Feedback with a Purpose: A Specifications Graded Course Built Around a Progressive Writing Assignment

Zoom Room 2

Writing is effective at driving learning (Arnold et al., 2017). Of the major processes involved in writing—planning, sentence generation, and revision (Hayes & Flower, 1987)—the letter is least practiced. In many cases feedback serves little purpose as students are not expected or required to revise their work (Dysthe, 2011). We report on a course design which uses two tools in order to make feedback and revision matter: a core assignment that builds toward a final goal in progressive steps, and specifications grading (Nilson, 2015), which includes revision as a pathway for improving final grades.