Strategies for Effective Online Writing Consultations

1. Strategies for Effective Online Writing Consultations

2. Why Online Writing Centers? • Advances in technology • Electronic communication • Does not confine a writing center to its physical boundaries • No hassle of scheduling appointments • Provide assistance to more students • Distance education • Online students • Satellite campuses • Education centers • Dual credit students

3. How Do They Work? • Synchronous • Happens live • Immediate interaction • Chat Asynchronous • Time displaced • Reaction • Email, drop boxes

4. How Does Ours Work? • Asynchronous • By email • Only for certain students: • high school dual-credit students • online students • students at satellite campuses

5. How Does Ours Work? (cont.) • Writing consultant sends personal email response to the student • Writing consultant makes suggestions with Track Changes and Comments features in Microsoft Word • The writing consultant has two businessdays to respond • Student submits a writing project

6. How Are Online Writing Consultations Different? Breuch and Racine noted that “the training used in face-to-face centers does not translate easily to online writing centers…e-mail interactions require new strategies” (p. 246).

7. How Are Online Writing Consultations Different? (cont.) • Face-to-face sessions rely on conversation, interaction, feedback • This doesn’t happen online • Communication breaks down

8. Strategies These Still Apply: • Be friendly • Be professional • Explain reasoning for suggestions • HOCS before LOCS • Avoid editing

9. Strategies (cont.) • Develop a strong awareness of your own tone • Avoid sarcasm • Avoid irony • Say things in a positive way

10. Example • “If you can avoid the use of you and use a noun like people or researchers instead, you will come across as more professional here” • as opposed to • “Don’t use you or your in an academic paper”

11. Strategies (cont.) • Being clear is essential • Develop an awareness of your own writing

12. Example • “I’m not sure the verb view is conveying the meaning you are intending. Do you mean that Americans think about the extreme effects that science could have? If so, maybe a phrase like think about, worry about, or worry might be more appropriate.” • as opposed to • “awk,” “frag,” or “what?”

13. Strategies (cont.) • Make the client aware of your tutoring process • Explain yourself well

14. Example One = one person, singular An individual= one person, singular He or she= one person, singular His or her= something that belongs tone person, singular Individuals= many individuals, plural They= many people, plural Their= something that belongs to many people, plural Always use pronouns that match in number to what they refer back to. You can either change the pronoun (he/she/his/her/they/their) or change the noun it refers back to make it match, but whatever you decide to change they must match in number. I will highlight further instances of this so that you can see them and correct them on your own. Notice the last sentence. This explains the highlighting and signals that the client will need to take responsibility for making corrections.

15. Example