Basic Writing Reform as an Opportunity to Rethink First-Year Composition: New Evidence from an Accelerated Learning Program
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| Title: | Basic Writing Reform as an Opportunity to Rethink First-Year Composition: New Evidence from an Accelerated Learning Program |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Ihara, Rachel |
| Source: | Journal of Basic Writing. 2020 39(2):85-107. |
| Availability: | Journal of Basic Writing. Available from: Sheridan Press. 450 Fame Avenue, Hanover, PA 17331. Tel: 717-632-3535; Fax: 717-633-8920; e-mail: pubsvc.tsp@sheridan.com; Web site: https://wac.colostate.edu/jbw |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 23 |
| Publication Date: | 2020 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: | Basic Writing, Freshman Composition, Acceleration (Education), Educational Change, Community Colleges, Two Year College Students, Student Evaluation, Student Placement, Writing Evaluation, Portfolio Assessment, Program Implementation, Outcomes of Education |
| Geographic Terms: | New York (New York) |
| ISSN: | 0147-1635 |
| Abstract: | This article argues that the national trend to replace developmental writing programs with mainstreaming and corequisite courses presents an important opportunity to reconsider writing goals and assessment practices for all students. This insight emerges in part from data collected over several semesters at one community college, which showed that mainstreamed students in an accelerated learning program often outperform non-developmental students when assessed by the same measure. These results raise questions about placement but also about prior assessment practices that had required developmental students to undergo more rigorous writing assessments than students deemed "prepared" for college-level writing. By offering a history of shifting assessment practices at one institution, this article aims to show how blurring the line between "developmental" and "regular" writers, as a result of recent mainstreaming efforts, can lead to a productive reevaluation of writing assessment for all students. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2021 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1316929 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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