Evaluating Student Writing

1
Evaluating Student Writing

• Dr. Emily Heady
• Graduate Writing Center

2
Things To Remember

• Students do not like to draft and revise. You
  may want to assign separate due dates for drafts
  and final papers.
• Students often think that revising means
  proofreading or editing.
• We need to find ways to encourage our students to
  think of writing as a multi-stage process.
• We need to set aside time to do substantive
  commentary on drafts and final papers.
• Draft commentary is NOT the same thing as final
  paper evaluation.
• Good draft commentary should bring a student into
  your office to finish the conversation you
  started.
• Students respond to your toneso be as engaging,
  kind, and helpful as possible.

3
Principles for Draft Commentary

• When possible, DO ask questions instead of making
  statements.
• Do NOT proofread your students papers.
• If you make a broad statement (e.g., the
  organization is poor), DO back it up with
  specific examples.
• DO use a balanced combination of margin notes and
  global comments at the end.
• DO make sure you dont tell your students exactly
  what to say, how to think, or what to write to
  get an A.
• Do feel comfortable supplying technical
  vocabulary, complicating evidence, overlooked
  sources, or other missing pieces that students
  simply may not know.

4
Some Comments for Salvageable Drafts

• This point is fuzzy. What did you mean exactly?
• I got lost halfway down page 2. Can you
  strengthen your organizational structure so I see
  how your ideas are flowing?
• Why do you keep using this strange word instead
  of using the correct technical term?
• Youve got a lot of evidence for your position,
  but can you find any sources that disagree?
• Im surprised you made this point here since you
  seemed to be setting up something else.
• Someone may be offended by what you say on p. 3
  about Asian culture.
• I love the point you make in your conclusion.
  Could you make that point in the introduction as
  well? Then Ill know where your paper is going.
• This is very clear throughout. But Id love it
  if you sounded a little more excited by what you
  have to sayyou ought to the ideas are good!

5
Some Comments for Horrid Drafts

• Your idea here doesnt really seem to fit what
  we talked about in class. How did you come to
  it?
• This paper has the potential to be interesting.
  You generally seem rather unsure about what you
  mean to say, though. Think about what your main
  point is, and revise accordingly.
• Did you look at the assignment guidelines before
  you wrote this?
• I like this point you make on page 3. Can you
  rearrange the whole paper so that point is in
  your thesis?
• I know that youve been busy and that your paper
  probably suffered some from this. Can you come
  in and see me so we can talk through your
  thoughts?
• Your ideas are good Im just not sure they made
  it to the page. Why dont you come into my
  office so we can work on better ways to express
  your ideas?

6
Principles for Final Draft Evaluation

• DO refer back to the comments you made on the
  draft.
• DO dole out both praise and criticism when
  warranted.
• Do NOT spend all your time marking grammar
  errors.
• DO make as many evaluative statements as you
  want, but back up words like good or poor
  with specific examples or reasons.
• DO let students know which errors are the most
  critical.
• Do NOT work yourself to death critiquing a paper.
  Try to sum up your impressions in a good end
  note.
• DO make sure your grades reflect your rubric and
  assignment sheet.
• Do NOT assign a grade without providing students
  with a justification for the score you choose.
• Do NOT grade a student down for disagreeing with
  you.
• DO tie your comments as closely to your grading
  rubric as possible.

7
Some Comments for Pretty Good Papers

• Your main idea is excellent. You dont stick to
  it forcefully enough throughout, however.
• This papers strong structure is generally a
  plus. Sometimes you insist on making big points
  in one paragraph, thoughand they dont always
  fit in just one.
• For future papers, concentrate on getting your
  word choice and style to match the quality of
  your ideas.
• This paper is well composed, nicely written, and
  very clean. However, it lacks the originality
  that marks truly A-level work.
• In the future, Id like you to concentrate on
  integrating your sources more smoothly.
• The points are all there, but the balance is
  off. You spend more time answering opponents
  than making your own point, which makes you sound
  very defensive.
• Your topic is great, and this is a nicely
  composed paper. But you sometimes tend to
  oversimplify your opponents ideas, which in turn
  harms your own point.

8
Some Comments for Horrid Papers

• I know youre a bright student based on your
  comments in class. However, this paper doesnt
  show it very well.
• Your paper hits a good groove on page five.
  Until then, it wanders all over.
• You dont have a clear thesis, which makes it
  very hard to defend your point.
• This paper has three possible topics x, y, and
  z.
• Your idea is solid however, the mechanical
  errors are so severe at points that its hard to
  figure out what you mean to say.
• Where is your outside research?
• Next time, PLEASE come see me before you turn
  something in.

9
A Students Opening Page

• The changing roles and claims of the
  papacy during the time of the split of the
  religious scene were that it was time for a
  change. The reason for this reforming was due to
  change and transition. Many leaders were forcing
  the reforming of religion and that it was time
  for a change. This split of religions was
  vividly shown during this time period. Erasmus
  clearly showed his reforming movement of the
  church and claimed power during the time period.
  He showed the "balance" of the late medieval
  religion could be challenged. He was able to
  challenge it through his reforming of the church.
  His reforming of the church made it possible for
  the change and challenge of the church.
  Through it all, the split of the religious scene
  was a great impact on Europe. Church and religion
  was one thing that everyone had and could have.
  The splitting and eventual reform made a large
  mark in history.

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A Final Drafts First Paragraph

• Lockhart's Spanish Peru and Hemming's The
  Conquest of the Incas offer very different views
  of Peru during the period in which they overlap,
  1532-1560. The varying views are in part due to
  the different topics and sources the authors
  choose to focus on. Hemming concentrates on
  "contacts" between the Spaniards and Indians. He
  never offers a clear thesis, but he does state
  that the book offers "an opportunity to refute
  some misconceptions and to reconstruct gaps in
  the chroniclers' narratives" (17). Hemming points
  out these misconceptions and gaps as he takes the
  reader through Peru, offering vivid descriptions
  - gleaned primarily from chronicles and official
  manuscripts - of Spanish-Indian interactions.
  Lockhart, on the other hand, does have a clear
  thesis. He limits his study to the Spanish
  society that evolved around the early Peruvian
  cities, and argues that "an essentially intact,
  complete Spanish society was transferred to Peru
  in the conquest and civil war period" (251). His
  ground-breaking study is based primarily on
  notarial records, and he expresses distrust of
  the "over-used," "one-sided," and "predictable"
  official reports (152) as well as the often
  fanciful chronicles (264).