Presents brief descriptions of 46 software programs designed to (1) help writers collaborate over a network; (2) help writers invent; (3) allow comment after critical reading; (4) help writers write research papers; (5) help writers analyze style/mechanics/usage; (6) offer on-line reference guides; (7) author multimedia courseware; and (8) assess…

Obtained and scored argumentative writing samples of fourth, sixth, tenth, and twelfth grade students. Found significant grade level differences in writing samples scored according to Toulmin's model of argument and a holistic scoring procedure. Few children in any grade used features of opposition or response to opposition in written arguments.…

Discusses a college instructor's experimentation with portfolios in the writing class. Notes that, after the first year, students' writing had not improved--they still wrote as if the teacher were the only audience. Describes changes made (having students generate their own topics, reading each other's writing, and publishing students' writing)…

A survey of 174 policymakers, employers, and college faculty attempted to identify the writing skills college graduates need to be effective citizens and productive employees. Areas of consensus are identified for the following areas: audience awareness; purpose for writing; prewriting activities; organization; drafting; collaborating; and…

Use of portfolios and performance tasks has exponentially increased as educators seek to be as "fair" as possible, and to link measurement, assessment, and evaluation more closely to cognition, curriculum, and instruction. However, high standards of reliability and validity are equally essential in the use of "authentic"…

Discusses the weaknesses and strengths of both term papers and short reports in fulfilling the supplementary goals of an introductory biochemistry course, namely, the development of written communication skills in concert with the presentation of course materials. (JJK)

Within in the context of language instruction in Hong Kong, including peer reading and conferences, suggestions are offered for providing effective feedback at the product-evaluation stage in writing; i.e., giving comments and making corrections. A step-by-step guide and checklist are included. (16 references) (LB)

A study of written teacher comments on student papers in the University of Texas at Austin's program in writing across the curriculum found that the comments' instructional effectiveness was situational. Recommendations are made for enhancing their effectiveness by more awareness of student perceptions and need for assistance. (MSE)

Addresses the development of written language in learning-disabled adolescents and describes a specific program implemented with 65 mildly learning handicapped secondary school students in El Paso, Texas. (PRA)

Asserts that writing conferences are the heart of teaching writing. Describes use of picture books and writer's circles to improve student reading and writing skills. Reports that students became more confident in analyzing writing genres and more able to write complex narratives. (CFR)

Discusses the National Commission on Testing and Public Policy's critique of current standardized testing on grounds of its inequities and its effects on curriculum. Finds that one kind of alternative assessment that can realign assessment with curriculum is authentic assessment. Focuses on performance assessment. Connects authentic and…

Examines the impact of a pilot project in which undergraduates at Roane State Community College e-mailed drafts of essays to graduate students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who returned the drafts through e-mail with comments. Finds that students felt the experience was helpful. Discusses benefits of collaboration between two- and…

Investigates whether training raters to interpret the scoring dimensions on a rubric would increase reliability. Compares two groups of kindergarten and first-grade teachers: one group with training, one without. Finds that training increases raters' abilities to reliably interpret scoring items. (SC)

Offers an account of three "waves" of writing assessment: objective tests, holistic scoring, and portfolios. Scrutinizes these modes of assessment for how they can serve needs beyond the institutional demands of sorting and selecting students, to discover what they can tell educators about writing, teaching, and courses and programs. (SR)

Notes many networked composition classrooms can be considered "transitional;" focus of the classes is neither exclusively on print-oriented skills nor on electronic-literacy skills. Focuses on an instructor's first-year composition courses in a computerized environment. Outlines ways teachers may employ a portfolio pedagogy in networked…