Less is Less:
Lessons Learned and Reinforced from the LTWR Student Writing Assessment Project

Finally, what do the assessment results remind us or teach us about how to strengthen the writing component of our curriculum?

1.      Students need to be writing in every course
       throughout the semester.  CSUSM's 2500 writing
       requirement should represent a minimum writing
       requirement for each of our university courses.

2.               Revision needs to be incorporated pedagogically early in our courses and throughout the courses.

3.                As a corollary, writers need feedback throughout the semester.

4.                We need to revise our essay rubric so that it makes explicit the concept of revision in both rubrics. Not surprisingly, the rubrics themselves likely influence the kinds of comments noted across the three sets of portfolios.  The comments made about the LTWR 325 often point to revision. In comparing the creative writing and essay rubrics, it  is important to note that only the creative writing rubric points explicitly to revision as part of the assessment process.  While critics might argue that revision is implied in the essay rubric, the word “revision” is never mentioned. 

5.     Our assessment results encourage us to design a second assessment phase in which we as faculty look closely both at the writing assignments we develop and how we integrate these writing assignments into our courses in a given semester.

6.       The pleasure we had in reading our students’ writing reminds us of our students’ sagacity.