DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Did students create multiple drafts? Sometimes. It depended on the assignment


For writing assignments in classes other than first-year writing, 

 

  • 40% created multiple drafts for some assignments and only one draft for other assignments
  • 25%  of students created multiple drafts for all assignments
  • 23% created only one draft—the final product—for all assignments
  • 12% did not have writing assignments in other classes—and, therefore, had no opportunity to draft (or not)

Fewer than 10% of the students were required to turn in multiple drafts of writing assignments in their other classes.

 

 

Many students feel that drafting improves their writing, which leads to intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.


  • 38% said they created multiple drafts in order to improve their writing, in general
  • 20% created multiple drafts in order to improve their writing in pursuit of a good grade on an assignment
  • 14% created multiple drafts in order to incorporate feedback from professors, peers, or writing center consultants
  • 14% said creating multiple drafts helped them organize their thoughts
  • 14% said multiple drafts helped them clarify ideas or correct specific errors

 

Students create only one draft when they perceive that the writing they do for classes other than FYW is unimportant.


  • 35% said they considered the assignment “easy,” “short,” “fun,” or otherwise insignificant
  • 30% reported they simply did not want to put forth the extra effort 
  • 22% reported that a time constraint affected their ability or willingness to create multiple drafts
  • 13% felt creating multiple drafts was inappropriate for some assignments (e.g., freewriting)

 

Discussion


While anecdotal evidence usually points to personality flaws, such as laziness or poor time management, as the motivating factor behind students' unwillingness to draft, it’s interesting to note that perhaps getting students to draft is simply a matter of changing their perceptions about what constitutes “important” writing.

In some of their non-writing classes, a de-emphasis on composing (in contrast to an emphasis on content) may cause students to be confused about whether the assignment is important enough to spend time drafting and revising it.Transfer can happen only when students are provided the opportunity to use the strategy; for many of our students, this opportunity does not—or is perceived to not—exist. 

Understanding when and why students create multiple drafts of writing assignments can help writing professors decide how to teach not only drafting strategies, but critical thinking skills so that students can be successful in other writing contexts. The latter skills are valuable for helping students navigate two particular areas uncovered in this research:

 

  • Understanding that all writing is “important,” and
  • How to make sense of what they are learning in FYW when they don’t have an opportunity to practice it in other courses.
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.