Results of the faculty writing survey
Part II

In the previous issue of Word Works (number 110), we reported on the numerical results of the Faculty Writing Survey, which we conducted in Fall 2000. For that issue, we'd only had time to look at the numbers. They indicated some encouraging results. We found that writing is assigned by a large number of faculty (over 260 that we know of) across almost all disciplines. Since then we've had time to examine the written comments to see what more they might tell us. We found that they raise some interesting concerns. And often they seem to express what respondents to the survey were most eager to tell us, things that they couldn't say by coloring in the bubble answers.

We will report here the questions that elicited significant responses and skip the ones that did not. Question 1, which asked about the class levels at which faculty assigned writing, did not, so we will begin with question 2.

Question 2. For classes in which you don't assign writing, why don't you assign it?

Whereas the numerical results on question 2 didn't show any significant pattern of reasons for not assigning writing, the written comments raised one interesting concern.

The concern that emerged was about students' lack of motivation to write. A few respondents explained that they don't assign writing because "I think the students didn't like it and didn't work at it"; "It's hard to persuade students that it's important"; "[S]tudents complain and then give poor course evaluations." In the Faculty Writing Seminar this past May, one professor brought up motivation as something the group should discuss. Discuss it we did, but we had difficulty coming up with ways to get students motivated to write. Some students seem to view writing assignments as barriers between them and direct learning of the course material, rather than as a means to engage more deeply with the material. The one concrete suggestion the seminar came up with was that, if the instructor provides clearly designed assignments, clearly articulated grading criteria, and tips for success, students might feel that a writing task is more doable and more worthwhile (see Word Works Numbers 80, 102-103).

Five respondents mentioned, in response to question 2, not that they don't use writing, but that they use writing in all their classes.

Question 3. What do you see as the top three reasons for having students write?

The numbers on question 3 showed that faculty place the highest priority on helping students think critically, understand the subject, and improve their general writing skills.

The written comments brought out two other compelling reasons for having students write. Nine respondents stressed that writing skills will be important on the job. Five mentioned that writing promotes thinking and reflection: "prepares students for a thoughtful life"; "helps cultivate analytical skills"; "helps students understand themselves."

Question 4. What kinds of writing do your students do?

The numbers on question 4 showed that academic papers using research, reviews of professional literature, and academic essays are the kinds of writing most frequent assigned.

The written comments added a long list of assignment types beyond the list offered in the questionnaire. They included critiques of artistic events and performances, case studies and briefs, technical reports, creative assignments such as poetry and short stories, mathematical proofs, physics problems, proposals, abstracts, lesson plans, employee handbooks, test questions and essay exams, computer programs and documentation.

The list of assignment types suggests that many Boise State students gain a wide variety of writing experiences. But it is still possible, apparently, for some students to finish a bachelor's degree without writing much after freshman composition. As one respondent put it, "Very few of my graduate students had to write papers as undergrads. Consequently, I spend an inordinate amount of time on basics."

Question 6. How many pages of writing do your students typically produce in a semester?

The numbers showed a steady increase in the average number of pages assigned, from 18.29 at the 100 level to 37.08 at the 500 level.

A couple of written comments pointed out that the number of finished pages may be only part of what we should count: "The number of pages of writing in classes would be even greater if I counted the pages students write to discuss their topics in the Internet course I teach." And: "I did not include 1) writing on exams - above usual assignments, or 2) thesis writing by grad students - these write hundreds of pages per year for proposals & theses."

Question 7. If your students write from sources, what kinds do you want them to use?

The numbers show that the sources students are most often expected to use are professional journals, books, and web sites.

As in question 4, respondents came up with many more answers than we anticipated. Six mentioned firsthand observation, including attending dramatic productions, observing students and teachers in the schools, and viewing/listening to media productions. Nine mentioned various kinds of primary-source documents such as historical documents, business documents, employee handbooks, and patient histories. Three mentioned personal experience as a research source. Apparently different disciplines have different definitions of what they call research.

Question 8. What do you look for when grading student work?

The aspects of writing valued highest, according to the numbers, were quality of ideas, logical development, and clarity of expression.

Seven respondents added originality, creativity, independence, and individual character to our list. These additions came from a variety of disciplines. Four respondents singled out grammar, spelling, and punctuation as important things they look for. We meant these concerns to be included in our category of correctness, but possibly "correctness" did not mean the same thing to some of our respondents that it meant to us. Or perhaps they just wanted to spell out their concerns about grammar, spelling, and punctuation to make sure we noticed. Two other additions, from one respondent each, were completeness of development and mastery of concepts.

Question 9. How successful are your students at these aspects of writing?

The numbers indicated that faculty perceived students to be most successful at following instructions, organization, quality of ideas, and logical development, in that order. Clarity of expression appeared next to the bottom, just above correctness.

Most of the written comments on question 9 pointed out particular areas of writing where students don't succeed very well. Some of them, of course, were repeats of the comments under question 8. Of the negative comments, ten were about students' difficulties with grammar, punctuation, and spelling (what the questionnaire termed "correctness"), while two were about style. Five mentioned problems with plagiarism, citation of sources, and knowledge of APA format. Eight comments specified problems with content, including use of analysis, completeness of development, and creativity and originality.

One comment summed up the complaints instructors typically have about some students' failure to proofread and revise: "Most students rely too heavily on the computer spell check, and seem content to turn in rough draft work as a final product."

Six respondents mentioned that their students generally do well at writing. Of the positive responses, several noted that question 9 was difficult to answer, because some students (who are usually the best students) succeed very well at writing while others do not.

General comments

Of the general comments at the end of the questionnaire, seven emphasized the importance of writing both in the students' major fields and on the job: "Writing is a small percentage of class work but a crucial component'; "If a student can't communicate clearly on paper, it makes me wonder if they are thinking clearly"; "Learning to construct documents that 'stand alone' and respond to a specific audience or question is a critical reading/writing skill that needs to be developed."

There were a few comments complaining that the English Department is not doing its job in teaching students to write, and a few expressing thanks for doing, as one respondent put it, "a great job of trying to increase the quality of writing at BSU."

Some reflections on correctness and critical thinking

When we looked at the numbers for question 8, "correctness" ranked relatively low in respondents' priorities, seventh out of ten. Correctness ranked lowest among the aspects of writing that students succeed at. In other words, correctness was generally perceived by the respondents as somewhat less important than matters of content (we have to use a lot of qualifiers when we say this), but it is also perceived to be the weakest aspect of students' writing. The numbers may not reflect accurately how strongly professors care about correctness, however. Some evidently care very much. Two respondents, in their general comments, drew comparisons to music and math instruction. They pointed out that in music and math a high value is placed on correctness and precision. Students learn not to make mistakes. So shouldn't they learn not to make errors in English in their freshman composition classes?

Writing-across-the-curriculum scholars and writing program administrators are fairly used to such complaints. Undoubtedly there's always room for improvement in the way freshman comp prepares students for academic writing in the disciplines. But there are limits to what can be expected. Composition and WAC experts warn against the "inoculation" myth, the assumption that once a writer masters a writing skill, the writer will never make the same error again. Writing is too complex for that assumption. Difficulties with grammar rarely disappear overnight. Rather, errors die out over time for writers who work at learning to avoid them.

But even the experts know that such explanations aren't going to satisfy teachers who are irritated by errors in student papers. The hard truth, as some respondents pointed out in their general comments, is that errors in job applications and on-the-job writing seriously damage a writer's credibility. In grading student writing, we need to be strict about correctness. But we should also understand that a student who commits errors has not done so just to annoy us. About half the time the error may be due to carelessness, but the other half of the time, the error indicates something the student has not yet mastered. Often it's something the student did learn in English composition but has lost, either from lack of practice or because the writing task is new and unfamiliar.

In matters of content, respondents to question 8 ranked quality of ideas and logical development as the aspects they look for the most when grading student writing. These two aspects ranked third and fourth highest in question 9 about student success (following instructions and organization ranked higher). So it would seem that students meet instructors' expectations fairly well. But when the difference in points is considered, quality of ideas and logical development ranked just behind clarity of expression as the aspects with the greatest discrepancy between instructor expectations and student performance. In the comments, three respondents put it different ways: "[Students] . . . have problems [writing] analysis or critique, instead of turning in a summary report"; "Students seem to be satisfied with 'reporting' rather than explaining so as to communicate their understanding of the topics"; and "Hard to get them to stick their necks out - too much bias toward 'memorize and regurgitate'!"

It seems likely that when respondents found students lacking in analysis, completeness of development, creativity, originality, and "stick[ing] their necks out," they were talking about similar things. If we think of creativity in a broad sense, not restricting it to "creative writing," we might agree that the most creative part of any writing is the act making meaning, finding connections, reflecting, discerning significance. Writers do these things whether they are analyzing data, making connections, reaching conclusions, bringing out the meaning of a work of art or a performance, evaluating sources, or whatever else they do when they think critically about their material.

Instructors who seem most satisfied with their students' writing performance are generally the same instructors who say they encourage revision and even build revision into their writing assignments, through collaborating with the Writing Center, requiring peer review of drafts, etc. In other words, they build some kind of ongoing support for writing into their course syllabi in order to follow through with the approach to writing used in the writing classes.

Conclusion

On the whole, the survey, both the numbers and the written comments, revealed the encouraging news that many faculty are committed to writing and care about their students' success at written communication - and that many perceive writing as a valuable means of learning course content and improving thinking skills. The comments also revealed that we have a ways to go - all of us, those of us who teach writing and those of us who use writing in so many disciplines on campus - toward creating a partnership that approaches writing in a consistent manner.

By "consistent" we don't mean "uniform." Different disciplines have different ways of formulating theses and making claims, gathering and using evidence, developing ideas, organizing documents, arguing points, relating to audiences. They even have somewhat different standards for correctness in grammar and other conventions. By "consistent" we mean agreement about our expectations: how much preparation for writing in the disciplines is it reasonable to expect of freshman composition? Or of technical communication and advanced composition? What kind of preparation should these courses be offering that they're not? To what extent should the disciplines be responsible for teaching students to write? How should it be accomplished? In other words, what kind of partnership should there be among writing faculty, faculty who use writing in the disciplines, and students?