Revisiting Your Work: Grappling with Graded Assignments/Feedback

1. Revisiting Your Work: Grappling with Graded Assignments/Feedback UWC Writing Workshop Spring 2014

2. Receiving back a graded paper… • Have you received back a graded paper in a class this semester? • Did you receive feedback? • If so, did you take time to read over the feedback you received? • How did you feel about the feedback? • Are you receiving the option to revise the assignment? • If so, have you decided if you are?

3. Where We’re headed… • Receiving Back Graded Work • What exactly are you looking at? • How should you take the feedback/comments? • How should you respond to what has been offered to you? • Taking Comments and Going Forward • Revision: Defined • Utilizing Comments to the Fullest

4. Receiving Back graded work • Let’s say you receive a paper back from your ENGL 1101 professor and you are not pleased with the grade you received. What are some of the steps you should and should not take next? • DO… • Read over the comments in the margins carefully, considering exactly what the professor has offered you. • Check out the final page of your graded paper for an end comment (usually contains a LOT of helpful information regarding what you did well, need to improve, etc.).

5. Receiving Back Graded work • DO (cont’d)… • Re-read the paper with your professor’s comments and suggestions in mind (this allows you to truly see what they meant through their comments. Also, the paper is fresh in your mind!) • DO NOT… • Bombard your professor after you receive the paper back (observe the “24-hour rule!) • Come to the UWC and question why you received the grade you did or ask for the tutor to re-grade the paper. None of the tutors can and will do this! • Toss the paper to the side and become discouraged. Professors spend a LOT of time grading your work and providing comments; take the time to look over them and understand how they can help you!

6. Comments: What do they mean? • Professors provide comments to you to give you feedback on what you did well and what you can improve on in your paper. When reviewing comments, remember… • Comments are meant to be constructive and helpful.They can help you recognize areas where analysis is weak, thesis development is lacking, etc. • Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to read over the comments and THEN approach your professor and/or tutoring services with questions.

7. Comments: What do they mean? • Sometimes, professors will use certain marks on papers to signify a specific error. These marks may include:

8. Responding to your professor’s comments • Above ALL (again), do not bombard your professor with accusations and frustration over the grade you received. • Often, doing so will alienate you from your professor and make your relationship with them strained—you don’t want this! • Take the time to recognize that, while the letter grade is important, the actual comments and promise for improvement is even more important.

9. Examining a graded paper: An Example

10. Taking Comments and Moving forward • So, you’ve taken the time to understand your professor’s comments. Now you have the option to revise and make substantial changes. • What is revision? • Taking your previously-written work and making substantial changes to improve the paper’s quality and overall message • Do you always have the option to revise? • Not necessarily—however, if you do have the chance, by ALL means DO IT! You have another opportunity to work on those issues that you struggle with the most (and improve your grade at the same time).

11. Taking Comments and Moving Forward • When you look at your comments and consider what you should alter, add, take away, etc., make sure to understand what each comment is asking you to do. • Once you have done this, consider the following questions and how you can best utilize each in your revision: • Purpose: What do I hope to achieve? How can I achieve it more effectively? • Audience: Who is my audience? Does my writing meet some need or desire my audience might have? • Topic/Content: Is my topic interesting? Does it follow the guidelines for the assignment? Have I narrowed it down enough? Too much? • Organization: How is my essay organized? Are the points arranged logically and coherently? Is each point clearly highlighted in its own paragraph, or have I jumbled points together? Can I expect my reader to understand my transitions and, if not, how can I make the transitions more clear?

12. Taking comments and moving forward • Development: Is each paragraph developed fully with concrete examples or illustrations? Have I avoided generalizations and abstractions? Have I emphasized the right points? • Style and Tone: Is my writing clear and readable? Have I avoided slang? Where in my essay can I improve the effectiveness of my prose by using more active verbs and concrete nouns? Have I overused adjectives and adverbs, especially empty intensifiers such as “really,” “definitely,” and “very”? • Surface Correctness: Have I eliminated all errors of spelling, grammar, and punctuation? Have I proofread for those errors that I often make?

13. Questions? Remember that the UWC is always here to help you! • 678-839-6513 • writing@westga.edu • TLC 1201 (First floor, past the snacks) • www.westga.edu/writing • Like us on Facebook: University Writing Center (UWG)