I did write some things about Italy and Malta while on the trip and I had planned to massage those into a post or two (with photos, as Amy requests :-)), but all of my files are in my office and I usually blog at home. Especially these days as I clear the decks and focus on grading papers.
The grading is interesting. It’s been some years since I required a paper in the Land and Bible class, and everyone is doing a different site, so it doesn’t get boring. Some of the papers are interesting, occasionally there is a new insight or source that I was unaware of, and sometimes the writing quality is terrible. It is absolutely amazing how poor some college students write. It’s not as if this is just another paper. This is “the” paper, so they have lots of warning, lots of warnings, and lots of incentive. I give extensive instructions both in a written packet and orally, and I literally beg them to come and ask questions. A few days before the paper was due I even posted a sign declaring that for a certain hour I would refuse to do any work in my office and simply sit there bored unless they came and asked questions. A few came, taking up maybe 30 minutes total. Others have come and asked questions in the last few weeks, but invariably it seems that the worst papers come from students who never asked me a single thing. And from their papers I can tell that they never bothered to ask anyone else for help in proofreading or such. Usually my classes where papers are required are avoidable, and word gets around and those who fear choose other classes. This class is required for all and so no one can get around it.
I wonder: should there be a writing test that is required for students in order to graduate? If so, what steps should there be in place in order to help them along the way? Obviously it is to no one’s advantage to have the student get to the end and fail, especially if they are a great distance from passing quality.
I believe that a chief obstacle to students improving their writing skills is the amount of time that it takes a teacher to properly grade the paper. I have 33 students in this class and I will spend about 25 hours grading them (5-7 pages avg. length). If you have twice that many students or you are assigning a similar type paper in multiple classes, you can see how quickly that would get old. I remember a few years ago teaching in CA and after graduation day, there was hardly a teacher on campus in their office. I was there 8-5 for 8 days grading papers from the semester. I can’t say that I’d be doing that every semester if I was in that situation. Obviously there is less value to the student as well when they get their paper mailed to them during the summer. Better: get it back to them and require them to re-write it. Of course then you have just doubled your grading load. One solution: graduate assistants. That’s common in other schools but not ours.
Make sure you hear me right. I am not complaining about anything. I am simply thinking about an important issue, including the challenges and potential solutions.
If you’re an former IBEXer, I invite you to our house in 18 minutes for “Tuesdays at Todd’s.” Just a chance to chat and ask questions about life. We started that up after Land and Bible classes ended a month ago. Tonight is the last one as next week is finals.
“I wonder: should there be a writing test that is required for students in order to graduate?”
Todd – the answer to this is yes. And there should be a writing test to enter college that would require a student who does not pass to take a remedial writing course.
It is funny that you bring this up because I remember in Israel one of my fellow students asked me to proofread their paper for your class. I won’t tell you who it was, but it was not Heather. I was shocked by the paper – set aside the fact that it was poorly researched and didn’t have much of a point, the English itself was unreadable. And this was a Junior in college!
Thanks for working hard to have high standards for papers and to help students with them – if all profs. did that it would help.
Todd, I look back at the paper I had to write with fondness. I learned a lot about my topic and about writing. I want to thank you for requiring the paper. And as for the people avoiding your classes, I have told a few people who are going to IBEX that they HAVE to take your Ancient Israel class!! (I am quite passionate.) Thanks for challenging your students.
Hi Todd! It’s interesting that you posted about this. In the Senior Seminar class today we were talking about the poor writing skills of students and we were trying to think of some way to improve that while we are here at the college. Jenn mentioned your packet about writing papers that you gave us in Ancient Israel (probably other classes, too) and how much it helped. And tonight in Christian Theology with Dr. Bookman, he mentioned something i mentioned in my Ancient Israel paper. I agree with Slusher, thanks for challenging your students!
I want to come over for “Tuesdays at Todd’s”!
I wrote a lousy paper the other day- disclaimer: it was the first draft- and I turned it in feeling aweful! I thought to myself, “Todd would have slaughtered this paper- and may have enjoyed it too:)” (j/k)
I too appreciate how much you taught me about writing and editing/proofreading…I only wish I would have taken better notes on good writing skills(reference to one of your much earlier blogs). I, unfortunately, have found myself slipping back into bad writing habits lately…could you do a blog on “the top 5 writing do’s and don’ts”? I’d appreciate it:)
Todd, I never had to write a paper for you and in fact I never even took an English course in college (CLEP). However, I agree that the ability to write of many (if not most) college students is pitiful. I was very thankful for my required course of Historical Research Technique. Professor Owen taught me a lot about proper research and writing skills which I am very thankful for. All students should be required to take this course (or a similar course pertaining to their own major). Even after graduation I find that writing (even though it has been greatly reduced) is a very useful skill, employers do not want to higher illiterate people. Being able to read is not good enough, one must be able to communicate clearly.
Ilena – we’ll see if I can come up with anything worth posting.
Ruth – you are right. My guess is they don’t want to hire illiterate people either. :-)
Todd,
Thank you for all the time you put into grading the papers. Your challenge to the Old Testament Archaeology class that many of us were bad writers is what made me add the class that day. I joined partially to prove you wrong by writing an excellent paper and partially because I wanted to learn how to write a better paper. I did learn a lot that semester about writing a paper.
Your one-class period seminar on how to research and write a paper was very helpful. It eliminated the doubt that I had always had in my mind, even after I had taken English Composition, of whether or not I was plagerizing unintentionally. As I went through this seminar for the second time the following semester, I actually took even better notes on the procedure and wrote down your tips so that I can use them when I teach others.
Your comments on my paper were also very helpful. On the majority of papers I have returned to me the only thing written on them are grades. Although the red marks on the page were at times discouraging, they helped me to know how I could improve. Thanks for all your hard work.