1. ON-LINE WRITING CENTRES
NATIONAL AND KAPODISTRIAL DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS
UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS FACULTY OF ENGLISH STUDIES
Course: Writing Theories and Practices
Spring Semester 2008
Instructor: Bessie Mitsikopoulou
HANDOUT
WRITING CENTRES
AND
ON-LINE WRITING CENTRES
Vlachou Evgenia
Patiniotaki Emmanouela

2. WRITING CENTRES AND ON-LINE WRITING CENTRES.
The RSCC Online Writing Lab
ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED
What is a Writing Centre?
What is an On-line Writing Centre?
The rationale behind Writing and On-line Writing Centres.
The function of Writing and On-line Writing Centres.
Writing and On-line Writing Centres as part of the curriculum.
What is their function in university, college and high school education?
How can they be used in a professional field?
How can YOU use them? What do they offer to you?
… while the ability to use one's imagination and to whittle words into distinct meanings has often been seen as either a gift or as something we hammer into students by rote repetition, it is neither

3. WRITING CENTRES
Writing Centres are part of educational institutions. They provide students with free assistance on their papers, projects, and reports from trained professionals, consultants, or peer tutors. Their main aim is to help writers learn how to write more effectively.
In more detail:
Their services include: help with purpose, structure and organization of writing, assistance with grammar and syntax and citation of sources for research papers (using one of various formats, such as MLA, APA or Turabian).
They are geared toward writers of all levels and fields of study (both secondary and university students).
Tutor’s role, type of conferencing and feedback are very important factors.
Lately, Writing Centres have made progress in addressing the non-academic community, as well (community Writing Centres).
Some educational Institutions also offer an On-line Writing Centre (often called On-line Writing Lab, abbreviated as OWL), which follows the model of a Writing Centre tutoring in an on-line environment.

4. EXAMPLES OF TRADITIONAL WRITING CENTRES
An Example of a High School Writing Centre
The Mercy High School, Burlingame Reading and Writing Centre
The Mercy High School has created a physical reading and writing environment for all its students in room 109 of the University. It offers students
the opportunity to develop their reading and writing skills and provides several
sources of literacy information. Students are able to get help in doing their
homework and practice further on issues of difficulty. Jennifer Wells is the Mercy
High School, Burlingame's Reading and Writing Specialist who runs both their
real world and online Reading and Writing Centers.
It is also located in cyberspace at
PRACTICALITIES!!!
Enter the website You can see the official Mercy High School Writing Centre site:
 Click on one of the STUDENTS topic to see what students are offered.
 Click on LINKS and RESOURCES.

5. An Example of a University Writing Centre
The University of Colorado Writing Centre
This Writing Centre provides one-on-one assistance to any member of the UCD community, including: undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni. It also offers students several resources such as accounts in advanced libraries as well as online ones. This Writing Centre accepts students from Monday to Thursday and during the summer as well. There are also students’ workshops arranged for teams of students facing the same difficulty in writing. It is located in cyberspace at
PRACTICALITIES!!!
Enter the website You can see the official site of the University of Colorado Writing Centre:
 Click on INFO FOR STUDENTS to see what services each level (undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates) is offered.
Check the News-Page on the left!
 Click on the ABOUT US to see what information is given about the Writing Centre of the University.

6. ON-LINE WRITING CENTRES (OWLs):
On-line Writing Centres are often extension of a university Writing Center. They offer help to students and other writers by providing literacy materials, such as handouts and slide presentations. They accept requests for feedback and provided it electronically.
In more details:
They are open to people unaffiliated with the specific institution.
They play an important part in writing center assistance.
They allow writers to use some of the center’s resources remotely.
The 1st On-line Writing Lab:
Purdue University OWL:
A campus-based service designed to assist learners in their writing processes.
In 1994.
A tutorial centre for writers who want to work one-to-one with a tutor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Helps students with all sorts of writing: from 1st year to postgraduate students.
Includes workshops and other resources.
Serves the entire Purdue community and offers outreach services to Internet users via OWL.

7. current traditional rhetoric, expressivism, and social constructionism
DOMINATING WRITING MODELS:
current traditional rhetoric,
expressivism, and
social constructionism
(Murphy and Sherwood, 1995)
THE WRITING MODELS IN WRITING AND ON-LINE CENTRES:
The Current Traditional Rhetoric Method:
It is the predominant theory.
It focuses on grammatical problems.
It provides students with remedial help.
Its focus is mainly on the text rather than improving the writer.
Expressivism:
It is a method that attempts to combat the problem of ignoring the student in favor of the text.
It perceives writing as a "means of self-discovery".
It highly values the development of a writer's individual, unique voice and views writing as a solitary activity, emphasizing the pre-writing and drafting stages of writing so that students can best communicate their ideas.
Scope of expressivism -> too limited.
Social Constructionism:
It is a sociological and psychological theory of knowledge that considers how social phenomena develop in particular social contexts.
It emphasizes the search for knowledge as a collaborative effort within each discipline.
The model implemented in Writing Centres.

8. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WRITING CENTRE:
Typically part of a writing program or learning centre.
Serve the entire school.
May differ in size, specific services, source of staffing and organizational procedures,
BUT they share some common approaches:
Tutorials are offered in a one-to-one setting.
Tutors are coaches and collaborators, not teachers.
Each student’s individual needs are the focus of the tutorial.
Experimentation and practice are encouraged.
Writers work on writing from a variety of courses.
Writing centres are available for students at all levels!

9. The Tutorial, The Tutor and The Student:
During the Tutorial:
2 students talk about a paper that one of them has written.
adult volunteers often used as tutors rather than peers.
Not a paper correction but tutor and student talk about the paper and any problems or concerns the student might have about it.
(Carl Roger's theory of client-centered-therapy)
Stephen North: "The Tutorial is the essence of the writing center method" (1995).
About Tutors:
Tutors: write -> they are there to help students become better writers, which will never occur if the tutor merely corrects errors and does nothing else.
Difficulty for tutor :to learn that the control of the paper must remain in the writer's hands:
Tutor’s responsibility:
-to provide non-evaluative, immediate oral feedback
-to attend only to one student’s questions
-to engage with the student in some active planning, drafting or revising
Main Goal: -to help one student working on a specific paper and develop general writing skills.
Asking questions -> Challenging students’ own answering -> Interaction
Motivation
Advantage: anxieties about writing are reduced by helpful coaching, positive reinforcement and the friendly listening ear of the tutor.
About Students:
The most important idea is to make the student feel safe enough and comfortable enough to be able to talk about their paper. Talking is crucial to the tutorial (North, 1995)
The lines of communication should be opened in this pre-textual stage. Murphy and Sherwood list several things that this part of the session can do:
The student can get his or her ideas out in the open where they can be reacted to, examined, discussed, clarified, tested, and, if necessary, revised.
The student has an opportunity to practice collaborative problem solving with an experienced writer who has the student's best interest in mind.
The student can observe, reflect upon, and perhaps internalize the invention processes of the tutor (1995).

10. EXAMPLES OF ON-LINE WRITING CENTRES
1. The Purdue Online Writing Lab            
The first online writing centre and the most famous one. It includes writing resources and instructional material and provides assistance with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.
2. MIT Online Writing and Communication Center            
The MIT Online Writing and Communication Centre mainly focuses on individualized instruction and treats writing as a process. It also emphasizes on accuracy, clarity and concision in order to achieve the best writing.
3. The Rice Online Writing Lab            It contains a lot of information about general and discipline-specific academic writing and business-professional writing. It mainly addresses Rice students, but its information and guidelines can help anyone, who wants to learn more in writing.

11. 4. The RSCC Online Writing Lab http://www. rscc. cc. tn
4.The RSCC Online Writing Lab            The OWL of Roane State Community College outlines the most common problem areas in college writing and writing in general as it provides very good tips for writers. It contains types of essays and students samples, research papers, editing and topics on Grammar and Punctuation.
5. The University of Texas Computer Writing and Research Lab        
The University of Texas Computer Writing and Research Lab gives students the opportunity to deal with recent Blogging pedagogy posts which deal with many issues they may find difficult to deal with, but still can work on through the several services offered. Students can exchange ideas with other students, follow guideline to write several genres, do projects and find useful resources.
6. Monash University: Language and Learning Online
This is a collection of resources from Monash University with online tutorials, examples of Writing for Subjects and interactive exercises on reading, writing, speaking, listening, study skills and grammar. It supports language and learning, facilitating students’ writing skills as well.

12. LIST OF ONLINE WRITING CENTRES
Amherst College Writing Center
Andrews University Writing Center
Arizona State University Writing Center
Armstrong Atlantic State University Writing Center
Ashland (OH) University Writing Center
Ball State University Writing Center
Bellevue Community College Writing Lab
Bemidji State University Writing Resource Center
Boise State University Writing Center
The Dorothy Sizemore-Smith Computer Assisted Writing Center at Bowie State University (brochure - writing center not online)
Bowling Green State University's Writing Lab
Brigham Young University's Writing Center
Bristol Community College Writing Lab
Brown University Writing Center
Bucknell University Writing Center
California State University
Chico University Writing Center
Fresno Writing Center
Northridge Learning Resource Center Writing Programs
Long Beach Writing Center
Los Angeles Writing Center
San Marcos Writing Center
California University of Pennsylvania Writing Center
Capital Community College Writing Center
Chesapeake College Academic Support Center - Writing Assistance
Alice Randall Writing Center at Christopher Newport University
Claremont Graduate University Writing Center
Carlson Writing Center at Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Clarke College Writing Center
Clarkson University Writing Center
Coe College Writing Center
Colby College Writers' Center
Colgate University Writing Center
College of Lake County Writing Center
College of Wooster Online Writing Lab
Collin County Community College Writing Centers
Colorado College Writing Center

13. Colorado School of Mines Writing Program (including Writing Center)
Colorado State University Writer's Center
Columbia College Chicago Writing Center
Community College of Denver Online Writing Lab
Community College of Southern Nevada Writing Centers
Cooperative Online Writing Lab (COWL) - at Bluefield College, Virginia
Cornell University John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines
Daemen College OWL (the Writing Space appears to be moving to the Daemon Library)
Dakota State University's OWL
Dartmouth College Student Center for Research, Writing & Information Technology
Del Mar College Stone Online Writing Center
DePaul University Center for Writing-Based Learning
Dickinson College Writing Center
Duke University Writing Studio
East Tennessee State University Writing & Communication Center
Eastern University Writing Center
Eastern Illinois University Writing Center
Elon College Writing Center
Ferris State University Writing Center
Fitchburg State College Writing Center
Florida Gulf Coast University Writing Center
Florida State University's Reading and Writing Center
Furman University's Collaboratory for Creative Learning and Communication (CCLC)
Fordham University Writing Center
Gallaudet University’sEnglish Works!
George Mason University Writing Center
Georgia Southern University Writing OWL
Gettysburg College Writing Center
Grinnell College Writing Lab
The Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center at Hamilton College
Harper College Writing Center
Harvard University Writing Center
Husson College Writing Center
Illinois Weslyan University Writing Center
Indiana State University Writing Center
Indiana University
Indiana University-Bloomington Writing Tutorial Service
Indiana University-South Bend Writing Center
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Writing Center
Iowa State University's Writing and Media Help Center
Johnson County Community College Writing Center
Kansas State University Writing Center

14. Kenyon College OWL http://www. foxytunes
Leeward Community College's Learning Resource Center
Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus Writing Center
Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus Writing Center
Los Angeles City College English/ESL Writing Centers (need Adobe Flash Player to access this site)
Loyola University-New Orleans Online Writing Lab
Lynchburg College Alton L. Wilmer Writing Center
Malaspina University College Writing Across the Curriculum Web Site
Maple Woods Community College Online Writing Lab
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences Writing Center
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Online Writing and Communication Center
Metropolitan State College of Denver Writing Center
Michigan State University Writing Center
Michigan Tech Writing Center
Millikin University Writing Center
New Mexico Tech Writing Center
Normandale Community College Writing Center
North Carolina State University Online Writing Lab
The Loft at North Seattle Community College
Northern Virginia Community College-Loudoun Campus Writing Center
Northeastern University Writing Center
Northwestern University's Center for the Writing Arts
Monroe County Community College Writing Center
Morraine Valley Community College Writing Center
New Mexico State University Writing Center
Ohio State University
Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
Newark Online Writing Lab
Oklahoma State University Writing Center
Oklahoma State University-Tulsa Writing Center
Oregon State OWL
Palo Alto College's Writing Assistance Center
Pennsylvania State University's Center for Excellence in Writing
Pennsylvania State University Allentown Writing Center
Pikes Peak Community College OWL
Portland State University Writing Center
Presbyterian College Writing Center
Princeton University Writing Center
Purdue University's OWL
Red Rocks Community College Writing Center

15. Rensselaer Writing Center http://www.ccp.rpi.edu/
Rice University OWL
Roane State Community College OWL
The Cyberspace Writing Center Consultation Project: Writing Works -- Presented by Roane State Community College and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Rollins College Writing Center at TJ's
St. Cloud State University's Writing Center
Salt Lake Community College Writing Center
Salve Regina University Writing Center
San Francisco State University Department of English Tutoring Center
San Jose State University English Department Writing Center
Scottsdale Community College Writing Center
Seattle University Writing Center OWL
Shasta College Writing Center
Shepherd University Writing Center
Skidmore College Writing Center
South Seattle Community College Writing Center
Southeastern Louisiana University Online Writing Center
Southwest Texas State University Student Learning Assistance Center OWL
Debby Ellis Writing Center - Southwestern University State University of New York
Broome Community College Writing Center
College at Geneseo Writing Learning Center
Dutchess Community College Writing Center
Empire State College's Online Writing Lab (The Writer's Complex)
University of Albany OWL
State University of West Georgia OWL
Sweet Briar College Academic Resource Center Writing Services
Syracuse University Writing Center
Taft Community College
Temple University Writing Center
Texas A&M Writing Center
Texas Christian University William L. Adams Center for Writing
Texas Tech University Writing Center
Texas Women's University OWL
Tidewater Community College Writing Center
Trinidad State Junior College Writing Center
Trinity College Writing Center
Troy State University Writing Center

16. Truman State University Writing Center http://writingcenter. truman
United States Naval Academy's Writing Center
Union College (NY) Writing Center
University of Alabama at Huntsville Writing Center
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville Quality Writing Center
The Cyberspace Writing Center Consultation Project: Writing Works -- presented by Roane State Community College and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Baltimore Academic Resource Center
University of California
USC Berkeley Writing Programs
Davis Campus Writing Center
Irvine Learning and Academic Resource Center
University of Central Florida Write Site
University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder WRITELINK
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Writing Center
University of Colorado at Denver Writing Center
University of Connecticut Writing Center
University of Delaware Writing Center
University of the District of Columbia Reading/Writing Connection
University of Florida Reading and Writing Center
University of Georgia Writing Center
University of Idaho Writing Center
University of Illinois
Chicago Writing Center
Urbana-Champaign Writers' Workshop
University of Kansas Writing Center
University of Kentucky Writing Center
University of Maine Writing Center Online
University of Melbourne Learning Skills
University of Miami Writing Center
University of Michigan
Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing Center
University of Michigan-Dearborn Online Writing Center
University of Michigan-Flint Writing Center
University of Minnesota
Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Writing
Department of Rhetoric Online Writing Center
The Student Writing Center Homepage (CLA)
Writing Support Network
University of Mississippi Writing Center
University of Missouri: The Online Writery

17. University of Nevada-Las Vegas Writing Center http://www. unlv
University of New Hampshire Online Writing Center and Writing Across the Curriculum Page
University of New Mexico CAPS Online Tutoring Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center
University of Northern Colorado Writing Center
L'Universite d'Ottawa Center d'ecriture
University of Pittsburgh English Department Web Site
University of Puget Sound Center for Writing and Learning
University of Richmond Writing Center and WAC Program
University of San Francisco Writing Center
University of South Carolina
Writing Center
Aiken On-Line Writing Room
University of Southern California Writing Center
University of Southern Colorado OWL
University of Tennessee-Knoxville Writing Center
University of Texas
Austin Writing Center
Brownsville/Texas Southmost College Writing Lab
University of Toledo Writing Center
University of Toronto
Writing Centre
Engineering Writing Centre
Health Sciences Writing Centre
Innis College Writing Centre
Mississauga Academic Skills Centre
Scarborough College Writing Centre
Trinity College Writing Advisory Centre
University College Writing Workshop
University of Vermont Writing Center

18. University of Victoria Hypertext Writer's Guide http://web. uvic
University of Washington Writing Centers
Business Writing Center
English Writing Center
Political Science Writing Center
Psychology Writing Center
Sociology Writing Center
University of Washington-Bothell Writing Center
University of Washington-Tacoma Writing Center
University of Western Ontario: The Western On-line Writing Lab
University of Wisconsin-Madison Online Writing Center
University of Wyoming Writing Center
Valaparaiso University Writing Center
Virginia Tech Writing Center
Washburn University Writing Center
Washington State University OWL
Weber State University Writing Center
Wesleyan University Writing Workshop
Western Washington University Writing Center
Whatcom Community College Online Writing Center
Wilkes University Writing Center
Winona State University Writing Center
Winthrop University Writing Center
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Center for Communication Across the Curriculum
Xavier University of Louisiana Writing Center
Youngstown State University Writing Center

19. Important to Remember:
The Writing Centre is not, in its essence, a remedial facility—a place for "bad" writers. While it does help students in need of remediation, it also helps students who write quite well but who recognize that improvement is both possible and desirable.

21. Works Cited
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Raising our sights: No high school seniors left behind. (2001, October). Final Report. National Commission on the High School Senior Year.  Retrieved November 1, 2006 from:
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Wright, Sharon. "Mapping Diversity: Writing Center Survey Results."Writing Lab Newsletter 18 (1994):1-4