The writing quality scale (WQS): A new tool to identify writing difficulties in students

Students in higher education (HE) are required to complete a variety of writing tasks for coursework and examinations. However, for some students writing presents a major challenge. In the UK, the availability of tools for specialist assessors to help identify difficulties with the quality of writte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of special education 2023-06, Vol.50 (2), p.258-267
Main Authors: Stuart, N. J., Barnett, A. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Age differences
assessment
Assessors
College students
Dyslexia
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Reliability
Scripts
SpLDs
Student writing
Test Construction
Test Reliability
Test Validity
Writing
Writing (Composition)
Writing Difficulties
Writing Skills
Writing Tests
Young Adults
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Summary:Students in higher education (HE) are required to complete a variety of writing tasks for coursework and examinations. However, for some students writing presents a major challenge. In the UK, the availability of tools for specialist assessors to help identify difficulties with the quality of written composition is limited. The aim of this study was to develop a practical new tool, the Writing Quality Scale (WQS) for assessing writing quality in HE, that was both easy to use and did not require specialist or subject knowledge. The reliability and validity of the tool and its ability to identify students in HE who may need support were evaluated by examining scripts from 120 students (60 male) aged 17 to 25 years. The WQS was found to have good inter‐rater reliability and was sensitive enough to pick up age differences and differentiate between groups of students with and without dyslexia. The WQS will be a useful tool for specialist assessors in HE to help in the identification of those with poor writing quality and to understand more about the nature of their difficulties.
ISSN:0952-3383
1467-8578
DOI:10.1111/1467-8578.12464