January 17, 2006

New weekly Writing Lab site helps students with the 'write' stuff

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Writing Lab is offering additional tutorial services in a multi-media based library center for any type of writing including resumes, Power Point presentations, Web pages and electronic-portfolios to Purdue faculty, staff and students.

Writing Lab tutors will be available 7-10 p.m. every Monday during the spring 2006 semester in the Hicks Undergraduate Library's Digital Learning Collaboratory.

"The tutors at the Purdue Writing Lab are known for helping students with traditional writing assignments by working with students to improve their writing techniques and learn new concepts," says Tammy Conard-Salvo, assistant director of the Writing Lab. "Tutors at this new location will continue to work with students on all kinds of papers, but also help students who want more assistance with the growing number of nontraditional writing assignments such as constructing video projects, Web sites or electronic portfolios. The Digital Learning Collaboratory, a multi-media resource center, is the perfect place where tutors and students can access different technological tools as part of their writing assignments."

Writing consultations last approximately 30 minutes. The writing tutor can help the student with any stage of the writing process from getting started on an assignment to the final stages of revision.

This weekly service supplements the Writing Lab, which is housed in the Department of English. Users can consult with tutors in Heavilon Hall, Room 226, as well as e-mail questions to a tutor or call the grammar hotline at (765) 494-3723. Purdue students, staff and faculty visited the lab 5,800 times last year. The lab provides handouts on editing and revising, and online workshops on resumes, cover letters, Web research and research papers. The online version, known as OWL, received nearly 30 million hits in 2005. Another walk-in tutoring service also is available at 7-10 p.m. on Wednesdays in Meredith Hall.

"This service is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students at any level of writing to seek feedback and advice about their writing," says Linda Bergmann, associate professor of English and Writing Lab Director. "Our tutors do not just edit or fix papers for students. Instead they focus on the writing process. And now this collaboration with Libraries also places emphasis on students improving research techniques."

The Digital Learning Collaboratory's work stations allow students to access library electronic resources such as capabilities for scanning, image capture, 3-D development and rendering, and editing and compressing digital video.

Purdue's Writing Lab was honored in Fall 2004 by the Conference on College Composition and Communication with the Writing Program Certificate of Excellence. The honor acknowledges services provided by the writing lab and the professional development opportunities it offers its student staff, as well as its online version.

Writer: Amy Patterson-Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Sources: Linda Bergmann, (765) 496-2814, lbergmann@purdue.edu

Tammy Conard-Salvo, (765) 494-4102, tcsalvo@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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