Simple Strategies Academics Can Use to Help Students Improve Their Writing Skills
by John M. Malouff, PhD, JD, Sally E. Rooke, BA Hons. Psych., & Nicola S. Schutte, PhD
University of New England
Model for Improving Student Writing Skills:
Academics can help students improve their writing skills by (a) increasing student motivation to have good writing skills, (b) providing instruction in writing processes and rules, (c) providing writing practice, and (d) providing constructive feedback about the students' writing. With high motivation, students will find ways to improve their writing and will persist in the effort. To write well, students need to apply appropriate processes, such as starting early, and to apply the rules of writing, such as grammar rules. Writing practice helps most when students receive clear, specific feedback about what to do the same and what to do differently in the future.
Specific Strategies for Improving Student Writing Skills:
These strategies are organised according to the order in which an academic might implement them. Following each strategy is a word that describes whether the strategy targets motivation, instruction, practice, or feedback.
1. Emphasise to students that good writing skills are important, both to their satisfactory completion of the unit and to their future careers. Encourage students to improve their writing skills. (Motivation)
2. Provide students with an anecdote about the implications of substandard writing or the value of good writing. For example, you may talk about a job candidate who missed selection due to his or her poor writing. (Motivation)
3. Read aloud quality writing done by a former student, and encourage students to listen to its flow. With the permission of the writer, name and praise him or her. (Motivation, Instruction)
4. Encourage students to pay close attention to the grammar and punctuation they see in textbooks and other books and articles, as well as in any sample paper. (Instruction)
5. Encourage students to complete a writing unit, such as ENCO 100 at the University of New England (UNE). (Instruction)
6. Refer students to writing skills web sites. UNE's Academic Skills Office provides useful fact sheets. (Instruction)
7. Explain to students that certain writing skills are fundamental to almost all types of writing, but there are also purpose-specific writing skills and styles. (Instruction)
8. Tell students: With practice and feedback on performance, writing becomes better. Learning most complex skills involves many attempts; students need not feel discouraged if they are not instantly accomplished writers in a specific genre. Once a certain level of skill has been reached, the process of writing becomes increasingly enjoyable. (Motivation)
9. Describe to students the process you use to write journal articles and reports and how using the process benefits you. This process might include starting with an outline, completing several drafts of the document, checking the writing against the requirements, and asking another individual to proofread the document. (Motivation, Instruction)
10. Give students handouts containing important writing rules. "The Writer’s Workplace” by Sandra and John Scarry, the “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association,” both available at the UNE Library, and web sites with content such as UNE's writing fact sheets are good sources of concise rules regarding grammar and punctuation. (Instruction)
11. Teach students one important rule relating to grammar or punctuation in each lecture or in each unit. (Instruction)
12. Give students a course-related worksheet, have them write a précis of its content, and then ask them to critique each other’s writing. (Practice, Feedback)
13. Toward the end of a lecture, ask students to spend five minutes writing a summary of the content of the lecture. Next, have students critique each other’s writing. (Practice, Feedback)
14. Give a writing assignment and in the marking criteria set aside a specific number of points for writing quality. Give students a copy of the marking criteria before they begin writing. (Practice, Motivation)
15. Explain to students before they complete a writing assignment the most common writing errors made in the past as well as the rules the errors violate. (Instruction)
16. Provide students with a list of poorly structured sentences from assignments of prior years. Ask the students to improve the sentences, and then discuss the improvements as a class. (Practice, Feedback)
17. Provide students with a checklist of writing-process suggestions (e.g., see item 9 above) they can apply to a written assignment. Ask them to submit a completed checklist with the assignment. (Instruction)
18. To the extent feasible, correct writing errors on student papers and provide printed statements of important rules violated by the errors. (Feedback, Instruction)
19. Encourage students to learn the rules they violated in making the errors. (Instruction)
20. Praise students freely for excellent or improved writing. (Motivation)
Strategy Sources: Some of the ideas are ours. Other sources include Dr Einar Thorsteinsson, Dr Sue Watt, Sam Bjone, and Liz Temple of the UNE School of Psychology; UNE Academic Skills Office staff; and the following writing skills text book and web sites:Davis, B. G. (2002). Helping students write better in all courses.
Murray, D. M. (1985). A writer teaches writing (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education (2006). Efficient ways to improve student writing.
Web Sites by the Same Author:
Malouff, J. (2004). Nine ways teachers can help young students overcome shyness
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Malouff, J. (2006). Fifty problem solving strategies explained
Malouff, J. (2006). Helping children overcome shyness
Malouff, J. et al. (2006). Simple strategies academics can use to help students improve their writing skills (you are here now)
Malouff, J., & Schutte, N. (2004). Using psychological strategies to help your child read more
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