What Is the NEW MyWritingLab?

MyWritingLab, the most widely used online learning program, provides better practice for developing writers.

Built on ease of use, a wealth of practice opportunity, and extensive progress tracking, MyWritingLab offers skill remediation and improves students’ writing via two practice engines.  The Writing Skills mastery-based skill practice offers progressive exercises sets, and the Writing Practice (being reinstated in summer 2012) automatically scores students’ written submissions and provides suggestions for improvement in a low-stakes setting.

Over the better part of a decade, MyWritingLab has been the most widely used online learning application for writing skill improvement, with over 1 million student registrations across two- and four-year institutions.  We have published case studies and multiple surveys demonstrating how MyWritingLab consistently benefits students’ mastery of key writing skills as well as critical thinking.

Learn more about MyWritingLab's features for:

For Students: Developing Writers

Developing writers have varying skill levels and different learning styles.  The new MyWritingLab accommodates these differences through personalized learning, integrated learning aids, and a more intuitive navigation.

Personalized Learning

MyWritingLab now has three levels of assessment: Path Builder, Skills Check, and Mastery Test (post-test diagnostic). Students begin by completing the Path Builder to receive a personalized set of content modules in a format called the Learning Path. Within each module is a Skills Check, an additional diagnostic to assess students’ proficiency with topics in the module and determine what topics are mastered and which need more work.  The Mastery Test then reassesses students’ mastery of the topics.  This deliberate macro to micro assessment helps to keep students focus on problem area and accelerate their progress.

• Students begin by completing the Path Builder, a comprehensive diagnostic tool aligned to specific outcomes. Once students complete a Path Builder diagnostic test, they receive a personalized set of content modules, in a format called the Learning Path. Every student's personalized Learning Path shows at a glance which modules to practice.
• Within each module is a Skill Check, a diagnostic to assess students' proficiency within the module and determine what topics are mastered and which need more work.

This acute focus on personalized assessment and learning make MyWritingLab tailored to each student's specific strengths and weaknesses.

Integrated Learning Aids

With nearly 8,000 exercises and immediate feedback, the quantity and quality of practice available in MyWritingLab is unmatched.  Retaining its hallmark progressive exercise sets that move students from literal comprehension (Recall) to critical comprehension (Apply) to demonstrating concepts to their own writing (Write), MyWritingLab activities now offer integrated learning aids to reinforce learning:

• “Help me Solve This” provides additional, unique instruction about the topic at hand
• “Ask My Instructor” enables students to e-mail their instructor for help right at the point at which they are struggling.  Students can e-mail a query accompanied by a copy of the question or concept with which they are struggling
• Animations provide interactive, visual (and audio) summaries of the topic’s key concepts
• The Glossary assists students by defining key or technical terms

Navigation

The new interface makes navigating MyWritingLab more streamlined and intuitive, which results in greater efficiency and student engagement.

The Homepage now consists of three areas: the left-hand navigation column, the week's "To Do" calendar, and the entry point to the Learning Path. When students visit the site, they are never at a loss for what they need to do that day.

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For Students: Composition Students

As a practice-oriented alternative to MyCompLab, Pearson offers the MyWritingLab for Composition course.  The composition-level course retains the proven pedagogy that MyWritingLab is known for; however, it covers additional, higher-level topics in grammar and research.  

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For Instructors

As course demographics and dynamics shift and instructors and departments are pressed to produce better outcomes results, we have continued to develop MyWritingLab to meet your needs.   The new MyWritingLab offers you more control over your course and its content, enhanced course management features, and a more powerful Gradebook.

More control over course and content – NEW!

Instructors can now exercise greater control in customizing MyWritingLab to match their teaching style and course goals. New options include:  

• creating new activities and assessments or editing existing items
• creating new or editing existing diagnostics
• releasing content to select students

Among the customization options for each Homework, Quiz, and Test item are the options of assigning due dates, tracking late submissions and giving of partial credit, setting or removing prerequisites, and establishing the mastery score.    

Furthermore, in Pearson’s commitment to implementing the Section 508 recommendations, much of our content has been redeveloped to be read by screen readers.  While creating an assessment or assignment, instructors will see an icon next to the questions formatted for screen readers. It is our hope that this enhancement will make our technology and content accessible to all users.

Course Management  

The new MyWritingLab now offers these options and tools:

• hide and/or rename features such as the Pearson Tutor Services or course areas such as Study Skills  
• assign “section instructors” (a.k.a., TA status) who have limited privileges within the course, such as assisting with grade tracking.
• Chat & ClassLive tools engage classes in synchronous chat and whiteboard sessions
• email the entire class or select students  

Gradebook

All student work in MyWritingLab is captured in the online Gradebook. Instructors have detailed reports, such as class summaries that track the progress of their entire class and show individual student detail, as well as topical views.  

New Gradebook functions include:  

• flexible grading options (weighting, drops, etc.)
• exporting grades for individual assignments or assessments, mastery status, and performance by module
• importing outside grades
• searching/emailing students based on specific criteria, such as overall average, assignment performance, and work activity

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Transitioning to the New MyWritingLab

If you're already using MyWritingLab, we're here to help you make a seamless transition to the new MyWritingLab. Visit Transitioning to the New MyWritingLab for resources that will help you get familiar with the new navigation and option set. 

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