New writing exam efficient and effective
For years, the English composition exam was one of the most painful parts of O-Week. Last year’s exam posed an even greater inconvenience when MIT graders failed to score the tests in time for registration. But with the help of Director of Managerial Communication Deborah Barrett, Rice has recovered with an efficient, effective and self-sustained system (see story, page 1).
Paying graduate students to grade this year’s test empowered Rice to customize the exam and grading standards. And the explanatory evaluations actually help students with their writing much more than the black box with a “pass,” “low pass” or “fail.” And while we still worry about students taking the test before Honor Code orientation, the efficiency and quality demonstrated in this year’s exam seem to outweigh that risk.
The test was more difficult than in past years, indicated by an increase in failures and low-passes. But these results reflect preparedness for intensive collegiate writing. Rice has needed to revamp its writing program for years, and this seems to be a step in the right direction. We hope administrators continue this improvement by expanding writing-intensive freshmen seminars in multiple departments.
Offering the test once per month during the summer certainly helped fit students’ varying schedules. However, a choice of two topics should be offered for each essay, as many students found their prompts boring. Overall, we support the changes to the composition exam.
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