What is a successful writing
center?
Exploring a problematic definition
Diane Dowdey
Frances Crawford Fennessy
Sam Houston State University
Why is it problematic?
• Writing centers have different constituencies,
who define success differently.
– University administrators may want numbers, but they
may not see student use as sufficient evidence of
success.
– Faculty may want only to see immediate improvement
in papers they read.
– Students may want only affirmation or higher grades.
– Tutors may have specific expectations that differ from
administrators, faculty, and students.
Defining success:
Success depends on mission and
goals.
Success depends on audience and
constituencies.
Success has a number of different
aspects such as use, learning,
satisfaction, confidence.
Contributing complications:
In the literature of writing center evaluation,
it seems clear that quantifiable
methodologies do not provide adequate
measures of success.
Writing center directors and tutors are more
comfortable working with narrative
structures.
Question One: What is a
successful tutoring session?
Please describe a
successful
tutoring session
and why you
thought it was
successful.
Tutor Demographics
• Twenty-two student
tutors defined a
successful tutoring
experience by giving
an example.
• Nine tutors were
graduate students
• Thirteen tutors were
undergraduates
Experience as a tutor
Semesters Number of
as a tutor
tutors
One
5
Two
4
Three
6
Four
2
Five
2
Six
1
Eight
1
Coding Statements
• 1. Student shows a desire to learn: cooperative,
willing, wants to understand.
• 2. Student trust the tutor, is comfortable,
develops rapport.
• 3. Student has a receptive attitude: attentive,
interested, excited.
• 4. Student is able to provide information about
the assignment.
• 5. Tutor and student successfully communicate.
Coding Statements
• 6. Tutor is able to reflect positively on the
tutoring session: confident, appreciated.
• 7. Tutor is able to provide instruction about the
higher-order writing processes.
• 8. Tutor feels comfortable with student.
• 9. Tutor is able to provide instruction about
lower-order concerns.
• 10. Students’ attitude or knowledge changes
positively.
Successful Tutoring Sessions
Student
40%
Tutor
60%
Student
Tutor
Codes:
• 10 distinct statements were used for
coding:
• 5 were associated directly to the student
» behavior
» actions
• 5 were associated directly to the tutor
» actions
» emotions
Student
25
23
21
20
19
20
15
11
10
5
0
Shows
desire to
learn
Trusts tutor
Has
receptive
attitude
Is able to
provide
information
Changes
attitude
positively
Student shows desire to learn
25
23
21
20
19
20
• Cooperative
15
• Willing
10
11
• Wants to understand
5
0
Shows
desire to
learn
Trusts tutor
Has
receptive
attitude
Is able to
provide
information
Changes
attitude
positively
It was evident that the student was eager
to learn as much as he could.
She responded that she was concerned with
everything, from figuring out what she
wanted to say to getting it organized on
paper.
Student trusts the tutor
25
23
21
20
19
20
• Comfortable
• Develops rapport
11
15
10
5
0
Shows
desire to
learn
Trusts tutor
Has
receptive
attitude
Is able to
provide
information
Changes
attitude
positively
She
felt secure
enoughIwith
me toher
ventasher
During
the session,
observed
she
opinionsmore
of the
assignmentand
without
feeling
became
comfortable
relaxed.
that anything said would go back to the
professor.
Student has receptive attitude
25
23
21
20
19
20
15• Attentive
• Interested
10
• Excited
11
5
0
Shows
desire to
learn
Trusts tutor
Has
receptive
attitude
Is able to
provide
information
Changes
attitude
positively
She became energized about writing.
The student was involved and engaged
throughout the entire session.
Student is able to provide information
25
23
21
• Brings assignment
20
•Brings text being analyzed
15
20
19
11
10
5
0
Shows
desire to
learn
Trusts tutor
Has
receptive
attitude
Is able to
provide
information
Changes
attitude
positively
As I filled out my portion of the of the
session form, she took out two copies of
She
the as
assignment
sheet
and a stapled
herslid
paper
well as the
assignment
sheet
copyaofpen.
her paper toward me. I skimmed
and
over the requirements, looking for key
words and ideas to look for in her work.
Student’s attitude or knowledge changes positively
25
23
21
20
19
• Student feels more confident
15
•Student has learned
20
11
10
5
0
Shows
desire to
learn
Trusts tutor
Has
receptive
attitude
Is able to
provide
information
Changes
attitude
positively
Certainly, what I am doing in the writing
center will, or at least should, translate
intocountenance
better grades;
however,
my primary
Her
visibly
changed;
she
measure
of successful
looked, well,
proud of tutoring
herself. is knowing
that the writer I worked with left my
session with more skills or confidence than
when he or she had walked into the center.
Tutor
35
31
30
25
21
18
20
15
12
8
10
5
0
Is able to
reflect
positively
Provides
higher-order
instruction
Provides
lower-order
instruction
35
Tutor reflects positively on the tutoring
session
31
30
25
21
•Appreciated by student
18
20
•Confident about session
15
12
8
10
5
0
Is able to
reflect
positively
Successfully
Provides
communicates higher-order
instruction
Feels
comfortable
Provides
lower-order
instruction
This session was one of, if not the best, not
only because she felt very confident upon
leaving, but also because I felt confident
He
very appreciative
of our help. Then,
in was
providing
her with assistance.
I realized that a session I had considered
a failure had been a success that led to
another session.
Tutor successfully communicates
35
31
30
25
21
18
20
15
12
8
10
5
0
Is able to
reflect
positively
Successfully
Provides
communicates higher-order
instruction
Feels
comfortable
Provides
lower-order
instruction
There is an interaction and a
communication that enable us as tutors to
really feel the student is learning.
I simply listened and gave advice when I was
asked. I learned that day that being a tutor is
more than just proofreading papers. It is
becoming friends with my peers, listening.
Tutor provides higher order instruction
35
31
30
•Teaches
prewriting
strategies
25
21
•Discusses
thesis
20
and organization
18
15
12
8
10
5
0
Is able to
reflect
positively
Successfully
Provides
communicates higher-order
instruction
Feels
comfortable
Provides
lower-order
instruction
The majority of the session ws spent
marshalling arguments and
brainstorming ideas for the essays. The
best aspect
thissuccessful
session was
thatsessions
the
Typically,
my of
most
tutoring
student
I the
were
in sense
both
are thoseand
where
theboth
writerinterested
has a clear
of whatand
ideasweto were
present
buttoaredeal
not sure
topics,
able
withhow to
do so because he
or shelike
does
not write
higher-order
issues
invention.
traditionally.
35
Tutor feels comfortable
with the student
31
30
25
21
•Knows the student
20
18
15
12
8
10
5
0
Is able to
reflect
positively
Successfully
Provides
communicates higher-order
instruction
Feels
comfortable
Provides
lower-order
instruction
He knew I had his welfare in mind, and
I already knew his temperament and
writing ability.
Because she was so cooperative, I felt even
more relaxed than in any session; it
seemed as if I had tutored her before
although I hadn’t.
Tutor provides lower-order instruction
35
31
30
25
20
15
•Teaches
grammar and punctuation
21
rules
18
•Reviews citation styles
12
•Discusses word choice
8
10
5
0
Is able to
reflect
positively
Successfully
Provides
communicates higher-order
instruction
Feels
comfortable
Provides
lower-order
instruction
In
the
final
run
through
his
draft,
we
We focus on conversational speech, but our
discussed
and checkthings
marks
sessions do the
not underlines
leave out grammatical
verbmade.
agreement
article use.
Ilikehad
We and
discussed
waysHetobrings
make
in idioms that he does not understand, and we
the
sentences
moremean
clear.
discuss
what they
andWe
howdiscussed
they are used.
We also discuss
phrases
or sayings that have
phrasing
and word
choice.
similar denotative meanings but slightly
diffeent connotative meanings.