Correcting Grammatical Errors in Student Writing: The Importance of Shifting Responsibility to the Student
By Russa Kittredge, Academic Learning Services
Instructors often lament the sloppiness of their students’ writing. Grammatical problems abound in college student writing, and when student papers are filled with errors, many teachers feel obligated to correct every sentence-level error they see. While marking each error can be an extremely time-consuming task, it is always the hope that students will read these comments and learn from the corrections. Is this really what happens? Is the time well spent?
Unfortunately correcting errors for students will probably not help them learn to correct errors themselves. Only the most conscientious students will pour over your comments and reach for their grammar handbooks for additional information. Rather, in cases where every error is marked and corrected, the student will likely believe that the instructor has done all the work, and that little revision is necessary beyond that indicated by the corrections. If students are not given a chance to revise work, chances are good that they will not attend to your comments at all.
Another downfall to correcting every spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization error in a student paper is that it can end up taking the focus of your comments off the content and organization of the piece. Even if you are careful to attend to both mechanics and content, it is important to keep in mind that students can be easily overwhelmed by a sea of red ink. In other words, more is not always better when responding to student writing. The bottom line is that while our intentions are good, when we correct every mistake, we are actually training our students to rely on us as copy-editors.
How can we better help our students eliminate the errors in their writing? The answer is simple: put the responsibility of editing on the students. Studies have found that students can catch more than 60% of their own errors if they are taught to proofread and are held accountable for correctness in their writing. It is important, therefore, to help students learn the basic skills of proofreading and to design grading criteria that explicitly rewards standard written English. Creating peer editing groups in your classes and reserving class time for peer editing can be particularly beneficial for reducing student errors. Making sure students understand how proper grammar and mechanics will factor into their scores for each assignment will also result in a higher level of self-editing.
Then, when it comes time again to grade student essays, instead of marking every single error, try any of the following methods: mark errors on the first page only; mark representative errors; place checks in the margins where errors occur; or refer students to a page in a specific grammar handbook. For efficiency, many instructors use a symbol system to identify the type of error. Students are then provided a symbol key to “decode” the markings. Finally, it is always an option to look over a set of papers quickly and return error-laden essays for proofreading and correction—certainly fair if you have been clear in your expectations from the start.
As you work with your students on their drafts in class and during office hours, you might also suggest another resource for writing help here on campus: the Writing Lab at Academic Learning Services. ALS writing coaches are available to work individually with students. As an instructor referring a student to the Writing Lab, it is important to know that the writing tutors are not proofreaders or copy-editors. While a tutor may respond to a draft of a student’s essay as a close critical reader, he or she is not permitted to revise, edit, or in any way modify a student essay. Rather, a tutor will work to help identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses, point out errors, and suggest ways in which the student should address specific difficulties. Consistent with the ideas in this article, the lab’s goal is to help students become more self-sufficient and aware of the elements that lead to successful writing—not to have students leave with perfect, edited papers. Instructors are encouraged to consider the Writing Lab as another resource outside of the classroom to help students become better writers. Visit the ALS website for more information about the Writing Lab.
Need more ideas? Talk with your colleagues about ways in which they have addressed this issue. Most importantly, as you come to your own decisions about how best to address grammatical errors in student writing, try to find ways that will help students grow as writers, not just drown them in a sea of ink.
Material for this article was found on the website for Virginia Tech’s University Writing Program. Thanks also to Matt Kuchar and Amy Nuetzman of Academic Learning Services for providing information about the Writing Lab and for their helpful ideas.
A Note from the Writing Lab:
Students can use the Writing Lab at any stage of the writing process and for
any writing concern. We’re here to empower students as writers.
- As writers and writing tutors, our goal is to help students develop ideas,
express themselves clearly, and meet the expectations of academic writing. - We work collaboratively by asking questions and responding as readers. We’re writing coaches—not editors.
- We hold short, focused sessions (20-30 minutes) to offer feedback
that will allow the writer to take the next step. - We are more interested in a students’ long-term development as writers
than
in perfectly edited papers.
The Writing Lab serves students with a wide range of writing abilities, from first-year students to doctoral candidates.
Address questions or comments about TEP or this site to:
Georgeanne Cooper, Program Director, 64 PLC
Phone: 541-346-2177 Fax: 541-346-2184
Teaching Effectiveness Program, Teaching and Learning Center, University of Oregon.
Last Modified:
03/18/10