Students usually submit their drafts to the writing fellow and then revise their papers based on the feedback they receive. This process enables us to intervene while students are still writing instead of offering them advice after the fact, which is the procedure in many non-WATU courses. Written Response Students receive written response to their drafts from their writing fellows. Response generally focuses on the clarity of the central idea, organization, argument, evidence, transitions, fluency, and observance of appropriate conventions. In addition to drafts, at least two writing conferences are required.
Conferences provide an opportunity for student and fellow to discuss a draft at length.
They supplement written response and promote communication between writing fellows and students by allowing writing fellows to elaborate on comments and students to clarify their intentions. Students and writing fellows alike find these conferences enormously valuable. Peer Response WATU fellows, especially those who are also TAs and teaching their own sections, sometimes supervise students responding to each other's work. This procedure not only helps students become more critical readers of their own writing, but it also helps them develop a better sense of audience. WATU fellows who are not the TA's for the course are not expected to grade papers.