Show WAC Could Be Helpful Tool to Students and Faculty Kathryn Jones Faculty Staff What's the worst feedback a student can get on their work According to a study by the Harvard Expository Writing Program plenty In this wide spread study from 2001 1994 titled Across the Drafts 4 thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand students were interviewed interviewed interviewed inter inter- viewed on feedback issues related to their writing What was discovered The worst feedback was no feedback a number or check mark in the margin a form with a check list and straight lines under favorite parts One student even had hada a teacher mark wooden paper on the front page According to Marianna Hopkins WAC Coordinator the skills of writing are as necessary as taking the class itself Critical theory comes through in having to write papers she said and this includes s the auto mechanics course Hopkins who spoke at a recent faculty convention at suggested that WAC could become a helpful tool to both students and faculty alike Instead of just writing to write students can begin writing to learn Writing assignments can then be created created created cre cre- cre- cre where students must write a paper gleaned from the material they have learned in the math book for exam exam- Writing projects can be designed to help students come to terms with the content content content con con- tent or integrate what they have learned enhance student student student stu stu- stu- stu dent engagement and deepen deep en student learning Teachers may then respond to student writing in helpful ways said Hopkins Questions on the students student's drafts allow the student to reach further to the next level Feedback from classmates is important as are one-on-one one conferences with students Giving an oral presentation on a subject gives a student opportunity to think out loud and evaluate what they have written They also receive feedback from the class If the teacher is approachable they can work through the drafts of their paper knowing that their instructor cares and will give them valuable feed feed- back WAC suggests six possible workshop ideas for fall 2005 including a class entitled Write to Strategies Here a teacher will quickly learn easy methods for transforming transforming transforming trans trans- forming a class into a lively meeting where minds work collectively and productively using writing-to-learn writing strategies strategies strategies strate strate- gies said Hopkins Teachers will also learn how to develop writing tasks designed to help students discover discover discover dis dis- dis- dis cover what they think in an free evaluation-free environment to deepen their learning and enhance their engagement Other possible topics include Writing Assignments Error Analysis Writing Pedagogy Response to Student Writing and a Writing Intensive Course where teachers develop and r. r teach L merr J course with wun a writing-intensive writing designation supported by stipend and release time and WAC support support support sup sup- port next fall and spring There is an interest in WAC said Hopkins There are some that have asked me if they could be he first Currently I need 2 to 3 faculty ty members who are willing willingto to move through the program in the fall I would like to serve faculty from all disciplines disciplines disciplines and help them with the writing they are already doing After the initial testing testing testing test test- ing of the program Hopkins desires to show the faculty how it worked For more information on WAC and the possibility of ofa g with 4 a a gra gram i pl please s coma Marianna c H Hopkins aty at |