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Managing Enrollment

According to the guidelines of the National Council of Teachers of English, the optimal student/teacher ratio in a course which includes substantial writing is 15-to-1.
The Faculty Senate at Texas A&M has recommended a 20-to-1 ratio for
"W" courses. Realistically, this ideal isn’t reached at Texas A&M
even in most humanities classes. English Department writing classes
such as English 104 (Rhetoric and Composition) typically have a 25-to-1
or even 28-to-1 ratio. However, a ratio which exceeds 28-to-1 is so
demanding that most probably the instructor will burn out and/or the
quality of instruction will suffer.

Good writing
instruction requires that the students (1) get ample practice; and (2)
receive feedback on their efforts. Creating assignments and providing
feedback are labor-intensive activities. Careful course design and the
availability of trained and supervised assistance will make the task
more manageable. Faculty in charge of large-enrollment
writing-intensive classes need to take into account the time they will
spend not only designing a course but also mentoring and monitoring any
teaching assistants or aides.

Availability of Assistance

The Faculty Senate has set the following requirement:


As
a general rule, undergraduate students will not be allowed to grade
writing for a "W" course. However, if special circumstances demand
their use, an exception is allowed if said students are trained and
supervised by a faculty member. Further, undergraduate students may
determine no more than ten percent of the writing portion of the final
course grade.

Departments will have to
make their own choices about the best assistance. Obviously,
undergraduate students and graduate students could be used, or the
department might hire professional staff (i.e., faculty).

Further, the Faculty Senate strongly recommends that:

The
instructor of record for a "W" course should be a faculty member who is
in control of the curriculum and who is available to students as well
as to any assistants (such as peer tutors or teaching assistants).
Faculty should have approval over grades given by any teaching
assistant and should have set up a workable method to ensure consistent
and fair grading. Keep in mind that although a substantial part of the
final course grade should take into account writing quality, there are
many ways to provide ungraded or low-stakes practice to writers that
will help them improve.  
For ideas on grading and providing feedback, see Responding to Student Writing.

Some Suggestions for the Professor in Charge of a Large-enrollment "W" Course

The
University Writing Center may be able to help train your assistants and
help you design and sequence assignments. Consult with the Director.
  • Use
    shorter assignments. Sometimes a series of shorter assignments are as
    effective as one or two longer ones, and smaller, shorter assignments
    may be advantageous in training graders.
  • Include
    small group discussion sections or other means to achieve the 25-to-1
    ratio. Encourage students to get to know their group leader (for
    example, the GANT or peer tutor who works with them.) If possible, have
    this assistant hold office hours. Discussion sections should be devoted
    as much as possible to working on the writing assignment.
  • Do
    not allow discussion sections to become lecture sessions. Students
    learn to write through active engagement, and there are many activities
    that discussion sections leaders can undertake to achieve this.
  • Consider how computers can aid you in teaching writing. One of the most promising programs is Calibrated Peer Review, which is now available on a Texas A&M server. Web CT can help you manage the paper load and the Daedalus Integrated Writing Environment (DIWE™) includes tools useful to writers (to help them think of content, revise their work, and edit the work of others).

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions about

More In Teaching Writing and Speaking:

For Faculty

Tidbits

  • The first law of writing

    The first law of writing, that law to which all other laws are subordinate, is this: that the words employed shall be such as convey to the reader the meaning of the writer. 

    – T. B. Macaulay

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