Providing Positive Feedback in Writing Groups

I think there are huge parallels between working with critique groups, editing and leading creative writing workshops in a Higher Education setting. However, they are not all exactly the same.

Board, boards and yet more boards

Last week I attended two boards. This week it’s four. Two down. Two to go.

Module boards

We have module boards where we look at how individual modules have performed. What is the pass rate? Is there a full range of marks? What is the standard deviation? Have students performed better on one module than on another?   

Sometimes there may not be a full range of marks and often this means more of the higher marks. This is fine if the work matches the criteria but may beg the question of whether the criteria are rigorous enough. All of this is informed by the reports from the internal and the external moderators.

A Tense and Joyous Time

Astoundingly it’s here again already. The second semester’s second batch of marks is coming in. It’s particularly fraught for final year students who are waiting for those final marks that may determine the class of their degree if they’re currently borderline.  

The majority are relieved and delighted. A few are disappointed and may even be angry.

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve been able to send out a message to two groups - one whose work I marked and another whose marking I monitored and moderated – that they had all passed and those who got lower marks only did so because they had missed something out. The work was essentially good or at least had promise.

We give detailed feedback with many annotations. We award a verbal grade for each of eight criteria and then calculate a numerical grade from that. We write general comments and say what is working well, what is working less well and what might be done to improve. It takes between half an hour and an hour to mark a script, depending on the size of assignment and quality. It takes more time if there is more to say.

We encourage students to read and consider their feedback carefully and then come and talk to us about anything that is not clear. A face to face meeting or even a phone call with both student and tutor looking at the script helps enormously.

The first 48 hours can be the worse.

It will be graduation soon. Caps and gown and happy students and parents – not to forget the lecturers.        

Reflecting on Writing and Marking

Many of my colleagues think I’m mad – I enjoy marking. I’m in the thick of it right now.  Yes, it can become tiring and one can feel under pressure but I do feel a certain amount of excitement as I open each assignment.  Have they learnt what I wanted them to learn? Will I find out something new about writing processes? Will I come across a piece of prose that I’d want to publish?

I was very fortunate last Saturday: the very last piece I marked was astounding. I recommended to the student straight away that she should send it out for publication.  

A Strange End to the Semester – is it time to fix the Easter break?

Easter is so very late this year that it’s had an interesting effect. Normally the first assignment comes in just before Easter and we tend to be bogged down by marking over the Easter break. This time, we’ve had to process marking whilst still teaching. In most cases, this has meant that work has been returned to students before they’ve had to start their second assignments. That is an advantage. So, it seems there are advantages and disadvantages all round.

Processing the choices

I have about a third of the module option forms in now. I’m looking at each one to see that students have made the right type of choices and that also these choices are sensible. So far, I’ve only seen one that is wrong and one that is unclear. No one has made unwise combinations, though one or two have gone for the darker themes: The Test of Evil, Utopias and Dystopias and Salvation to Damnation.  

We’re advising against too much similarity in the creative options, particularly in creative writing. So far, though, no one has opted for all three prose fiction choices.  Good thing too!    

So, not bad.

Option Modules and the Module Fair

It is that time of year again. We are getting students ready to select modules for next year. Per semester students must study on three modules and over two semesters students must study in  three modules for each of their disciplines. Thus, our Drama and Creative Writing study three drama and three creative writing, our English and Creating Writing, three English and three Creative Writing and our English and Drama three English and three Drama. Some of the courses are compulsory and some are options.

Some modules are multi-purpose and can be interpreted as either English or Creative Writing or Drama or may even involve all three. This can allow quite a bit of choice and can allow a little steer towards Creative Writing, Drama or English.