Assessment Results
WAC Survey, Spring 2007
II. Types of Assignments and Common Writing Problems, by course level
Course Level | Type of assignment | Problems |
100 | Thesis statements, DBQs, book report / chapter summary, final paper, take-home essays, paragraph responses, lab reports, quizzes, in-class essay exam, compositions, journals, daily short essays, clinical case study, short family history. | Grammar, syntax, spelling, organization, lack of clarity, can’t footnote, no writing experience, run-ons, following instructions, punctuation, word choice, not using 3rd person, paragraph structure, logic, mechanics, vocabulary, insufficient focus, slang, apostrophes for everything, coherency, no evidence to support argument, clumsy. |
200 | Short papers, essay exams, journals, lab reports, critical responses, review paper (w / references), take-home exams, term paper, reflection / synthesis paper, media journal, article review, group project reports, research paper. | Grammar, run-ons, citations, coherence, unity, clumsy, structural errors, format, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary, clarity, flow, logic, sense, word choice, sentence structure. |
300 | Reading responses, essays, research critique, short book report / chapter summary, journals, research papers, lab reports, in-class presentations, weekly responses, position papers, take-home essay exam, compositions, advanced literary analysis, bibliographic essays, production reviews. | Weak thesis statements, problems with source material, lack of organization, sentence fragments, run-ons, basic grammar, spelling, typos, proofreading, problem developing ideas / providing arguments, sentence structure, subject / verb agreement, passive voice, limited analysis. |
400 | Reading responses, research essays, exam essays, current issue papers, review of literature, case studies, journal critiques, group term project, compositions, seminar paper, bibliographic essay, synthesis paper, clinical journals, formal lab reports, grant proposals, production reviews. | Weak thesis statements, problems with source material, lack of organization, design / organization, subject / verb agreement, absence of complexity, plagiarism, passive voice, transitions, complete sentences. |
