General composing heuristics produced mixed results in studies of their effectiveness¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 1992 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Studies of general question-based heuristics for writing achieved mixed results, with effectiveness often called into question by confounded treatment designs. → Smagorinsky 1992

Evidence¶

Smagorinsky 1992¶

Smagorinsky, P., & Smith, M. W. (1992). The Nature of Knowledge in Composition and Literary Understanding: The Question of Specificity. Review of Educational Research, 62(3), 279-305. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543062003279

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports that studies of Larson's and Odell's general question-based heuristics "achieved mixed results regarding their effectiveness in improving writing," with results questioned by confounding variables in treatment designs. Hillocks nonetheless found their promise encouraging and suggested further investigation.

"The sorts of heuristics developed by Larson and Odell have been studied by several researchers (Burns, 1980; Dutch, 1980; Ebbert, 1980; Lamberg, 1974; Odell, 1974; Young & Koen, 1973) who have achieved mixed results regarding their effectiveness in improving writing, with the results often called into question by the studies' dubious means of control"

Discussion¶

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