Laura Harrison and OHIO colleagues Becky Challenger, Erin Morgensterm and Oumarou Abdoulaye Balarbe have written Helping College Students Write: A Guide for Educators.
Although many educators want to help their students overcome their writing challenges, most higher education instructors do not have formal training in teaching writing. This book provides a detailed roadmap for college educators to help students make substantial improvements in their writing, particularly in courses where writing is a component, but not the primary focus.
This accessible guide offers conceptual tools and practical strategies, including lesson plans, stock comments instructors can use to explain frequently occurring writing problems, and writing prompts to help struggling students address writer’s block. Covering topics such as managing grading time, reducing students’ anxiety about writing, giving clear and formative feedback, troubleshooting, and providing practical tips for helping ESL students, this book is a one stop shop for assisting students across academic disciplines.
Donal Skinner, d ean of Hobson Wildenthal Honors College at the University of Texas at Dallas, recommended the text to faculty across disciplines. " We have all encountered the challenges in student writing, with the proclivity to assign fault to a lack of college preparedness, covid or other issues, rather than view students through the lens of the new majority. Harrison and colleagues seamlessly combine proven and constructive practical advice with well researched pedagogy, making it a comprehensive and engaging resource to assist all students to become better writers. Indeed, I would make this book required reading for all new faculty to help them start their careers in academia on the right foot."