Instructor responses to student writing can both improve students’ writing and unlock the power of writing to deepen and broaden learning in any discipline. In this session, Dr. Chris Thaiss, Clark Kerr Presidential Chair and Professor in the University Writing Program at UC Davis, will describe tested practices for using responses at different stages of students' composing and revision, plus innovative strategies and new tools to make response efficient and productive -- in effect lightening the instructor's workload.  The presentation will be practical and hands-on for instructors from diverse disciplines. Citing practices by faculty from different fields, Dr. Thaiss will include strategies for responding to student writing in classes of different sizes, including large enrollment courses; he will also discuss ways to use campus learning management tools to facilitate student and instructor response. Following Dr. Thaiss’s remarks, Writing Program faculty will provide brief, research-based demonstrations of practices and technologies to enhance responses to student writing.

Chris Thaiss is Clark Kerr Presidential Chair, Professor in the University Writing Program, and Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at UC, Davis.

Dr. Thaiss's talk, "Creating a Climate of Responsiveness for Learning and Writing: Better Learning Through Better Feedback," will be on Friday, May 30 at 2pm in the Loma Pelona Center. Writing Program faculty will also briefly share strategies for providing feedback (including screencast and audio responses). A reception will follow.