Critical Evaluation as an Aid to Improved Report Writing: A Case Study

Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

Y

10

Foreign Countries; Technical Writing; Case Studies; Academic Degrees; Criterion Referenced Tests; Criticism; Peer Evaluation; Self Evaluation (Individuals); Writing Improvement; Writing Skills; Teaching Methods; Student Surveys; Student Attitudes; College Faculty; College Students

10.1080/03043797.2013.858105

0304-3797

Report writing is an important employability skill for Engineers and Technologists, and this case study describes how a Technology degree module took a novel approach to developing students' report writing skills. Students learned how to use a criterion-referenced critical evaluation framework for reports and other technological documents. They were given opportunities to practise using the framework both through exemplars and through evaluating the work of their peers. They also carried out self-assessment. The authors' analysis of this novel approach shows that most students responded well to it and benefited from it. Lessons are drawn from this work for others who wish to improve their students' report writing skills.

As Provided

21

2014

EJ1030861