Writing Instruction
The Epicenter of Active Learning
Cynthia Davidson, Stony Brook University
cdavidson@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

Informal Public Writing:
Sharewriting
 Does not replace freewriting (private writing) or
writing formal papers or oral discussion; it serves
a different function.
 When students IM each other they DO have a
sense of audience—it is just not the audience that
we privilege in academic circles.
 Informal public writing for audiences other than
those they choose (such as teachers or other
students) can help students to learn how to assess
their audiences.

Discussion Board, Blogs and
Wikis=social
networking=audience awareness
 Discussion Board feedback based on quantity of
response and a few simple guidelines—scoring
rubric
 Blogs for informal writing and non-structured,
non-assigned questions, and for end-of-semester
reflection)
 Wiki (research wikis, source gifting, collaborative
writing)

Interactive Commenting
 How we are changing the instructors’ comments
on papers enhances the students’ involvement and
understanding. Students need to process the
comments for them to be useful.
 Using the Comment feature (balloon comments) in
Word allows easy facility for response from
students about your comments.
 “Comments on My Comments” assignment (Peter
Khost)--easily adapted to Word commenting

Comments on My Comments
 1) Please number every one of my comments and marks on your draft, no matter
how small.
 2) Refer to the key on page four of the course syllabus for decoding my
shorthand marks.
 3) Ask me as soon as possible in class if you cannot understand my handwriting.
 4) On separate sheets, perform the following tasks in outline format:
 a) Summarize each comment or mark according to its number. Do not skip this
step!
 i) You may group like-comments together under one number.
 b) Agree with, disagree with, or ask a question about my comment.
 c) Briefly explain your revision plans regarding the issue commented on.
 d) Hand in your comments on my comments when finished (within a week).
 i) Keep your essay draft to continue revising.
 (courtesy of Peter Khost--will be available online in the Assignment Sourcebook)
 Word Comment version: Enter a new comment balloon next to each comment and
summarize the comment, followed by a brief explanation of your revision plan.
Resubmit the paper to Digital Dropbox or Discussion Board.

Assignment Sourcebook and
Swaps
 Stony Brook University President’s Mini-Grant for
Innovative Teaching Recipient, 1999.
 Contains assignments submitted by full-time
instructors, adjunct teachers, and graduate assistants
 Sections for assignment steps, indices for title,
author, genre (of essay), duration, class level,
materials needed, and instructor’s commentary.
 http://stonybrook.edu/writrhet/sbindex.shtml