An Analysis of the Composition of the First Half Term of One Section of Freshman Agriculture Students Supplemented By a Study of the Freshman Placement Test 1936-1937
DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE
The material contained in this volume was taken from the composition of the first half term of one section of freshman agriculture students and from papers on How I Like To Spend My Leisure written for the purpose of sectioning the students according to their abilities. This paper on How I Like to Spend My Leisure Time was written by each member of the freshman class. These papers had been corrected and passed on to me for further correction. There were thirty-five folders from the agriculture section. In these folders was the work of each student. On a sheet of paper, I wrote each student\u27s name, and after examining the contents of the papers, I collected all sentences containing errors in sentence structure. All sentences were recorded. After all folders had been carefully reviewed and all errors recorded in the manner stated above, I made an attempt to group the errors according to their type. The first step was to read over each statement and determine what the error was, then label the sentence according to the type of error found in it. After completing this step, I placed the types as headings on separate sheets of paper. Another review of all the sentences was made in order to group them under their different heads. As the different types were found, they were re-written under the proper headings. After completion of this group of papers, I collected the errors in the papers on How I Like to Spend My Leisure in the same fashion. When all of this work was completed, I interviewed each freshman English instructor in order to get his opinion as to what a freshman composition course should be, and who should take it. Other questions were asked which are shown in their discussions on Freshman English Composition
