Shares the work of one college freshman class whose journal entries demonstrate how reader response can be a powerful metacognitive tool. (RS)

Discusses past and present positions of the Conference on College Composition and Communication stating that it grew out of a teaching-related problem and the need for discussion and dialogue. States that developing a deeper understanding of the nature of teaching can lead not only to greater self-respect and confidence but also to new knowledge.…

Notes that college freshmen are generally inexperienced writers writing on topics about which they are not knowledgeable. Explores college freshmen's concomitant process of acquiring knowledge. Argues that composition should be conceptualized as an interweaving of writing and knowledge acquisition. (RS)

Examines the concept of intellectual development, focusing on how differences in writing reflect different developmental models, such as those developed by Piaget and Vygotsky. Discusses the consequences of developmental models on theories of composition and the function of narrative. (MM)

Argues that standardized tests can provide limited guidance, in conjunction with student writing samples, in the decision whether students should be exempted from freshmen writing courses. Suggests that students who write well but whose performance is unstable can be affected, positively or negatively, by exemption results. Suggests that students'…

Uses the critical perspectives of Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of language and Lev Vygotsky's theory of language learning to examine the polyphonic texture of writing workshops, the dialogic classroom, the teacher's role as writer and authority figure, and the student's search for voice and role. (RAE)

Describes the author's use of John Milton's "Paradise Lost" in a college freshman composition course. Argues that focusing on significant works of imaginative literature can revitalize and reinvigorate freshman writing courses. (MM)

Claims that holistic scoring offers significant advantages over conventional grading systems for: (1) placing students in extra help or enrichment classes; (2) evaluating incoming or transfer students; (3) regrouping existing classroom situations; and (4) providing an expedient measure of writing achievement. (RAE)

Examines the theoretical dichotomy existing between expressionists and social constructionists in the areas of writing conventions, writing teacher roles, and the positions that writers assume in their discourse. Identifies serious implications for writing instruction because of the exclusionary nature and rhetorical focus of each theory. (KEH)

Discusses ways to integrate computers effectively into the freshman English course. Addresses some objections to using computers in the composition classroom. (MM)

Focuses on two seemingly oppositional kinds of writing, academic discourse and personal writing, and the reasons for labeling two apparently distinct modes of writing as such. Argues that these terms are not adequate for composition teachers. Considers the value of another form of writing, public discourse, for portfolio activities. (HB)

Narrates how one writing program administrator at a small private college implemented a portfolio assessment program in first-year writing courses. Describes the difficulties of developing a consensus regarding the criteria of good writing. Advocates the process of group interaction as a means of faculty development and collegiality. (HB)

Examines the relationship between student perceptions of reading ease and human interest in first-year college writing textbooks and the evaluation results produced by the Flesch formulas and checklist items. Finds that neither the Flesch formula nor checklists relate well to students' perceptions of interest in the writing textbooks evaluated.…

Presents annotations of 179 writing textbooks (new texts or new editions of previously published texts) having a 1993 copyright date. Includes developmental and ESL writing texts, first-year writing texts, advanced writing texts, special texts, and professional texts. (RS)

Describes a first-year composition sequence of assignments using the topic of family to allow students to write essays based on their own experiences. Notes that the sequence eventually requires that students also address connected ideas and then reflect on the convergence of the personal and analytical. (PRA)