Technical Communication Quarterly Mar 2011

“I Really Don't Know What He Meant by That”: How Well Do Engineering Students Understand Teachers' Comments on Their Writing?

Summer Smith Taylor Clemson University

Abstract

Text-based interviews that compared the teacher's intention for a given comment on an engineering student's paper with the student's understanding of the comment were used to examine the extent to which students understand the comments they receive and to determine the characteristics of comments that are well understood and those that are not. The teachers' comments analyzed in this study were fully understood only about half the time. Inclusion of a reason or explicit instructions helped students understand the comments.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2011-03-16
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2011.548762
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Sonnenberg et al. (2024)
    Implementing a Continuous Improvement Model for Assignment Evaluation at the Te…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Melonçon et al. (2020)
    A Field-Wide Metasynthesis of Pedagogical Research in Technical and Professiona…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Kramer-Simpson (2018)
    Feedback From Internship Mentors in Technical Communication Internships
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Charney (2015)
    Getting to “How Do You Know?” Rather Than “So What?” From “What's New?”
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Schreibersdorf (2014)
    Literary Discipline in the Margins
    Pedagogy

Cites in this index (11)

  1. Dannels et al. (2008)
    Critiquing Critiques
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Taylor (2007)
    Comments on Lab Reports by Mechanical Engineering Teaching Assistants
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Taylor et al. (2006)
    Ten Engineers Reading: Disjunctions between Preference and Practice in Civil En…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Brinkman et al. (2003)
    Assessment of Communication Competencies in Engineering Design Projects
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Smith (2003)
    The Role of Technical Expertise in Engineering and Writing Teachers’ Evaluation…
    Written Communication
Show all 11 →
  1. Smith (2003)
    What is "Good"Technical Communication? A Comparison of the Standards of Writing…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Miller et al. (1998)
    Responding to technical writing in an introductory engineering class: The role …
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Straub (1997)
    Students’ Reactions to Teacher Comments: An Exploratory Study
    Research in the Teaching of English
  4. Connors et al. (1993)
    Teachers' Rhetorical Comments on Student Papers
    College Composition and Communication
  5. SPERLING et al. (1987)
    A Good Girl Writes Like a Good Girl
    Written Communication
  6. Gee (1972)
    Students’ Responses to Teacher Comments
    Research in the Teaching of English
Also cites 8 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2307/3587804
     ↗
  2. 10.2307/3588049
     ↗
  3. 10.1016/S1060-3743(01)00039-X
     ↗
  4. Hyland F. (2001)
    Sugaring the pill: Praise and criticism in written feedback
    Journal of Second Language Writing  ↗
  5. 10.1080/0270271870080404
     ↗
  6. 10.17239/jowr-2009.01.02.2
     ↗
  7. 10.2307/358669
     ↗
  8. 10.2307/357622
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 18 View in citation network →

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