The Purdue Exponent


Monday 6/11/2001	5 day quick link 6/8 \| 6/6 \| 6/4 \| 6/1 \| 5/30

Lab offers writing tutors, software to improve skills

Online writing lab provides students with learning tools

By Jenny Jones
Summer Reporter

The staff from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" called the Purdue Writing Lab once to ask a question about grammar.

The writing lab is not just a place for students who are having trouble writing, said Brian Yothers, writing lab tutor. Many graduate students, professors and undergraduate students who want to improve their writing utilize the lab.

The writing lab offers free tutorials and computer software for students to expand their skills.

Amy Moricz, a junior in the School of Management, said it is helpful to have someone else look over your work because the tutors may find mistakes that you missed.

The lab is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and is located on the second floor of Heavilon Hall, across from the Union. Students may make appointments to meet with a tutor at least a day in advance or they may walk in and wait until a tutor becomes available.

"It's really a good idea to for students to think about making appointments early," Yothers said.

Also available for students or anyone wishing to learn more about grammar usage, formats, resumes and more is the Online Writing Lab.

Purdue's writing lab is the oldest in the country and Purdue was the first institution to offer an online lab, Yothers said.

The lab contains many printable handouts and information about writing.

"(Students can) look at handouts of an online research paper," Yothers said.

In addition to the online lab are online tutorials. These allow students to e-mail brief questions or even propose a sentence to the tutors.

If a student does not have a computer accessible to them they may call the grammar hotline. The hotline is another way for individuals to ask quick questions.

"(Students should) start everything earlier then they think they have to," Yothers said. "Everything takes longer then you think it will."

The lab is open to individuals with all different levels of writing skills.

Yothers said, "There's no stigma attached to coming in here."

When a student visits the lab they must fill out a green information sheet. This is how the lab keeps track of how many people make use of the facility, for funding purposes, Yothers said.

Not only may students go to the lab for help with an assignment, but they are also welcome to relax and read or do homework at any of the many tables or sofas, he said.

"This is a pretty comfortable environment," Yothers said. "(It's a) place to come and learn without the pressures (students) may have to face in the classroom."

• Log onto Purdue's Online Writing Lab at owl.english.purdue.edu

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