GtPathways W-GTA Orientation: Grading and Responding to Undergraduate Writing Sue Doe Assistant Professor of English Colorado State University Sue.Doe@colostate.edu.

gtPathways W-GTA Orientation: Grading and Responding to Undergraduate Writing
Sue Doe Assistant Professor of English Colorado State University

Overview of Orientation
Part One Introduction to the CSU gtPathways Writing Integration A Sample Assignment—Overview, Initial Read, Holistic Criteria and Ranks Part Two Initial Grading of the Paper—Use Course-Provided Scoring Sheet Develop and Apply Holistic Criteria Analytic scoring—strategies and choices Part Three Commenting/responding to student writing Common problems students have with academic writing; grading and responding as part of the instructional team Interventions through peer review, conferences, office hours Resources: International Student Writing TILT Teaching Certificate and Other Resources Writing Center

Part One Introduction to the CSU gtPathways Writing Integration
A Sample Assignment—Overview and Holistic Sorting

Local Writing Resources
Google search possible on virtually any writing topic. Over 100K pages of writing information, most authored at CSU. Writing tools available through Writing Studio-keep track of your drafts, your biblios, your reading, etc. Same tools available for undergrads and others specialized resources to support your efforts with your assistantship The Writing Center and WAC Visit Eddy 6 (The physical writing center) or submit papers electronically for feedback Request a workshop on any writing subject

What it is, where it came from
gtPathways What it is, where it came from

State Guaranteed Transfer: gtPathways
gtPathways Curriculum Adopted as part of the CCHE (now CDOE) Academic Affairs Policy I, Part L: Statewide Transfer Policy. Built upon concepts found in the Student Bill of Rights (a.k.a, the King Bill), § C.R.S: “The Commission, in consultation with each Colorado public institution of higher education, is directed to outline a plan to implement a core course concept” “The core of courses shall consist of at least thirty credit hours, but shall not exceed forty credit hours” “Individual institutions of higher education shall conform their own core course requirements with the guidelines developed by the Commission…”

Major Changes to Colorado Colleges and Universities
Adams State College: Faculty Senate agreed to adopt gtPathways curriculum for institutional general education curriculum Fort Lewis College: Restructuring entire general education curriculum to meet gtPathways requirements; modifying junior-level writing courses to meet gtPathways requirements (i.e., 200-level) University of Northern Colorado: Charting the Future; reducing general education course offerings to courses; restructuring curriculum to meet gtPathways curriculum Colorado State University: Integrating writing into general education AHUM and SOCS courses (25% of grades in writing assignments); adding 3 credit hours in AHUM

One Policy Goal of gtPathways
Students shall have assurance of: “A quality general education experience that develops competencies in reading, writing, mathematics, technology, and critical thinking through an integrated arts and science experience.”

What Matters in College Writing?
Write for a few minutes about the qualities of writing that you believe all first-year college students should develop—essential abilities they’ll need your beliefs about student writing ability right now and what that belief is based on the kinds of support students need to improve where, how, and when writing instruction should be given in college contexts Put your name on this piece of paper as you’ll be turning it in. Bring to front table at the end of session today or at a break. Discuss your beliefs with 2-3 neighboring people

Select Paper 1, 2, or 3 If your last name begins with A-H, take a copy of P1 If your last name begins with I-R, take a copy of P2 If your last name begins with S-Z, take a copy of P3

Intro to Anthropology Assignment Pick a question to write about:
Option #1) Katherine went to Mali to address the issues of childhood malnutrition. A)What did she discover to be the primary causes? B) How did she come to these results? (i.e., What questions did she ask? What data did she collect?) Option #2) Malian life is very different from American life. What are some of the biggest differences Katherine encountered? Did Katherine embrace or resist these differences? Explain your answer.

Guidance About Source Use
While you don’t need to formally cite my lectures, please use language such as “according to lecture” or “as discussed in class” to alert me to class-specific material. Please remember, any concepts taken from the textbook the ethnography, or RamCT must be cited with an in-text citation and bibliography entry. Examples of how to cite a chapter/article from the textbook: Labajo, J. (2003) Body and voice: the construction of gender in flamenco. In T. Magrini (Ed.) Music and gender: perspectives from the Mediterranean (pp Chicago: University of Chicago Press Tollifson, J. (197).Imperfection is a beautiful thing: On disability and mediation. In K. Fries (Ed.), Staring back (pp ). New York: Plume.

Additional Instructions
Write a 3-5 page response. Be sure to: Provide a short introduction (3 sentences or so) Include specific details from the ethnography Incorporate vocabulary and concepts from lecture and the textbook. Use 1-inch margins and 12-point font Staple your pages together Do NOT include a title page or title. Simply put your name and question number in the right-hand corner of the first page Double space the paper Follow APA citation and bibliography guidelines Use proper in-text citation Include a bibliography Obtain information on APA format at

Hierarchy of Rhetorical Concerns
Audience, Purpose, Occasion Focus: Thesis, Reasons, Unity/Coherence Development: Reasons, Evidence, Explanation Style/Mechanics/Conventions: Readability, Care and Polish, Patterns of Error

Hierarchical Concerns Detailed
Audience Who is the writer’s audience? Is this an academic audience? What are the expectations? Purpose Is this piece of writing intended to inform? Analyze? Explore? Summarize? Argue? Development What kinds of evidence does the audience expect? Does the context demand clarification through examples, data, etc.?

Hierarchical Concerns continued
Organization Is the writing organized in a coherent way? Do transitions guide the reader through the logic of the paper? Style and Conventions What style is appropriate for the context in terms of audience and purpose? What register or level of formality Is appropriate? (For instance, can the writer use “I” in this context?) Are there locations where the writing is hard to follow or comprehension is disrupted? If so, can I discern why? Are there patterns of error showing any of the Top Five error patterns: 1) subject–verb agreement, 2) run-on and fragmented sentences, 3) unclear or incorrect pronoun agreement, 4) verb tense inconsistencies, 5) weak comma use

Holistic Process Before you begin reading the sample papers, read the assignment information In groups of three, do a “read-around” of the set of three papers you now have. Sort High, Medium, and Low. As time allows, discuss the papers with your partners

High Medium and Low What are the standards you would apply to a minimally satisfactory (C-level) performance for this paper? Would the LOW paper meet these standards? Homework Review In general, does the High Medium Low sorting method lend itself to a 6-point holistic scoring scale? What parts, if any, from this scoring rubric would work with the essay assignment we’re examining?

During Break With Care, Read the “Rubric for Holistic Scoring of a Thesis-Restricted Paper.” Bring this rubric back to training tomorrow. Be prepared to discuss: How does the High Medium Low sorting method lend itself to a 6-point holistic scoring scale? What parts, if any, from this scoring guide would work with the essay assignment we are examining?

PART TWO Scoring and Grading Using Various Methods
Working for consistency—either faculty-led or GTA-led norming sessions Grading consistency (for yourself across a stack of papers and also across a group of GTAs or faculty) is possible but isn’t easy or safely assumed to occur Agreed-upon priorities are essential Spot-checking by peers or others is desirable

Sort, Read, and Comment (or Stop, Drop, and Roll)
Apply the sorting strategy for a set of papers. While this sounds like a time-consuming extra step, it actually saves you time in the long run. The Sorting Strategy Sort into three stacks—high, medium, low If possible, stack within categories (High + and High -) so that you have 6 stacks Read with hierarchy of concerns in mind Provide an end comment that is forward-looking and focused Substantiate end comment with a few marginal comments

Grading—Becoming Part of the Instructional Team
Consistency and fairness Criteria-based grading vs. norming Time management through Hierarchies of Rhetorical Concern Holistic and Analytic Evaluation Grading and Responding—Two Tass

GRADING Remember: you are only assigning a grade; students earn those grades. You do not GIVE grades. They do not GET grades. Consider using a 24-hour moratorium and a conference appointment system for grade protests Ask Your Faculty Supervisor: Will there be calibration or norming sessions to identify standards and/or achieve reliability? Are you allowed to return a paper ungraded in the case of careless or unacceptable work with a 24-hour window of opportunity before default to F? Are revisions allowed? If so, what are the processes?

Grading For What Matters—Purposes of Assignments
What is the TASK being required by the assignment—to inform, to explore, to convince, to describe, to compare, to summarize, to persuade? Find the VERB or VERBS and you’ll know the task. Is this a thesis-provided paper for which students must defend of refute? a problem-solution paper in which students are given a problem or question that demands a thesis and support? Is a data-provided paper for which students are expected to analyze and explain? a genre-provided paper, in which students are expected to follow an organizational structure or format in an accepted form, such as a memo, case study, lab report, or executive summary? write-to-learn or write-to-engage writing for which students are expected to explore and/or develop their thinking rather than to produce a polished paper? an in-class essay, reflecting comprehension of course material?

Intro to Anthropology Assignment Pick a question to write about:
Option #1) Katherine went to Mali to address the issues of childhood malnutrition. A)What did she discover to be the primary causes? B) How did she come to these results? (i.e., What questions did she ask? What data did she collect?) Option #2) Malian life is very different from American life. What are some of the biggest differences Katherine encountered? Did Katherine embrace or resist these differences? Explain your answer.

Grading Rubric Item Points Available Points Earned 150 Answers Part A
Option 1) causes of malnutrition Option 2) biggest cultural differences 40 Answers Part B Option 1) methods of discovery Option 2) embrace or resist 3 pages minimum 10 Includes specific details from the ethnography 20 Incorporates concepts from lecture/textbook Includes in-text citations Includes a bibliography E-Copy Submitted On time? Total Points Earned 150

Holistic Grading Ranking 1-6
Think of 3 as minimally acceptable—aims of assignment are being met but only marginally. “Gestures” toward sound approaches are there, but student will need a great deal of assistance. This is a student who might be considered “at-risk” but also offers a tremendous opportunity for development through GTA impact.

Use scoring tools to assist with grading
Consider Three Approaches benchmark and anchor paper approach traditional analytic rubric with dimensions continuum approach

Approach #1: Anchor Papers
Consider writing an evaluation paragraph or narrative that explains what’s necessary to earn a C paper on this assignment. In other words, what MUST a paper accomplish to be deemed “adequate” and to exceed this lowest, acceptable standard for this assignment? --The C paper has a clear thesis or focus, shows a satisfactory degree of development /support of points, and is reasonably easy to read/follow --The B paper does everything the C paper does but goes further to provide deeper development of points, a more satisfactory selection of evidence, a coherent structure/organization, and a more compelling set of insights --The A paper does everything the B paper does but goes further to provide a more unified, fully developed, and polished paper that is a pleasure to read because it offers good insights that are expressed well It can be useful to distribute or post this explanation

Approach #2: Traditional Rubric
Component Parts Assignment itself Dimensions/priorities/criteria Scale with levels of achievement. Levels can be continuums or reflect categories such as “proficient,” “competent,” “needs work.” Can associate levels with points* Space for specific comments * Be careful to not create a checklist effect. Remember that meaningful quality indicators will be indicated so the simple presence or absence of a feature is insuficient.

Traditional Rubric with both Holistic and Analytic Features Dimension
Traditional Rubric with both Holistic and Analytic Features Dimension Excellent Competent Needs Work Clarity and accuracy of article summary Focus of response—clear thesis Development, Organization & Coherence of Response Readability, Mechanics, Source Citation Overall Comment: Grade: ___

Course-Provided Grading Rubric
Item Points Available Points Earned Answers Part A Option 1) causes of malnutrition Option 2) biggest cultural differences 40 Answers Part B Option 1) methods of discovery Option 2) embrace or resist 3 pages minimum 10 Includes specific details from the ethnography 20 Incorporates concepts from lecture/textbook Includes in-text citations Includes a bibliography E-Copy Submitted On time? Total Points Earned 150

Steps for Creating Traditional Rubrics
List key elements/features to assess, based on course and assignment objectives Refine and simplify key elements, then consider their relative importance or weight Place most important dimension at the top Do a common sense check to see if weighting of criteria is meaningful and rational. If possible, avoid points. Percentages are better but keep them broad. Too much refinement of points can lead to “grade-grubbing.” Decide where you will comment--on the rubric or on the paper itself? Commenting itself is not optional. Decide if you’ll give feedback/comment on all criteria or only on certain ones Make clear where the overall grade appears

Points Approach—Advantages/Disadvantages?
Dimension & Weight—100 point paper Excellent Competent Developing Score & Dimension Overall: 122/150 (80%) Question Answered –80 points possible X Comment about strength of the argument here 68/80 (85%) Text Evidence Well Selected and Organized—40 points possible X Comment on how to better choose evidence 30/40 (67%) Citation & Biblio—10 points possible X Comment on key PATTERNS of error here 14/20 (70%) 3 pages, logistics check X 10/10 (100%)

Approach #3: The Continuum Approach
Once you have determined the most important aspects or criteria for grading, consider using a continuum to describe where the student is in their application of this criteria. This avoids the oft-times awkward approach of assigning points or percentages with criteria-based evaluation. Example (criteria 3) from the Washington State U “Critical Thinking Guide”: Identifies and considers salient perspectives and positions important to the issue’s analysis Scant Substantial  

Likely Grading Criteria
Clarity of points and coherence of organization clearly state the purpose of your essay answer all questions related to the ethnography accurately define causes of malnutrition or cultural differences explain methods of inquiry/discovery and explain whether differences are embraced or resisted 2) Quality/depth of analysis. You need to make your position on each development point clear. Provide arguments that are supported by information (i.e., evidence from text, lecture & ethnography). Meet or exceed the page requirements. MOU seeks synthesis! 3) Quality of writing. Your ideas need to be clearly expressed. This includes proper spelling, grammar, expression of ideas, and citation of sources

Discussion What strengths and weaknesses of scoring approaches do you see here? Would you combine strategies from the three approaches?

PART 3—Commenting & Responding
We rehearse “commenting” with HINT (How to Improve Next Time) in mind We consider our role as coach, as teacher, as mentor, and role model, as writer. We are part of the INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM. We try out various kinds of comments—end comments & opening comments; marginal substantiation of the end comment; marginal questions; marginal reader-response comments, marginal queries about substance; positive reinforcement of good insights or writerly choices; error pattern comments

Write to Engage What was the most helpful feedback you’ve ever gotten on a piece of writing? What made it helpful? What was the least helpful feedback you’ve ever gotten on a piece of writing? What made it less than helpful? As you hear others’ experiences, what generalization(s) can you draw?

Managing Your Time Through a 3-Part End Comment
Sum up the strengths of the paper Identify the main problems to be worked on Provide a specific suggestion for how to improve the paper, based on the main problem(s) already identified And Remember: You can’t respond to everything in a paper. There are real people on the receiving end. Comments are not principally for “justifying” a grade. Your are providing formative feedback students can use with the next paper, even if it’s not in this class. Remember: HINT Consider using questions and other response approaches besides “correction” in your marginal comments.

Comment on the sample paper
Now try the 3-part end comment with your sample paper Find locations in the paper that substantiate your observations in the end comments and add marginal comments here Ask an important question in the margin at a location where the writer is on to something but not quite there Find a location where you can observe something positive the writing is doing or trying to do

Reviewing Marginal Comment Options
Substantiate the end comment by providing an exact location where the paper problem occurs Identify KEY points that are missing and focus on these learning needs Ask a question that will get the student to think further Provide advice on locations to add evidence or choose different evidence Offer a “reader-response” comment that shows you are engaged and interested as a reader Point out any location where the reader is making a good decision in his or her writing Identify one of the Top 5 mechanical errors that the student demonstrates

Opening Comment vs. End Comment
End comments are often not read because the student is focused on the grade. Try writing the “end” comment at the top of the paper to direct the student’s reading of your marginal comments and to briefly put off the inevitable turn to the back of the paper for the grade.

Basic Principles of Commenting-Also Covered in Grade Reviews
Your goal is formative, as in “Next time…” Focus on the most important advice a writer needs at this time. Precede your commenting with holistic sorting and keep your comments consistently focused Vary your comment types in the margins rather than only observing deficiencies Play the believing game and find a positive feature Use a 3-part end comment at first but know how predictable it is Show how weaknesses relate to one another Make sure the grade and evaluation criteria are connected and accurately reflected in your comments Do a common sense check

Avoid the Grammar Trap Students’ writing usually contains fewer mistakes than instructors and graders perceive. Errors are nearly always “patterned” rather than discreet Students often have more linguistic competence than the surface features of their writing suggests Errors in student writing increase in direct correspondence to increasing difficulty of the assignment Errors often disappear in students’ writing as they progress through multiple drafts You can expect to see more serious sentence problems in first drafts and on essay exams

Avoiding the Grammar Trap
Not all errors are equal! Don’t get into the habit of correcting/marking student errors. It’s NOT helpful and it’s a poor use of your time. Mark ONE paragraph or identify a pattern and say, “The problem continues” and explain what the problem or error pattern is. Perhaps it’s not grammar at all but “academic voice”? Traditional procedures for marking student papers may make matters worse. Save your students! Traditional procedures for marking student papers may make you sour and ineffective. Save yourself! Remember that once you start responding, you are the WRITER and the student is the READER.

Peer Review of Comments
Identify the major strength your partner noted in this paper. What locations did the GTA point out to substantiate this claim of strength? How accurate do you believe this evaluation is? Identify the guidance or advice your partner noted as a central concern in this paper. What locations did your partner identify to substantiate the claim of “needs improvement” Identify the concrete suggestion for improvement that your partner noted. Would an undergraduate understand this advice and be able to follow it? How accurate do you believe this advice is? Characterize the tone/attitude of feedback your partner has provided. Could it be improved and if so, how? Are your partner’s comments forward-looking and formative in nature or do the comments seem defensive, as if justifying the grade? Has the grader used the HINT advice (how to improve next time)? HOW MIGHT YOU USE PEER REVIEW (IN-CLASS OR ELECTRONIC) TO INTERVENE IN STUDENTS’ WRITING PROCESSES? DISCUSS IDEAS WITH YOUR FACULTY SUPERVISOR

Teaching in the margins Professor Kate Kiefer -- Udts
Teaching in the margins Professor Kate Kiefer -- Udts

Commenting Advice “The writing teacher’s ministry is not just to the words but to the person who wrote the words.” William Zinsser “The best kind of commentary enhances the writer’s feeling of dignity. The worst kind can be dehumanizing and insulting—often to the bewilderment of the teacher whose intentions were kindly but whose techniques ignored the personal dimension of writing.” --John Bean /

Revision Processes and Strategies for GTA Intervention—Works Especially for Staged Assignments
Early, mid, and late interventions Early Topic proposal (subject, topic, issue, question) Research question + tentative thesis Seminal source description Mid Annotated bibliography (text partners) or source evaluation Summary and response to one source Quote and paraphrase sheet for one source Introduction review, especially if multiple sources. Use “templates” for entering conversation Prospectus in full sentences (one page) Late Full draft workshop on one paper Full draft peer review on all papers Conference—writers talk about the draft they bring and revision plan

International Student Writing
Nancy Berry Intensive English Program -Introduce myself; explain why I’m here -acknowledge that native speakers of English have issues with writing in English – writing, especially academic writing, is not a popular activity for most undergraduates – aside from issues of motivation, degrees of writing ability vary greatly among American undergraduates So when we talk about international student writing, we have the same issues – motivation and ability – and then we add in the fact that English is not the student’s native language How many of you have had the experience of being an “international student writer”? What were some of the issues you faced? Point out that many of the difficulties with writing assignments expressed by the audience are the very same difficulties the international students in your classes will face---

International Students at CSU
About 1200 international students and scholars from over 100 countries International Undergraduates Clear admission (TOEFL and IELTS scores) Conditional admission Completion of Intensive English Program required Generation 1.5 students -But before we get into the challenges associated with International student writing, let’s look at some information related to international students at CSU and how that might impact you and the classes you will be teaching There are about 1200 international students and scholars from over 100 countries at CSU – of those 1200, some are from countries where English is the native language, and a good number of the 1200 are graduate students or researchers So let’s look a little closer at the remaining number – undergraduates from countries where English is not the native language – in other words, international students who may end up in your classes These international undergraduates fall into 3 categories: Clear admits: when being considered for admission, these students must not only have the academic credentials – good high school grades, etc…, but they must also demonstrate English proficiency by taking either the TOEFL exam or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) – If students score at or above a certain score established by CSU undergraduate admissions, CSU will grant these students what is called a “clear admission” – and they are not required to take classes at the IEP Conditional admits: if the students do NOT get the necessary score for “clear admission” they may be granted what is called “conditional admission” which means they have the necessary academic credentials but they need to improve their English language proficiency – those students are required to complete the Intensive English Program – more on the IEP to come Generation 1.5 students: In addition to international students who have either passed the TOEFL or IELTS or who have completed the IEP, you may also have students in your classes who were born in the U.S. and have graduated from U.S. high schools, but come from households where the primary language spoken at home is not English. These students are likely to be children of immigrants and are known as Generation 1.5 students. Some of these students may have English language issues related to reading and writing.

Intensive English Program (IEP)
Primary mission: Provide quality English language instruction to prepare international undergraduate students for academic work at American universities Placement exam 6 levels of instruction (Beginning – Advanced) Focus now on the writing preparation international students who have gone through the IEP are exposed to – All conditionally admitted students take the IEP placement exam – grammar, listening, reading, oral interview and writing sample – based on results of placement exam, students are placed into classes – beginning through advanced

Writing Curriculum at the IEP
Beginning levels – sentence to paragraph Intermediate levels – paragraph to 5-paragraph essay Advanced levels Paraphrasing Incorporating information from outside sources Citation formats Specific rhetorical patterns (cause-effect, compare-contrast, argumentation, etc…) All levels – attention to language (grammar, spelling, vocabulary) Six levels of instruction – focus is on academic writing/American academic expectations: 2 beginning levels: writing instruction focuses initially on writing complete, grammatically correct sentences and progressing to writing paragraphs 2 intermediate levels: instruction centers on writing paragraphs that are clearly focused and adequately supported – expanding the paragraph into the five-paragraph essay 2 advanced levels: reading and writing instruction is combined; in previous levels support for ideas came from personal experience and examples – at advanced levels, instruction centers on finding and incorporating information from outside sources to support ideas and opinions – involves paraphrasing, summarizing, citing sources -Students learn how to write cause-effect, compare-contrast, argumentation and survey essays; and how to respond to essay questions on exams -Throughout all writing classes, attention is given to content, organization and mechanics – word order, grammar, spelling and vocabulary – the focus is on the writing process – students write 2 – 3 drafts of all assignments and get written and oral feedback (conferences) from instructors and in some cases, peers While ideally, all students graduating from the IEP should be excellent writers in English, that’s generally not the reality. Our students make tremendous progress in their writing while at the IEP, but it takes many years and lots of practice to develop high levels of writing proficiency Note: If you have international students in your classes who are clear admits, they may or may not have had specific instruction in writing academic essays or paraphrasing or using in-text citations – In other words, writing in an American academic context

International Student Writing Samples Advanced Two Level
Peoples all over the world are buying and selling organs illegally. The growing markets involve poor local donors and an international contingent of wealthy buyers. In America, more than 95,000 peoples are waiting for organ transplants and in the last year thousands died waiting for surgery. As this result, many people need organs, but there aren’t enough to provide to sick people. However, although there are lots of people who are waiting, some people still buy organs illegally. Because of those who obtain the organs in unlawful ways, the waiting list for organs is growing longer and longer. As the waiting list grows longer more poor people suffer. There is a 10-year-old girl named Jessica. She is suffering from liver disease. She has been waiting for a donation for a year, but her illness is getting worse. Her parents decided to buy an organ in an unrighteous way. It means the other person who was waiting for the organ might have to wait more and die. Should her parents be allowed to buy an organ with sacrificing another life? Jessica’s parents shouldn’t be allowed to pay to obtain a liver because it injures others who are waiting for the organ and isn’t fair to others.

International Student Writing Samples (cont.)
The Family Doesn’t Have the Right to an Organ If you had a daughter, and she needed to transplant a liver, what would you do for her? Were you going to hurt other people for her? Nowadays, there are a few numbers of people who know what bioethics means, but there are some who don’t. Bioethics relates to our beliefs and what is right and wrong in medical science. Transplant organs by buying and selling are very common these days because a lot of people who need transplant go to buy organs from poor people by saying it saves time and helps ailing people. There is a case study that tells there is a little girl who needed a transplant in her liver from a wealthy family, and her name is Jessica. She and her parents had been waiting to transplant a liver for a year, so finally the family decided to buy a liver by saying she will die before she reaches to the top of the waiting list. Jessica’s family shouldn’t buy a liver because it is fair for people who don’t have enough money like Jessica’s family and they harm other people by buying a liver before people who were before her in the waiting list.

IEP Classes as Cultural Bridge
Rote memorization to critical thinking Student as passive recipient to student as active class participant Understanding the line between ‘helping friends’ and cheating Expectations of the American academic audience Explicit, concise prose Acknowledging and giving credit to the ideas of others (avoiding plagiarism) It’s not enough to just each IEP students the how-tos of writing a paragraph or academic essay in English, we also act as a cultural bridge between the academic and cultural expectations of the students’ native culture and the academic and cultural expectations at CSU. Again, those students who have not attended the IEP because they gained clear admission to CSU, may not have the knowledge necessary to bridge this gap. Some of the major issues, we at the IEP have recognized are: That in some educational systems around the world, students are expected to memorize information provided by their teachers and regurgitate that information word-for-word on exams. As a result, they are lost when they are expected to demonstrate critical thinking. Related to this is that students may not be used to participating actively in classes, responding to questions posed by the teacher or participating in pairs or groups to solve problems In some cultures, the needs of the group are more important than the individual’s and if a friend asks for your help with an assignment, you are obligated to provide that help. At the IEP, we help students understand when such helping is considered cheating and teach students ways to avoid getting themselves into these situations while honoring the importance of the group. One of the most challenging aspects of the IEP’s role as a cultural bridge is teaching students about the expectations of the American academic audience when it comes to writing. Many of them come from cultures where it is considered rude or insulting to be as direct and explicit as American academic writing is expected to be. And plagiarism – what it is, why it is considered such a bad thing, and the consequences of being caught – is an ongoing topic of discussion in IEP classes – there is no universal standard regarding plagiarism – the idea of intellectual property is a uniquely Western one Teaching students how to avoid plagiarism is the focus of much of our instruction in the IEP’s advanced writing classes. Unfortunately, this does not mean that graduates of our program will not plagiarize when they are students in your class and often it is done for the same reasons American students plagiarize – desperation, time, feeling overwhelmed

Challenges Faced by GTAs Related to International Student Writing
Grammar and incomprehensibility Students not understanding the assignment Issues of fairness: finding a balance between maintaining standards and showing compassion Plagiarism Time

Strategies for Dealing with the Challenges
Start with a well-designed assignment Provide explicit expectations and instructions (oral and written) When grading, be clear about goals/objectives of assignment Read paper out loud Become familiar with resources available through the Writing Center and the IEP Handout: addresses each of the challenges with strategies in more detail, but I will briefly touch on some major guidelines here First of all, understand that initially grading international student papers may take more time – for most of you, that may mean one or two students each semester – for some of you maybe no international students at all Offensive strategies – before the assignment is turned in -Well-designed assignment – I know that you do not always have control over the way assignments are written but I have learned from personal experience that a poorly designed assignment results in poorly written assignments -Expectations about quantity, quality, allowable sources, the line between individual and group effort need to be clearly stated – in writing and orally (encourage students to come see you during office hours if they do not understand the assignment) Grading – if the assignment and expectations are clear at the outset, that should mitigate some of the issues related to international student writing – however, most international students do not have native-speaker control over grammar, syntax, punctuation and vocabulary – so there may be problems in those areas – when you are grading their papers, make sure that you are not letting those problems get in the way of recognizing that the students have understood and met the content objectives of the assignment – how much in fact do grammar and mechanics weigh in the overall grading rubric (which your students should have when they are given the assignment initially) If you are having difficulty seeing beyond the mistakes, read the paper out loud. You will find that you are able then to focus on the ideas and the organization of those ideas and not the grammatical mistakes. However, if you still can’t understand the paper, then that paper probably deserves a low grade. Compassion for grammar issues may be appropriate; however, you are not doing students any favors by passing them if they clearly do not have it – the compassionate thing is to give them feedback to improve performance in the future Understand that your ability to read and comprehend these papers will increase the more you have to grade. The last point is that the Writing Center can be an invaluable resource for you and your international students. And of course, the IEP is also a resource available to you

Intensive English Program
IEP Contact Info: Nancy Berry Intensive English Program Certainly having international students in your class can pose challenges – but I also want to emphasize that their presence in your classroom offers some significant benefits as well – learning about their cultures and seeing your own culture from a different perspective – challenging your assumptions, making you a better teacher In the meantime, if you have any questions, you can contact me by or phone. I wish you all the best!

GtPathways W-GTA Orientation: Grading and Responding to Undergraduate Writing Sue Doe Assistant Professor of English Colorado State University Sue.Doe@colostate.edu.

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GtPathways W-GTA Orientation: Grading and Responding to Undergraduate Writing Sue Doe Assistant Professor of English Colorado State University Sue.Doe@colostate.edu.

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