Assessing Writing

The information below is discussed further in Dr. Beth Rapp Young's Assessing Writing workshop. Please contact Dr. Young or refer to the sources at the bottom of this page for more information.

Incorporating writing into your classroom will usually involve some measure of assessment. Although it may not be essential for an instructor to read, comment upon, evaluate, or grade every piece of writing produced for a course, a variety of assessment options are available for writing assignments.

General Guidelines for Assessing Writing

Consider the following points in planning how you will approach assessment for writing assignments:

Distinguish between response, assessment, evaluation, and grading

What is the purpose of the writing? (To consider a topic? Generate ideas? Demonstrate understanding? Construct an argument?) Your intent with the assignment will determine what manner of assessment is most appropriate.

Spend most of your time/energy on what you expect students to learn from the assignment

Make expectations, instructions, and criteria as explicit as possible. See "Planning your Writing Assignment."

Spend more time on what you enjoy doing (including positive feedback)

Commenting on the level of thinking, offering constructive criticism about meaning and organization, and pointing out strengths may be more productive than simply marking sentence-level problems involving grammar and punctuation.

Make assignments and deadlines work for you

Structure and schedule writing assignments that won't bury you; encourage students to complete work in stages, submit drafts of longer assignments, and visit the University Writing Center for a consultation; make students accountable through the writing process with peer review, group evaluation, and self-assessment.

Overview of Grading Alternatives

A variety of grading options allow instructors to craft assignments appropriate to their courses and discipline. The grading method you choose will depend upon the type, complexity, and purpose of the assignment you've designed.


A.   Possible Grading Methods

Credit/no credit

Accept/revise/reject

Analytical scoring: individual scores for separate criteria (eg., content, structure, grammar, etc.)

• Sample: An Analytic Scale for Grading Content Writing
• Sample: An Analytic Scale for Primary Trait Scoring

Holistic scoring: one score that considers all criteria at once

• Sample: Rubric for Holistic Scoring of Analysis of an Argument
• Sample: Rubric for Holistic Grading of Physics Microthemes

General description scoring: universal criteria that applies broadly to writing (eg., complete content, smooth transitions, clear organization, etc.)

Primary trait scoring: criteria that relates specifically to the requirements of the given writing task

• Sample: Rubric for Primary Trait Scoring of Poetry Project
• Sample: Guide for the Primary Trait Scoring of Thesis Support in Essays in Finance
• Sample: An Analytic Scale for Primary Trait Scoring

Rubrics, Scales, and Checklists

• Sample: Dichotomous Scale for Scoring English Essays

Point systems

• Sample: Modified Point System for First-year Composition

Contract grades

Portfolio systems

B.   Assessment can take place at any point

Completion of various stages of an assignment (submission of a thesis/topic statement, introduction, lit review, etc.)

First and subsequent drafts

Instructor conference

Peer review

Oral presentation

C.   Students can be involved at any point

Setting criteria for class

Setting individualized goals

Self evaluation

• Sample: Checksheet for Self-Evaluation

Peer evaluation

• Sample: Questions for Student Self and Peer Evaluation

D.   Methods can be combined

eg., a point grade on content and pass/fail on writing; holistic scoring combined with primary trait scoring

Correctness: What to grade for

• This is a controversial issue--the current thinking is to focus on those errors which interfere with meaning
• Research shows selective correction is most effective
• Correcting errors which affect meaning demonstrates why errors are important
• Avoid proofreading
• Be aware that ESL writers cannot write as though they are native speakers
  
  Expect Excellence
• Set high standards in advance - See "Suggestions for Designing Effective Essay Exams"
• Encourage multiple drafts and revision
• Refuse to be the first human being to read a paper. Options for students can include peer revision sessions, group review and assessment, and University Writing Center consultations.
  

  Applying these Ideas...

• State clearly the purpose and expectations of the writing assignment
• Set process deadlines for the assignment: chart the stages for drafting and revising sections of the work. This helps students approach the assignment as an ongoing and reflective experience...and keeps them on task
• Choose an appropriate assessment method (if any)
  

   

  Resources

  Bauman, Marcy. "What Grades Do for Us, and How to Do without Them." Tchudi Alternatives 162-178.

  Bean, John C. Engaging Ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.

  Beaven, Mary H. "Individualized Goal Setting, Self-Evaluation, and Peer Evaluation." Cooper and Odell 135-153.

  Blumner, Jacob S., and Francis Fritz. "Students Using Evaluation in Their Writing Process." Tchudi Alternatives 233-242.

  Cooper, Charles R., and Lee Odell, eds. Evaluating Writing: Describing, Measuring, Judging. Buffalo: SUNY, 1977.

  McDonnell, Charles. "Total Quality: A Farewell to Grades." Tchudi Alternatives 210-223.

  Tchudi, Stephen, ed. Alternatives to Grading Student Writing. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 1997.

  Tchudi, Stephen N. Teaching Writing in the Content Areas: College Level. NEA, 1986.

  White, Edward M. Assigning, Responding, Evaluating: A writing teacher's guide. 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1995.

  
  

  Source:

  Young, Beth Rapp. Lecture. "Discover how you can add writing to your evaluation process, and still manage all the work. AKA Using Writing as an Evaluation Tool." University of Central Florida Library. 17 Dec. 1998.