Students’ writing skills – worst than ever?

Most of us who teach writing at a collegiate level believe that student writing skills have deteriorated.

But most of us have as evidence only the writing we encounter (pretty strong) and the complaints of our colleagues (pretty weak).

Lawrence Musgrove, an English prof at St. Xavier in Chicago, has stirred up a debate on InsideHigherEd.com with an article that says the empirical evidence to show that student writing skills have deteriorated doesn’t exist. Students are making about as many writing errors as they always have. But there are many who disagree or have something to add to Musgrove’s analysis.

(Posted July 13, 2006)

Tags: Lawrence Musgrove, studeent writing skills