• Conferences are more personal (many students prefer them).
• Feedback given in person may have more impact (students don't always read carefully written comments -- some just look for the grade).
• Conferences provide an opportunity to build rapport.
• This form of feedback may be less labor-intensive, more satisfying for instructor.

• As with written feedback, it's usually more valuable when student still has an opportunity to revise (before the paper has been graded).
• If several writing assignments are similar, you could conference about the first paper to explain the grade and provide pointers that will help with subsequent assignments

• Sit side-by-side or at adjacent corners so you can look at the paper together (this also reduces the power differential and discomfort that some students feel when you're sitting behind a desk).

• Consider beginning by asking the writer if she has any specific questions or if there is something in the paper that she needs help with. This can provide a focus for the conference.

• If you've had time to look over the writing before the conference: you may have made a few notes to help you remember key points to discuss. Be sure to also give the student an opportunity to contribute to the "agenda" of the session (see preceding tip).

• If you're looking at the paper for the first time and time permits, you might wish to read the paper aloud or ask the student to read it to you. This way, you're both involved and either can pause to question or comment as you go along. Sometimes a student will hear something that " doesn't sound right" and you can talk about it. Encourage students to read their papers aloud on their own, too. If you don't have enough time to read aloud, you'll probably be skimming the paper, looking for key features: correct format for a science or business report, thesis statement for a research paper, topic sentences in paragraphs of an essay, etc.

• You may wish to make some notes on the paper during the conference, but make sure that the student is holding a pen or pencil, too, so that she retains responsibility and control over her own writing.

• Focus on a few key areas for feedback; don't feel you must discuss every "problem" with the paper (too time-consuming, and often too overwhelming for the student). This applies to problems with both content/organization and grammar/mechanics.

• Grammar problems: When faced with a paper that has numerous grammar or mechanics problems, try to find a pattern of significant error; for example, if you find many incomplete sentences (sentence fragments), you could point these out to the student. If there are numerous spelling errors, remind the student to use spellcheck.

• Whenever possible, use "I" language in your comments; e.g., "I wasn't sure what you meant by this sentence" instead of "This is confusing" or "You didn't express this clearly". This lets the writer know that there is a problem without putting her on the defensive or unnecessarily criticizing her. It also serves to emphasize the purpose of writing: communicating effectively with a specific audience (in this case, you).

• If something isn't clear or more information is needed, ask the writer to restate or explain; often these responses will be better than what she wrote. Suggest that the student include these changes and encourage her to make notes on the spot so she doesn't forget..

• Consider referring the student to English tutors in the LRC for additional help. English tutors help students with writing assignments for any course, at any point in the writing process (drafting, revising, editing). Tutors don't tell students what to write; they assist student writers in finding and expressing their own ideas. Tutors are not proofreaders who "fix" papers and make them error free, but they do help students to find and correct their own errors. The goal is not only to improve the paper at hand, but also to help students improve their overall writing skill

                                                                                                                                                                                Beth Kupper-Herr 11/00