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Re: e-mail tutoring
Date sent: 3-MAR-1997 10:18:10
I have started a small OWL that offers writing assistance to the students
in our "telenursing" program. These students take their nursing classes
over distance learning technology at remote sitesand never come to our
campus. They are a perfect target group for an owl.
I realize the danger of making an owl a pit stop for papers and keep this
in mind as we respond to their drafts. One thing I do also is ask them to
answer some questions for us and to address to us specific questions about
their pieces. Here is the information I want:
How much energy and time do you have for revision? Are you willing tomake
major changes or only minor ones?
What kinds of problems doyou tend to have in your writing? What comments
have teachers made on your papers?
What are your questions or concerns about the piece? some possible
questions follow, but you may certainly think of your own.
The questions:
Do I have a clear opening statement of my point or position? What do you
believe my point or position is?
Is my rationale for this position logical and convincing? Where is it
strongest? Where is it weakest?
Is there any irrelevant material in the paper?
Are there details and examples that show real knowledge of the subject?
Where?
Is my evidence complete enough to be convincing? Are there any placeswhere
you are confused or want more information?
What is missing from the paper?
Is there a clear and obvious order tothe presentation of my ideas? What
changes in organization would you suggest?
Are my sentences clear and effective? Which ones are awkward or confusing?
Do you see any patterns of error (repeated mistakes) for which I need to
proofread more carefully?
These questions help us to focus our attention to specific concerns. They
also give the message to the writers that we can't deal with every concern
in a piece and that we are not there to proofread their papers. They
accomplish the same kind of continuing education about writing and about
our services that are necessary with ftf sessions.
Mary Dossin
dossinmm@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu
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>Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 20:06:58 -0600
>From: "David J. Coogan" <coogan@charlie.cns.iit.edu>
>Subject: Re: e-mail tutoring
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>On Wed, 26 Feb 1997, Karen Vaught-Alexander wrote:
>
>> I would fear that email tutoring would be much
>> like the dropping a paper off for written commentary.
>
>Karen -- My reading on this is that if you LET it happen that way, it
>will. I resist reductive instructional relationships wherever they may
>occur. My general strategy of overturning this problem is to insert
>questions throughout the student's text, thereby provoking conversation.
>But then again, I do this in f2f conversation, too. :-)
>
>Dave Coogan
>
Mary M. Dossin
Claude J. Clark Learning Center
SUNY Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 564-6138
dossinmm@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu