What’s That Supposed to Mean? Using Feedback on Your Writing

Jillian Grauman

Volume 4

Chapter Description

Providing feedback to students is one of the most challenging parts of a composition instructor’s job (Caswell; Straub, Practice), and making use of that feedback (whether provided by a professor, tutor, or classmate) is just as challenging for students. While research has shown that students prefer feedback that helps them to revise some substantial part of their paper (Haswell; Lizzio and Wilson), they don’t always receive this kind of feedback—and even when they do, many students still tend to have a difficult time making revisions. This chapter 1) helps students understand that having difficulty using and interpreting feedback is normal—that using feedback successfully is actually a learned skill—and 2) presents recommendations students can tailor to their own contexts and goals. It includes four major sections: a personal narrative, an overview of typical challenges, recommendations for using feedback, and student revision examples.

Alternate Downloads: 

You may also download this chapter from Parlor Press or WAC Clearinghouse.

Writing Spaces is published in partnership with Parlor Press and WAC Clearinghouse.