Handling the Paperload Composition and Communication in the Disciplines Fall 2018 Workshop 4

1. Handling the PaperloadComposition and Communication in the Disciplines Fall 2018 Workshop 4 October 2, 2018 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. JCSU 324 Bill Macauley, Director CCID

2. Dealing with student writing can be overwhelming, but there are ways to handle the paperload . . . Don’t let this happen to you!

3. First things first • Teaching writing doesn’t have to be something separate from teaching your discipline. • Don’t assign what isn’t useful. How do you decide? • Less is more. Fewer assignments with time, feedback, and revision work better. • Student writing practice doesn’t make perfect if the practice is just repetition or repeating bad habits. • Use the writing to teach content, check learning, or develop learning/practice. • You don’t have to respond to/grade everything all the time. • Find out what part your course plays in the curriculum (CO1 pathway, Silver Core, program assessment, accrediting bodies, self study, etc.). • There are lots of ways to check learning and gather grades that are less labor intensive than student writing—use it when it is the best option.

4. Before the assignments • Set up a sequence of assignments that build toward that big end-of-the-semester project. • A portfolio that you grade as you go, formatively, selectively, randomly, summatively, or collectively • Scaffold assignments to focus on one or two priorities at a time with a cumulative goal at the end. • Restrict responses/grades to those priorities. • Don’t grade the same thing twice. • Use small assignments focused on narrower outcomes for points toward final grade. • Use completion grades, in-class writing, informal writing as contributing to points or participation. • Rubrics: efficient, quick, limited, can be sequenced, scaffolded. • Writing is a unique means of learning that does important work for your course, but that does not mean that it should always require hours of close reading and intense marking/grading.

5. During the assignments • Tell students what you will be looking for and stick to that. Make it a short list of 2-3 items. Recommendation: HOCs, then LOCs. Curricular location matters, too. • Less is more. Too much response, and they won’t use it. Don’t try to respond to everything all the time. Choose a few priorities and stick to them. • Progressive responses. When you go to the next assignment, move on down the list of priorities. Hold students accountable for new emphases, but also make them aware that they have work to do on those past. • Remember that writing is developmental—they won’t get it all at once. Build their capacity by building their focus with your responses. One thing at a time. This makes grading more manageable, too. • Portfolios: ask students to point you to their best work and worst work. Reflective writing can be very useful, too. Grade what students choose as their best work. • Cumulative projects: don’t grade what you have already seen. • Focus your grading and remember that no one set of responses will do it all.

6. After the assignments • Rewrites are effective, but limit rewrite options and make them do some work to earn it. • Do a debrief with the class. • Do brief conferences with students who are struggling. • Review what worked well re: grading and keep a record of that—you will forget. • Talk with colleagues about their practices. • If you are using TAs, CCID can train them in grading effectively and efficiently.

7. CCID is here to help! • Composition and Communication in the Disciplines • Writing, presentation, multimedia; assignment, course, curriculum planning/development; Silver Core; Program Assessment; CO1, 3, 13 courses,; TA and faculty development/training • Bill Macauley • (775)784-6038 • Tell us what we can do for you! • Questions? Thank you.

8. Dealing with student writing can be overwhelming, but there are ways to handle the paperloadconclusion. . . Let this happen to you!