• We are pleased to launch the expanded usage of
Smarthinking, an online tutoring service, at SSU.
Smarthinking has been proven to enhance student
performance and will support our Complete
College Georgia plan, our QEP mission, and will
reinforce compliance with SACS standards.
• We have already piloted the use of an aspect of
the service with selected ENGL 1101, 1102 and 099
courses, as part of the QEP (during Spring 2012,
Summer 2012, and Fall 2012).
• The results of requiring the service in these writing
courses has improved skills, grades, and has been
positively received by students and faculty alike.
“Smarthinking is an excellent online tool for students
to have at their disposal. Students enrolled in my
composition courses were able to take the
constructive feedback from an online tutor and
begin to critically examine their writing from an
organic and content-based level. These fruitful
discussions enabled them to “re-envision” their ideas
and truly engage the revision process. Many students
praised Smarthinking in their final reflective essays,
and I can truly say that I saw a difference in student
writing and engagement.”
–Professor Joyce White
“Smarthinking provides a supplementary channel for
instructing students in essay writing without using
classroom time.”
--Dr. Jenni Halpin
“I have had a positive experience using this service in my stage
grading. As either a first or last step in the writing process, I am
able to make revision a part of my grading. And the beauty is
this requires little if any commenting on my part. I can easily
check to see if the essay the student submitted reflected the
changes recommended by Smarthinking or not.
As coordinator of Freshmen Year Composition, I have also heard
positive outcomes from other instructors, namely that final
writing projects have been stronger in form, content, and
mechanics, with time saved in commenting on at least one
stage in the grading process.
Additionally, it is a great step to incorporate before or just after
peer review in the classroom.”
--Dr. Michael Lewis
A New Smarthinking Feature:
Writing Practice
• Research shows developing writers build
confidence, reduce errors, and improve critical
thinking skills the more they write.
• Writing Practice from Smarthinking allows you to get
your students writing more without burdening you
with more papers to grade.
A New Smarthinking Feature:
Writing Practice
• With this tool, instructors select a prompt from one of four
genres (narrative, persuasive, problem & solution, and
response to literature) to assign to their students for
practice, extra credit, or grades.
• In addition to highlighting spelling and grammar issues,
Smarthinking’s Writing Practice provides critical
pedagogical feedback using a rubric that focuses on six
aspects of writing (ideas, organization, conventions,
sentence fluency, word choice, and voice).
Smarthinking will be available for all students and
faculty to utilize, beginning next week
Username = SSU email address
Password = SSU