a report from Cs on materials development; a report from Cs on "Writing Lab Possibilities as the Small College/University; a discussion of staffing (undergrad, grad peers; professional; faculty; self-instruction) for materials-centered vs. student-centered labs (i.e. the difference between teaching more students with fewer staff vs. offering one-on-one support); a 4Cs report on "Setting up a Writing Lab";
"Birthing a Writing Lab" (advice for new directors starting brand new labs); "The Writing Laboratory at William Carey College: A Tutorial Approach"; mailing list
"Using Regionally Oriented Materials in a Writing Center" (on dialect); "A Five-Minute Diagnostic for Writing Labs" (predicting student performance via error-finding exercise); reports from labs; "Handbook for Tutors" (description of an in-house training manual)
"Evaluation/Accountability for the Writing Lab" (on assessment, usage data, student grades, faculty response); "Do We Need Materials for ESL and Engineering Students?" (self-instruction materials); "A Note on Lab Layout" (space design); mailing list
"Eight Suggestions to Attract More Students to Lab"; a handout on "Finding the Key Idea in Topic Sentences"; a note on "Building Administrator and Faculty Awareness"; reports from individual labs; mailing list
the first "Great Moments in Writing Lab History"; a report on "Comp-Lab Project" of York College, "where reduced classroom hours are systematically coordinated with a flexible schedule of autotutorial work in a writing laboratory"; a report from a WC on offering student support beyond auto-instruction; a report on computer-assisted instruction; mailing list
This open-access book is a collection of twenty-two articles provides practical information on establishing a writing center and monitoring its daily operation. Born of the practical experiences and theoretical insights of editor Pam (Farrell) Childers, it addresses "problems and frustrations, shares successes and failures, and offers suggestions. In general, it addresses the issue of establishing and maintaining a successful high school writing lab/center. It also provides college and university writing lab/center directors with insight into what the high schools are doing."
The Table of Contents is listed on this page, and the whole book is free to download through the WAC Clearninghouse link provided here.
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.
This is a very widely used site for open access materials on writing. Includes materials on research and citation, teacher and tutor resources, subject-specific writing, job search writing, ESL, MLA and APA guides, etc.
"Unnecessary Hangups" (in praise of using machine-based self-instruction or guided self-study tools when budgets don't allow for large tutoring staffs); report from a new WC; "Three Sources for Writing Lab Tutors" (on using funding from Veteran Affairs to provide services for veterans on the G.I. Bill); "Usage Study at BYU" (on identifying effective instructional materials); mailing list
article reviews; conference announcements; Program for the Special Interest Session on Writing Labs - 1979 4Cs (nice list of topics and presenters); mailing list
questions on basic composition and preparing students for proficiency exams; a bibliography on training and using peer tutors; reports from individual labs; mailing list
a report on expanded uses of writing labs; "The Evolution of a Writing Center"; "Co-Ordinating the Writing Lab with the Composition Program"; mailing list
book announcement, report on grammar workbooks, report on faculty outreach; "Questions Which Need Answers," a questionnaire for directors covering scope of writing labs, staff, problems, materials, financing, details of operation, evaluation; mailing list
a handout on organization; extending writing lab offerings beyond the English Department; training tutors to create handouts; an account of a center's founding; mailing list