More students turn to online lab for writing help

UWC peer writing consultant Mary Compton reviews a student submission to the Online Writing Lab.

The next time students tell you they don’t have time to get help from the University Writing Center, remind them about the Online Writing Lab.

The UWC’s Online Writing Lab, or OWL, is a supplement to the center’s traditional face-to-face consultations. Students can submit questions about their writing online and receive an email response from a UWC consultant, typically within 24 hours. It’s an ideal option for those who can’t come in during regular UWC hours or those who have a quick question that wouldn’t require a full session.

OWL traffic is up significantly this semester, perhaps because more students are aware of the online offering and also because a software change has made the service more user friendly.

These days, the OWL is powered by SupportSuite help desk software by Kayako. Originally created to provide customer service for technology companies, the software offers some key advantages over the UWC’s old OWL. For one thing, it allows for live support: During regular UWC hours, students can choose to chat online with a consultant about their writing, an option that seems to be growing in popularity.

In addition, the software can be configured to offer clients additional information in response to certain key words. For instance, when students type in questions about audience, the software will automatically offer them an opportunity to review UWC resources on audience awareness and analysis.

Of course, that help will be an addition to the online response provided by one of the UWC’s trained writing consultants, who will offer much the same kind of help online as they might in a regular face-to-face session: answering students’ specific questions about grammar or format, noting where a paper’s supporting evidence is weak, or suggesting how a lab report might be reorganized to provide clarity.

“The new software makes the OWL easier to use and greatly expands the range of services we can offer online,” explains UWC Communications Coordinator Brady Creel. “Best of all, it allows us to reach a broader segment of our stakeholders. Students who don’t have time to come to the UWC still can get value from our services.”

Still, there are some things students won’t get from the OWL, says UWC Executive Director Valerie Balester: “Just as in a face-to-face consultation, our online consultants won’t edit or proofread for students. We expect the students to be active participants in the process, so they can learn to look at their own work with a more objective eye.”

Currently the UWC is in the process of migrating all of its informational handouts to the OWL’s knowledgebase. In addition, the handouts are being revised to ensure they offer information that’s up-to-date and easy to use. When UWC clients click on a knowledgebase article, they have the opportunity to email it to someone, print it, create a PDF version, or add it to their favorites. In addition, the UWC can keep track of search terms and which handouts are viewed most frequently, allowing staff to augment topics as the need arises.

Faculty members are invited to check out the OWL and suggest additional resources they’d like to see added. To view the OWL, click to http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/owl.