Presentation/Proposal Title
Turning Headwinds into Tailwinds: Assessing Student Dissatisfaction in the Writing Center
Type of Presentation/Proposal
Individual Presentation or Paper
Start Date
5-4-2019 3:15 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 4:15 PM
Keywords
student dissatisfaction, exit surveys, student confidence levels
Description
In “Decisions…Decisions: Who Chooses to Use the Writing Center?” Lori Salem (2016) argues that writing centers’ fundamental pedagogy, as well as stereotypes students hold about writing centers, create barriers for students. She notes these barriers are often difficult to define or assess, since the students who don’t come to the writing center seldom have the ability to voice their concerns about our work. Despite this, Salem points out that, “there has been no meaningful investigation of the decision not to come to the writing center.” This raises the question: how do we effectively assess students’ dissatisfaction or misperceptions about the writing center?
To begin to answer this question, this presentation will use our university’s writing center student exit survey data. Specifically, data from three AYs (2016-2018) will be examined, which include almost 200 exit surveys in which the students ranked the tutorial session as “fair” or “poor,” or the students reported feeling “unconfident” or “very unconfident” about their ability to complete the writing assignment after the tutorial session. This presentation will focus on factors such as students’ dissatisfaction and/or misconceptions about our tutoring pedagogy/practices, as well as their concerns about interpersonal dynamics with their tutors. Participants in this session will learn ways to assess—and potentially address—barriers which might prevent students from using the writing center, turning old headwinds into new tailwinds.
Turning Headwinds into Tailwinds: Assessing Student Dissatisfaction in the Writing Center
Alumni Boardroom
In “Decisions…Decisions: Who Chooses to Use the Writing Center?” Lori Salem (2016) argues that writing centers’ fundamental pedagogy, as well as stereotypes students hold about writing centers, create barriers for students. She notes these barriers are often difficult to define or assess, since the students who don’t come to the writing center seldom have the ability to voice their concerns about our work. Despite this, Salem points out that, “there has been no meaningful investigation of the decision not to come to the writing center.” This raises the question: how do we effectively assess students’ dissatisfaction or misperceptions about the writing center?
To begin to answer this question, this presentation will use our university’s writing center student exit survey data. Specifically, data from three AYs (2016-2018) will be examined, which include almost 200 exit surveys in which the students ranked the tutorial session as “fair” or “poor,” or the students reported feeling “unconfident” or “very unconfident” about their ability to complete the writing assignment after the tutorial session. This presentation will focus on factors such as students’ dissatisfaction and/or misconceptions about our tutoring pedagogy/practices, as well as their concerns about interpersonal dynamics with their tutors. Participants in this session will learn ways to assess—and potentially address—barriers which might prevent students from using the writing center, turning old headwinds into new tailwinds.
