For students new to higher education, the task of developing their academic writing skills, and particularly the principles and practices of source-referencing, can be daunting. Although institutions and teachers can and do provide positive guidance on this score, all too often students veer into inadvertent plagiarism through lack of confidence…

A study investigated the usefulness of an online writing lab, Smarthinking, in a college writing tutorial program. The study investigated 4 issues: what Smarthinking is and how it works; what students think of the program; what instructors think of the program; and whether Smarthinking is cohesive with writing center principles and procedures. A…

Argues that while the writing laboratory cannot solve all problems inherent in teaching writing, it is a rich resource for both student and instructor. (MM)

Many college students, unaware of how their writing strikes others and unaccustomed to an audience of college teachers, try to write with sophistication or profundity with little success. These students need the experience of writing for an audience that talks back; one that is diverse, has a strong reason to be frank in its criticism and praise,…

Research assessing the effectiveness of writing tutorial programs should consider how gender contributes to dynamics of the student tutor relationship. In "On Becoming a More Effective Tutor," Lil Brannon catalogues different postures that the writing tutor may adopt: some are more friendly, concerned with the student's self-esteem,…

Recounts a program that organized composition students into writing teams to overcome (1) too much reliance on a teacher, (2) lack of student cooperation, (3) excessive individual competition, and (4) an overall negative atmosphere concerning writing. (CRH)

Examines reasons for the resistance and resentment of many student athletes to working with writing tutors. Discusses successful intervention strategies for dealing with counter-productive behavior. Argues that the resultant learning not only enriches the athletes, but the entire academic community, since their stories are a tremendous asset for…

The attitudes of teachers referring students to writing centers for mandatory instruction may weaken the center's ability to provide support to the students who need it most. Training tutors to provide a pleasant learning environment can increase the program's effectiveness. (MSE)

Methodology and findings are reported for a study of the materials and instructional components of the Reading and Writing Laboratories at Ohlone College conducted by a team of five external evaluators. The report's first section details: (1) the goals of both labs, as articulated by the college; (2) specific objectives of the study; i.e., to…

An evaluation is provided of two aspects of Monroe County Community College's (MCCC's) writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) program: a Writing Center and peer tutoring by instructor-nominated Writing Fellows. Introductory remarks in Part 1 highlight the benefits of the college's programs for faculty, Writing Fellows, the college administration, and…