GHEA21 Publications
Use of Cover Letters & Radical Revision as Part of Formative Written Feedback
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This teacher’s research paper discusses the combined use of Cover Letter and Radical Revision prompts, and their effect on teachers’ formative feedback and students’ writing. The article focuses on feedback in written form. The pilot assignment that stands at the center of this paper required students to write a legal essay in two stages. In stage one, the students were to prepare a first draft of the essay and fill in the Cover Letter. In stage two, they had to revise their draft paper, based on the feedback received. For this purpose, they had to apply one or two strategies for revision suggested in the Handout for Revision distributed by the instructor. The data for this case study was gathered through a students’ questionnaire, the students’ assignments and the reflections of the instructor. The direct and indirect data in relation to the pilot assignment showed that students perceived the formative written feedback as clear and helpful. The majority of students recognized the value of the Cover Letter and the Handout for Revision, stating that these documents helped them write better papers. A number of students stated that while the Cover Letter and Handout for Revision did not help them personally, they could see how these documents could help a student who struggles to start writing or struggles with essays in general. These last comments seemed to indicate that the modified version of the Cover Letter and Handout for Revision, used in the pilot assignment, might be better suited for inexperienced writers or students who find it hard to organize and revise their writing. On the other hand, it seems that experienced writers or students who already know how to write and revise an essay find these documents less effective. The case study results show that in their present form, the Cover Letter and Radical Revision prompts help students to improve their writing. The same tools have a positive influence on written teachers’ formative feedback.
Recommended Citation
Mullalli, Neada, "Use of Cover Letters & Radical Revision as Part of Formative Written Feedback" (2025). GHEA21 Publications. 28.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/osun_publications/28
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