Purdue Online Writing Lab
Quality resources for literary teens, but won't motivate reluctant writers
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Purdue Online Writing Lab
Pros: The website provides a wealth of resources, from grammar and structure to the writing process itself, that can help improve overall writing.
Cons: It doesn't offer any opportunities for interactivity or feedback.
Bottom Line: Use this site as a robust resource for all aspects of the writing process, but don't expect an online community or interactivity.
The main section of the OWL website offers a broad range of solid information about writing -- the process, grammar, and style. There are no groups to join, fees to pay, or personal information to supply; it's not really designed for interactive instruction. But if you're looking for resources, the OWL won't disappoint; it's all easily accessible, free, and abundant -- and you can print out the pages. Besides all the written documentation, there are also PowerPoint presentations that provide an overview of tools that may be unfamiliar to teens, for example the MLA style guide. It's all available to anyone, though the Writing Lab itself, with tutors, is designed for Purdue students on campus.
The Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) is an offshoot of the university's campus and satellite writing labs. The site provides all the written information any high school student will need (and want) to prepare a paper, essay, or creative writing piece, with tips on the writing process, a complete grammar guide, and style guides that include both MLA and APA basics.
Beyond the wealth of practical information, teens who are already fairly fluent writers will find some interesting extensions in The Grammar Gang blog, which contains essays on arcane linguistic and grammar points written by instructors from the U.S. as well as from other English-speaking countries. There's also a complete guide to taking the writing portion of the GED test that may be useful SAT practice.
For high school students who already have a grasp of the writing process, this could be a one-stop shop for checking and improving their work. For teens who need prompting and guidance, however, the website just won't be fruitful. The resources are all written clearly, but for a reluctant or unmotivated writer, it's a lot of info to slog through. Some teens will need more support than is offered here.
Overall, self-motivated teens can use the Purdue OWL as a go-to site for writing resources, from preparing a paper to grammar explanations and quizzes (answers supplied) to styling, but for personal instruction and interactive support and feedback, they'll need to go elsewhere.
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Something is wrong with this picture. Students are advancing in their ability to access information at break-neck speeds, yet cannot process it effectively when they retrieve it. Overall, the juniors and seniors that I teach struggle with spelling because
My overall take is that it is a little advanced for the high school students that I teach however it is necessary to have such a rigorous resource available because writing is a serious subject and good writing does not occur overnight-it takes work. The editing and paper analysis process of the Purdue writing service is highly defined. I am familiar with a similar service at the University of Phoenix, which has been in place for approximately 20 years and is highly recommended by PhDs and doctoral candidates. If I had to make a comparison, I would place the University of Phoenix above Purdue University's writing service.