Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies

Writing practitioners, especially those in North America, have been reporting positive results from using writing centres in supporting students’ writing processes. Yet the question of how efficacious a writing centre can be is seldom seriously considered. In view of this gap, this paper attempts to...

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Main Author: Tan, Bee Hoon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13293/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13293/1/07%20Pages%2047-54.pdf
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author Tan, Bee Hoon
author_facet Tan, Bee Hoon
author_sort Tan, Bee Hoon
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description Writing practitioners, especially those in North America, have been reporting positive results from using writing centres in supporting students’ writing processes. Yet the question of how efficacious a writing centre can be is seldom seriously considered. In view of this gap, this paper attempts to examine several important evaluation studies of writing centre efficacy from the limited literature of empirical research, and presents evidence from both qualitative and quantitative measurements. While the formal qualitative studies affirmed the effectiveness of writing centre in reducing students’ writing apprehension and promoting positive affects to writing, the quantitative studies found that writing centre tutorials improved students’ writing competence and overall grades. Nevertheless, further research is required to establish the relationship between students’ satisfaction levels and the number of writing centre tutorials they received.
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spelling upm-132932015-09-17T00:35:41Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13293/ Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies Tan, Bee Hoon Writing practitioners, especially those in North America, have been reporting positive results from using writing centres in supporting students’ writing processes. Yet the question of how efficacious a writing centre can be is seldom seriously considered. In view of this gap, this paper attempts to examine several important evaluation studies of writing centre efficacy from the limited literature of empirical research, and presents evidence from both qualitative and quantitative measurements. While the formal qualitative studies affirmed the effectiveness of writing centre in reducing students’ writing apprehension and promoting positive affects to writing, the quantitative studies found that writing centre tutorials improved students’ writing competence and overall grades. Nevertheless, further research is required to establish the relationship between students’ satisfaction levels and the number of writing centre tutorials they received. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press 2009-09 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13293/1/07%20Pages%2047-54.pdf Tan, Bee Hoon (2009) Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 17 (2). pp. 47-54. ISSN 0128-7702; ESSN: 2231-8534 http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2017%20%282%29%20Sep.%202009/07%20Pages%2047-54.pdf
spellingShingle
Tan, Bee Hoon
Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies
title Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies
title_full Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies
title_fullStr Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies
title_short Assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies
title_sort assessing the efficacy of writing centres: a review of selected evaluation studies
topic
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13293/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13293/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13293/1/07%20Pages%2047-54.pdf