Revised Proposal

Responding to Student Writing: Practice and Perception in the Freshman Composition Classroom

Teacher feedback on written assignments in the freshman college composition classroom has continuously raised the question of overall effectiveness of written-teacher commentary on student writing. College composition instructors’ comments on written assignments frequently overemphasize markings of errors in mechanics and grammar rather than constructing feedback that will encourage students to recognize how their written assignments could be improved and also how it should encourage students to become their own editor. Instructors should identify the need to find a balance between the specificity of comments on content and mechanics on students’ written assignments.

Much of the research conducted provides various pedagogical strategies to provide effective written responses to student writing; however, many instructors are not aware of the complex nature of responding to student writing in order to provide a more effective approach to feedback. When instructors aren’t aware of the conflicting practices of feedback on student writing, unintentional negative effects may take place that will leave the student not knowing exactly what changes should be made and how it will improve their writing and writing skill. Additionally, instructors relying solely on surface level written feedback rather incorporating conferencing are putting students at risk to perceive comments purely as negative criticism and allow no room for development in student writing.

The purpose of this presentation is to examine practices in utilizing both written and verbal feedback as a means to respond more effectively to student writing as well as students’ perception of this alternative form of assessment by focusing on the following:
1. Various forms of verbal feedback through conferencing
2. The various levels of conferencing
3. Student perception of conferences
4. The necessary balance between written and verbal feedback



This presentation aims to provide freshman composition instructors with a dual approach to practices in feedback on student writing that will allow instructors to reflect on how they communicate feedback to student writing in relation to how students perceive both written and verbal feedback on writing assignments. From these approaches, freshman composition instructors can begin to determine how much and what they should emphasize based on an established continuum.

This presentation is designed for those that are involved in composition studies and freshman composition instructors. Because students not only produce written assignments in freshman composition, instructors in social sciences and humanities may benefit from this presentation. Audience members will benefit from this presentation by obtaining more effective pedagogical practices in responding to student writing.