One goal of computer-based instruction in writing is to help students to edit their compositions, particularly those compositions written on a word processor. This can be accomplished by a complete editing program that would contain the full set of mechanics rules--capitalization, punctuation, spelling, usage--appropriate for the grade level of…

A study and review of the revisions of professional writers reveals 11 functions of revision: (1) altering form, (2) organizing information, (3) creating transitions, (4) deleting information, (5) expanding information, (6) emphasizing information, (7) subordinating information, (8) creating immediacy, (9) improving syntactic structures, (10)…

However the initial germ of a written work arises, there usually follows a prewriting period of meditation. At this rehearsal stage in writing, the author must gain a sense of audience and grope with such variables as genre, point of view, voice, line, tone, and pattern. Many authors of fiction keep journals or notebooks as incubation places where…

Teaching college writing students to edit the autobiographical writing of others has many advantages. Autobiographical materials, such as diaries, letters, or journals, are physically and psychologically accessible for students, and as editors they would be obliged to keep in mind appropriateness of language, tone, and simplicity or complexity of…

To determine whether older students make more revisions in their essays, more kinds of revisions, or "bigger" revisions than younger students, a study was made of revisions made by 30 randomly selected seventh grade and 30 randomly selected eleventh grade students. Students were asked to write and revise twice essays in which they described a…

Although many studies have been conducted on the subject of writing, little research on the composing process itself can be found. One early study of significance is Janet Emig's "The Composing Processes of Twelfth Graders," which compares school-sponsored writing with self-sponsored writing. Donald Graves, Lucy McCormick Calkins, and Donald…

Presents the history of the development of computer-assisted composition (CAC) software and notes the problems with reserving some software for "basic" students while "brighter" students can use more complex modeling or simulation software. Concludes that, from experience with basic writers' success with the programs, there are some benefits to…

Discusses the problems of deciding whether to use, not use, or revise noun compounds. Presents guidelines that ask writers to weigh the familiarity, efficiency, and stylistic efficacy of the compound against alternatives for particular audiences. (MS)

Extends constructive theories of reading to argue for an advanced composition course that has two implications: (1) writing is a value-free technology; thus, (2) learning to write is learning to manage a technology, not training to be a moral person. (MS)

Describes newspapers as a good alternative to the traditional writing textbook and discusses how they can be used at all age levels to develop three stages of the writing process: prewriting, revision, and publishing. (JD)

Notes that many teachers who base their teaching on writing process theory have never completed the last stage of the process--publishing one's writing. Relates the experiences of one college instructor who made a course requirement of writing for publication in an education course and recounts his students' reactions. (JC)

Describes a study designed to determine whether the use of computer word processing would improve both the amount and quality of revision done by high school student writers. The effects of word processing on composition length and revision, and students' attitudes toward writing and word processing are discussed. (47 references) (CLB)

Presents three exercises that teach good proofreading and editing skills as well as tap students' creativity on the word processor. (HTH)

Describes some experiments with evaluating pupils' written work and gives teachers a few alternative techniques for correcting students compositions and for dealing with sentence-, paragraph-, and composition-level errors. Provides examples of how these techniques have been used at the secondary school level in Africa. (SED)

Describes the revision strategies of basic and competent twelfth-grade writers as they wrote for their teachers and their peers. (HOD)