writing conventions
 : Punctuation / Punctuation Corrections
Approach: Station / One to one
52k
Resources: None / Macintosh Powerbook 5300CS laptop computer, with Hypercard programme presenting punctuation task.

Questions / instructions (station version):
A lot of punctuation has been left out of this piece of writing —
things like full-stops, commas and speech marks.
Try to put in the punctuation.
An Untidy Brother
                                                                                      . T

Sometimes I just cannot understand my brother the

1
 

other day he decided to take all his clothes out of

2
                                                                            . "W

his drawers and he threw them on the floor what

3
                         ?"          . H

are you doing I asked he said that his favourite

4
                                        . I

shirt had disappeared it was not where he usually

5
           . O             ,                      '         . T

kept it of course he still didnt find it two days
6
        ,

later everything was still there on the floor.
7
 
Questions/instructions (computer version):
The computer is set up with the home page showing.
This activity is done on the computer.
You will see a piece of writing that has a lot of punctuation mistakes. A lot of punctuation has been left out — things like full stops, commas and speech marks. Your task is to try to put in the correct punctuation.
I want you to do this on your own, including working out how to use the computer.
You can start now by clicking the button that says Punctuation, then start to do the activity.
Apart from general encouragement to "try things out", do not give the student any help with operating the computer word processor.
home screen computer punctuation
press on image to see larger version
  % responses
y4
y8

Corrections made: line 1:      .
T
line 3:      .
"
W
line 4:     ?
"
.
H
line 5:      .
I
line 6:      .
O
'
.
T

65
61
71
75
58
31
57
39
39
33
31
36
34
21
35
31
66
66
69
67
67
32
55
44
46
24
24
50
47
29
26
25

Number corrected: 14–16
11–13
8–10
5–7
2–4
0–1

5
18
23
26
23
5
4
8
31
22
19
6

Optional punctuation:
line 3, comma after drawers
line 6, comma after course
line 7, comma after later

25
7
17
14
6
20
Number of incorrect changes:
0
1–2
3–4
5–6
7–19
27
41
19
9
4
49
39
9
2
1

Commentary:
The results for the paper and pencil and computer versions were very similar. The paper and pencil version was disliked by students with only 30 percent liking it and 49 percent disliking it. In contrast the computer version was liked by 71 percent of students. Both versions showed that at least half of the students inserted less than half of the appropriate punctuation.

 
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