The experiences of a professor when he was a student at McMurry College are described. He remembers a tough teacher of freshman composition who made the strongest and most lasting impression--both as a warm, supportive person and as a patient teacher. (MLW)

Examines similarities between composition and programming processes, and reviews two studies that linked instruction in computer programming and freshman composition to help students understand writing as a design discipline. Projects at the University of Montana and Bryn Mawr College which improved students' writing abilities are described. (LRW)

Extends constructive theories of reading to argue for an advanced composition course that has two implications: (1) writing is a value-free technology; thus, (2) learning to write is learning to manage a technology, not training to be a moral person. (MS)

Examines the roots of the modern language arts curriculum in Canada. Claims it is based on nineteenth-century interdependence of studies in rhetoric, history of the English language, and literature. And asserts that this curriculum was designed to develop rhetorical and critical sophistication. (JK)

Investigated the effect of two variables on remedial students' performance in freshman composition: attending a remedial grammar course, and receiving tutoring at a skills development center. Found that tutoring had a significant positive impact on students, but that the grammar course had a negative effect. (ARH)

Advocates teachers' belief in students' ability to achieve writing success, rather than assuming failure that results in self-fulfilling prophecy. (HTH)

Suggests that, because English teachers are often more knowledgeable about composition theory and pedagogy, English departments should house writing-across-the-curriculum programs. (ARH)

For one professional teacher of writing, language is one of many locations in which political struggles exist, and the classroom is a site from which he and his students can actively examine culture, developing strategies of language use that can facilitate social change. Critical and feminist pedagogies are two closely related ways of teaching…

Instructors of Composition I at Lansing Community College (LCC) in Lansing, Michigan, are required by the Department of Communication to grade a paper in four areas: content, structure, style, and mechanics. The policy, in effect in its present form since 1982, places heavy emphasis upon the conventions or "mechanics" of writing Edited…

This study explored how some African American students dramatically improved their control of Edited American English (EAE) in their introductory composition course at Howard University. The participants included 40 students who were enrolled in ENGL 002 in 1998, 1999, or 2000, as well as the 10 teachers who had recommended the students as…

This book provides students with the kind of extra help they will need to meet the demands of their first-year writing course as well as their other courses. Through its highly visual, student-centered approach, the book teaches basic skills and engages students immediately in the thinking-writing process, guiding them through the writing…

A study examined the developmental epistemologies of first-year university students at a comprehensive university, based on the idea that students often come to the university in intellectual transition which may affect their epistemological stances toward writing. The students' comments as reported from a survey fall into seven categories: topic,…

Shows how to make room in the first-year composition course for unusual writings using collective research. Contains a narrative explaining how students devise their own topics and conduct their research in groups. (TB)

Describes the specific elements of "pedagogical triangulation" along with the results of applying this approach in a first-semester college English class. Considers how pedagogical triangulation enhances student confidence, capacity, capability, and collaboration, all vital elements for worthwhile peer-revision workshops. (SG)

Explains that rhetorical invention can be viewed as an invitation to openness, whereas structure can be a closure. Describes a writing instruction method in which students write replies to the instructor's weekly letters, providing a genuine need that must be genuinely answered. Argues that rhetoric can enhance and enrich life. (SG)