Survey of Past Writing Experiences of First-Year Students
at the University of Tennessee
This survey is part of a research project on student writing. In order to improve our English
writing courses, it would help us to know about the kinds of writing you have done in the past,
both in school and out of school. We are hoping you will be willing to help us with this project
by completing this survey.
Your participation is completely voluntary. By completing the survey, you are giving us
permission to use the information that you provide us here, but your personal identity will
remain confidential except to the project researchers. None of the information we gather here
will have any effect on your grade in this course.
English 101 course section:
Major/intended major:
Minor/intended minor:
Post-college plans:
High School Attended:
City, State, County:
Type of School: (public, private, charter, home schooled, other—please specify)
Number of students in graduating class:
Class Rank (top 10%, top 25%, 25-50%, below 50%)
English ACT/Verbal SAT:
Gender: m/f
Race: (American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African-American, Caucasian, Native
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander)
Ethnicity: (Hispanic or Latino, Not Hispanic or Latino)
DOB: mm/dd/yr
Economic Class (Upper, Upper Middle, Middle, Lower Middle, Lower)
Languages spoken/used at home, outside of home:
Parent/guardian educational background: (some high school, high school diploma, some college,
college degree)
Access to technology at home and school
 Home: Family/shared computer or individual computer, computer type/operating
system/software used
 School: 1) Computer lab accessible during study periods or other times of the school
day, 2) Library with computers accessible during study periods or other times of the
school day, 3) Computer used in Language Arts/English/Writing class, 4) Computers
used in other classes (specify), 5) Used personal laptop/notebook computer in class,
6) Computer type/operating system/software used
Types of communication (reading, writing, speaking) you participated in during high school:
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Summary
Description
Reports
Book report
Oral report or speech
Lab report
Lecture notes
Notes on reading
Letter
Business letter
Email
Listserv
Online discussion board
Class discussions
Instant Messaging
Blog or online journal entry
Blog or online journal response
Chat
Analytical essay
Personal essay
Research paper (with information/sources given to you)
Research paper (with information/sources you had to find yourself)
Professional article
Web page text or hypertext
Web design (including coding)
Powerpoint slide shows
Resume or CV
Interview
Journalism
Creative writing
Poetry
Spoken word
Short stories
Long fiction
Creative nonfiction
Song lyrics
Other (Please specify)
Of the kinds of communication you participated in high school, which ones did you perform
most often/most repeatedly?
Any communication you did outside of school:
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Journal/Diary
Letters to friends/family
Letters to the editor
Business letter
Email
Listserv
Online discussion board
Instant Messaging
Blog or online journal entry
Blog or online journal response
Chat
Web page text or hypertext
Web design (including coding)
Powerpoint slide shows
Resume or CV
Journalism (editorials, feature articles)
Creative writing
Poetry
Spoken word
Short stories
Long fiction
Creative nonfiction
Song lyrics
Other (Please specify)
Of the kinds of communication you participated in outside of school, which ones did you
perform most often/most repeatedly?
Communication on the job (written, oral, digital), if applicable:
 Summary
 Description
 Report
 Letter
 Business letter
 Newsletter
 Email
 Listserv
 Online discussion board
 Instant Messaging
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Blog or online journal entry
Blog or online journal response
Chat
Oral Presentation
Analytical essay
Research paper (with information/sources given to you)
Research paper (with information/sources you had to find yourself)
Professional article
Web page text or hypertext
Web design (including coding)
Powerpoint slide shows
Resume or CV
Journalism
Creative writing
Poetry
Spoken word
Short stories
Long fiction
Creative nonfiction
Song lyrics
Other (Please specify)
Of the kinds of communication you participated in on the job, which ones did you perform most
often/most repeatedly?
Open-Ended Questions:
What is your favorite kind of writing? Why?
What is your least favorite kind of writing? Why?
What kinds of writing have you had the most success performing?
What do you consider your most successful piece of writing (in school or out) and why?
What do you consider your least successful piece of writing, and why?
What do you do when you encounter new writing tasks? What resources, skills, or habits do you
draw on?
Since most of you have received your 101 syllabus, have written a first-week diagnostic paper,
and are in the midst of or have completed work on the first essay, what high school writing
experiences (if any) do you think will help you most to succeed in this course or in writing at the
University of Tennessee?
If you would be willing to allow us to collect your diagnostic writing and Paper 1 and then do
a short, follow-up interview (no longer than 20 minutes) to talk with us further about your
previous writing experiences and how they did/did not prepare you for English 101, would you
please include your name and email address here so that we may contact you?
Name:
Email: