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Online Writing Remediation Program Targets Incoming Freshmen
5/1/2008
Ed tech developer Vantage Learning has launched a new edition of its writing remediation program, targeting high school seniors and incoming college freshmen. My Access! College Edition extends the standard "School Edition," designed for K-12, with greater emphasis on analysis and interpretation, as well as additional features.
My Access! is a fully Web-based tool that uses online forms that allow students to input essays and other writing assignments. It then checks these assignments against various writing characteristics and scores students on their writing proficiency, style, mechanics, and other factors. It also supports multilingual students and ELL students and is able to deliver feedback and tutoring in multiple languages.
"...The recent reports of students entering college without the necessary writing skills are alarming," said John Fallon, Vantage Learning vice president, in a statement released this week. "We sought to create the best and most powerful tool for incoming freshman to be the best writers they can be as they come on campus this fall." The company cited the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress 2007 Writing Assessment report, which indicated that only about 24 percent of 12th grade students in the United States write at levels considered "proficient."
The system provides feedback on the areas in which students need improvement; self-paced, interactive lessons; and guides for completing college-level writing projects, focusing on planning, organizing, drafting, revising, and editing.
Further information about My Access! College Edition can be found here.
About the author: Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's educational technology online publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com.
Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at dnagel@1105media.com.
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