Responding to Writing

Overview

How you respond to student writing plays a large role in the quality of the student's learning experience. This page provides resources to help you comment effectively and efficiently on student writing.

Also see: Evaluating Writing for resources focused specifically on grading criteria, methods, and process.

General Resources

Diagnosing and Responding to Student Writing
Source: The Institute for Writing & Rhetoric, Darmouth College
Description: This handout presents 1) ways to diagnose writing weaknesses and 2) ways to respond to writing to help the writer grow. The handout also discusses time management in the process.

Teaching in the Margins: Commenting on Student Writing
Teaching Guide from Writing@CSU
Official Description: "One of the most common complaints from teachers across campus is that student writing is so weak that reading and responding to papers becomes an overwhelming task. This resource is designed to make responding to student writing more feasible. "

HWP Brief Guide to Responding to Student Writing
Source: Harvard College Writing CenterHarvard Writing Project
Description: The Harvard Writing Project Brief Guide series provides concise introductions to writing instruction for faculty members and teaching fellows.

Effective Feedback on Student Writing Part 1
Source: University of Hawai`i at Manoa Center for Teaching Excellence
Posted on YouTube: April 3, 2009 | (10:00)
Description: Discusses assignment design and feedback.

Writing Matters #2: Responding to Student Writing
Univ. of Hawaii Manoa Writing Program

This resource is also available as a PDF file.

Writing Matters #4: Overcoming Writing Errors
Univ. of Hawaii Manoa Writing Program

This page provides guidance on helping students overcome writing errors, including tips on providing effective feedback, prescriptions, and advice.

This resource is also available as a PDF file.

Responding and Evaluating
Univ. of Kansas Writing Center

Haswell, Richard H. "Minimal Marking." College English, Vol. 45, No. 6 (Oct., 1983), pp. 600-604.

Available on JSTOR with login (Montclair State Univ. faculty, staff, and students can access JSTOR through Sprague Library).

Ten Tips for Evaluating Student Writing
Writing across the Curriculum @ Manhattan College

This site provides tips for providing effective and efficient feedback and commentary on student writing.

Responding to Student Writing - Principles and Practices
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, Univ. of Michigan

Responding to Student Papers Effectively and Efficiently
Univ. of Toronto Writing

Tips for Commenting on Student Writing
Washington Univ. in St. Louis Teaching Center

Provides tips in the following areas:

• Course Planning
• Writing Comments in the Margins
• Writing Final Comments
• What Else Can You Do?

Responding & Grading
Univ. of Minnesota Center for Writing

Provides various resources on "Approaches to Response" and "Approaches to Grading," as well as samples of responding activities and handouts, and samples of grading activities and tools.

Responding to Student Writing
UCLA Office of Instructional Development, Teach 2 Write: A Guide for Teaching Writing

Featured Resources on Responding to Writing
National Writing Project (NWP)

Links to a wide range or resources, including book reviews and full articles. Articles (available as PDFs) range from Nancy Sommer's "Responding to Student Writing" (1981) to recent publications on peer review, revision strategies, and more.