The National Study of Writing Instruction - University at Albany

Below is a list of reasons that teachers give for asking students to write (in the
broad sense of the activities listed above). For each list, please indicate how
important each reason is for asking this particular class to write.
How important are the following reasons for asking students to write in this class?
To consolidate new
understandings.
To reformulate and extend
learning.
To assess what students have
learned
To provide practice in spelling,
punctuation, and other aspects
of correct usage.
To draw on relevant
background knowledge in
approaching new learnings.
To connect personal experience
to the topic being studied.
Longer Writing Assignments
Not
important
59
Somewhat
important
Important Very
important
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3
Will this course have a final exam? __ yes ___no
If there is a final exam, approximately what percent of the exam grade will be
based on responses of at least paragraph length? ____%
Do you assign writing of more than a paragraph to students in this class?
___yes ___ no