I've tried both the draft and revise and the multiple papers methods. I'm not convinced that students improve their writing much in our psychology courses through either method, but for different reasons.
The problem with multiple papers, I think, is that many students are struggling with the ideas of the papers, so focus on their writing becomes secondary in some ways. Even if you tell them about their reference list being poorly organized, or their abstract reading like an introduction to the paper rather than a summary of the paper, they don't put their attention on it. The struggle for many is too basic: What can and should be said. How to say it and how to polish it are after the fact. Adding the 'APA doo-dads' are afterthoughts, also. The problem with the draft and revise method is that it is hard for the students (and often the instructor) to take it seriously. A draft is not a completed document. So, I find defining what constitutes a final product for a pre-completion submission rather difficult. Grading it can be problematic. All the time it runs through my head, 'this is a draft' so I have a hard time treating it with enough gravity, taking enough time on it. The students, likewise, have the same problem. Then comes the final document. Suppose you see that they have a terribly awkward sentence in the final version. You look back at the draft and, oops, that sentence is in the draft exactly that way and you didn't catch it. It feels unfair to take off points for it. Maybe it is my limitations of understanding how to approach either of these two ways of doing papers, but I find that neither are satisfactory for me nor am I convinced they help students develop actual skills. What am I missing? Paul C Bernhardt Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD, USA pcbernhardt[at]frostburg[d0t]edu On Feb 3, 2011, at 9:36 AM, Steven Specht wrote: > > > I used to look at drafts, but it got to a point where I thought most students > were taking advantage (i.e., throwing something together only to then have me > organize and revise their work). BUT, I also am interested in teaching > writing. What I have gone to is a series of papers throughout the course of > the semester so that they can use the comments from previous papers to work > on subsequent papers. I think in a way, this may actually model the > development of "real" writing across the years. > -S > > > ======================================================== > Steven M. Specht, Ph.D. > Professor of Psychology > Department of Psychology > Utica College > Utica, NY 13502 > (315) 792-3171 > monkeybrain-collagist.blogspot.com > > "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort > and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." > Martin Luther King Jr. > > On Feb 3, 2011, at 9:27 AM, Marc Carter wrote: > >> >> Call me crazy, but I always *require* at least one draft -- otherwise I'm >> not really teaching writing, it seems to me. They won't use feedback on one >> assignment to improve another, so I do a whole series of ideas, feedback, >> initial references, feedback, annotated outline, feedback, draft, feedback, >> and sometimes another draft with feedback. This helps avoid the >> bought-paper, and I feel like it teaches them how to write. >> >> But the biggest classes I do this with are 20. :) >> >> m >> >> -- >> Marc Carter, PhD >> Associate Professor and Chair >> Department of Psychology >> College of Arts & Sciences >> Baker University >> -- >> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Shearon, Tim [mailto:[email protected]] >>> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 4:05 PM >>> To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) >>> Subject: RE: [tips] Please check my paper BEFORE you grade it >>> >>> >>> Miguel, et al: >>> I do understand that some of us have lighter "student loads" >>> and that not everyone can do so but I do make that offer to >>> everyone. Here is why- I don't think it means you have to >>> read the paper twice! You've already seen it and thus the >>> second read is less "dense" and full of errors. I basically >>> give a "window" for each course during which they can turn in >>> drafts. In addition to getting better papers the second time >>> (I make them turn in the first paper with the suggestions/etc >>> when they turn in the final paper) I find that very few >>> students actually take advantage of the offer! If memory >>> serves, the best and worst writers are often the ones who >>> take advantage of it in upper division courses. But I've >>> never had more than four or five students in a class turn in >>> drafts so, knock on wood, it has not caused me a huge extra >>> work load. I suspect some of the workload created is >>> dependent on a number of factors including teaching style, >>> courses taught, institution, etc. so it is hard to say >>> without trying it what the response would be but it works for >>> me at this institution. :) Tim >>> _______________________________ Timothy O. Shearon, PhD >>> Professor, Department of Psychology The College of Idaho >>> Caldwell, ID 83605 >>> email: [email protected] >>> >>> teaching: intro to neuropsychology; psychopharmacology; >>> general; history and systems >>> >>> "You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." Dorothy Parker >>> ________________________________________ >>> From: [email protected] [[email protected]] >>> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 2:44 PM >>> To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) >>> Subject: Re: [tips] Please check my paper BEFORE you grade it >>> >>> I usually tell my students who make such requests that it >>> would not be fair for me to do it just for her without >>> extending the same offer to everyone else. In turn, it would >>> not be fair to me to have to read all student papers twice. >>> >>> >>> >>> Miguel >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Karl L Wuensch" <[email protected]> >>> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" >>> <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 4:25:52 PM >>> Subject: [tips] Please check my paper BEFORE you grade it >>> >>> How best to handle the student request that you check her >>> paper for errors BEFORE you grade it so she can be sure to >>> get a perfect paper when she hands it in later? >>> >>> Cheers, >>> >>> Karl W. >>> >>> --- >>> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe click here: >>> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13482.917fac06d4daae681dabfe >> 964ca8c74e&n=T&l=tips&o=8283 >>> or send a blank email to >>> [email protected] >>> tburg.edu >>> >>> >>> --- >>> >>> You are currently subscribed to tips as: >>> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. >>> >>> To unsubscribe click here: >>> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13545.bae00fb8b4115786ba5dbb >> b67b9b177a&n=T&l=tips&o=8286 >>> >>> (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the >>> line is broken) >>> >>> or send a blank email to >>> [email protected] >>> tburg.edu<mailto:leave-8286-13545.bae00fb8b4115786ba5dbbb67b9b >>> [email protected]> >>> >>> >>> --- >>> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe click here: >>> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13029.76c7c563b32ad9d8d09c72 >> a2d17c90e1&n=T&l=tips&o=8289 >>> or send a blank email to >>> [email protected] >> tburg.edu >>> >> >> The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto >> ("e-mail") is sent by Baker University ("BU") and is intended to be >> confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. >> The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and >> disclosures acts or other legal rules. 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Thank you. >> >> --- >> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe click here: >> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13522.468cbac056133a996283cca7e2976336&n=T&l=tips&o=8469 >> or send a blank email to >> leave-8469-13522.468cbac056133a996283cca7e2976...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13441.4e79e96ebb5671bdb50111f18f263003&n=T&l=tips&o=8470 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-8470-13441.4e79e96ebb5671bdb50111f18f263...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=8484 or send a blank email to leave-8484-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
