Learning

Most students do not have a comprehensive understanding of the processes and criteria used to evaluate their work, in particular for the evaluation of essay questions and other writing assignments. This generally results from an expected lack of experience grading as well as a limited knowledge of the subject matter. Although this level of understanding may not be included in the course goals for many classes, if students were given the opportunity to better understand the development of criteria used to evaluate their writing, this may enable them to improve their writing skills, guide their studying, and at a minimum help them to better understand the criteria used to evaluate their work.

Like many other colleges, the purpose of the Writing Studio purpose is to enhance the writing instruction that happens in academic classrooms by pairing students with an experienced reader, who engages them in conversation about their writing assignments and ideas and familiarizes them with audience expectations and academic genre conventions. They focus on the rhetorical aspects of the text and provide one-on-one, student-centered teaching on works in progress. This past semester I haven’t utilized the studio’s resources, however I have in the past and then realized that the aid is an academic necessity for a college student during the writing process.

Although I have always been the type of person to prefer working as an individual, I view collaborative writing as a rewarding experience. I think that collaborative writing offers wider expertise and skills than just one writer or student may possess. Unlike with individual projects, the responsibility is wider spread, and allows more members to shine with their accomplishments and removing the burden on just one person to produce a refined paper. If I have to participate in a collaborative writing project at any point, I try to make it clear that each person should have a clear and equal...