with the writing done in the humanities and the social sciences. Because the scientific method of investigation requires the student to examine and understand the physical world by asking questions and then answering them through empirical investigation, clear and concise writing is…

Research was conducted into the specific characteristics of brief, impromptu essay writing. A random sample of 806 essays was taken from the more than 80,000 written for the College Board's English Composition Achievement Test (ECT) in 1979. Using a special taxonomy of 20 writing characteristics, these essays were subjected to a second reading in…

Arguing that students must understand historical methodology in order to fully comprehend and appreciate history, Woodman presents an exercise that provides for a concrete, hands-on writing and evaluation of an historical essay by students. Describes the project in which students use primary sources to write about the Freedmen's Bureau and…

As a follow-up to the Central Wisconsin Writing Project, a writing survey was prepared to (1) introduce the concept of writing across the curriculum to high school faculty in the district, (2) determine the district's need for inservice in writing across the curriculum, (3) establish the validity of the data, (4) collect information about writing…

This analysis of peer editing techniques briefly discusses the following: (1) the advantages of peer group editing, such as the availability of a wider audience and writing models; (2) the potential disadvantages of grouping unskilled or uncommitted students; (3) forming groups; (4) using sentence combining exercises to facilitate trustbuilding;…

Intended for use by teachers at both the college and the secondary school level, this booklet describes a method of getting students to write using the motivation theories developed by the psychologist Abraham Maslow. The first chapter of the booklet reviews Maslow's basic principles as they apply to the teaching of writing, but includes a…

A study investigated the role that writing plays in eleventh grade students' understanding of literary texts. Classroom observations, collected student writing, interviews with the teacher, and interviews with six case study students--two from each of three classes--provided a portrait of teaching methods, writing tasks, and student responses to…