Async Writing Manual

Async Writing Manual
Contents
I. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Differences Between Async and Live Writing ............................................................................................................ 3
Coordinating Async and Live Sessions Feedback ..................................................................................................... 3
The Personal Information Policy................................................................................................................................. 4
II. Identifying Concerns ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Pre-Session Details .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Student’s Level of Experience ................................................................................................................................ 4
Student’s Assignment Information .......................................................................................................................... 5
Student’s Self-Evaluation........................................................................................................................................ 5
Holistic Approach ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Higher-Order versus Lower-Order Concerns ............................................................................................................. 7
Higher-Order Focus Checklist: ............................................................................................................................... 7
III. Providing Effective Feedback .......................................................................................................................... 8
Using a Growth Mindset ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Tone ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Ensuring Student Understanding ............................................................................................................................. 10
Try the What, Why, and How Method................................................................................................................... 10
Use Examples ....................................................................................................................................................... 11
Ask Leading Questions ......................................................................................................................................... 12
Writing In-Line Comments ........................................................................................................................................ 13
In-Line Commenting Checklist: ............................................................................................................................. 14
Filling Out Summary Feedback Forms ..................................................................................................................... 15
Summary Feedback Form Resources and Examples .......................................................................................... 17
Summary Feedback Form Checklist: ................................................................................................................... 17
IV. Managing Time ................................................................................................................................................ 18
Automatic Chat Reminders....................................................................................................................................... 19
Time-Saving Tips ...................................................................................................................................................... 20
Preparing for an Async Session ........................................................................................................................... 20
Using Prescripts and Cheat Sheets ...................................................................................................................... 20
Utilizing the Tutor.com Writing Center .................................................................................................................. 21
Setting Personal Timers ....................................................................................................................................... 21
Balancing Time for the In-Line Comments and SFF ............................................................................................ 21
1
Page
The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.
www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

V. Additional Resources ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Async Technical Manual ........................................................................................................................................... 22
Async Writing Project................................................................................................................................................ 22
Annotated Async Sessions ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Tutorial Videos .......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Async Session Newsletter Articles ........................................................................................................................... 23
2
Page

I. Introduction
Asynchronous (async) sessions, known as drop-off sessions to students, are an excellent way for students to
receive feedback from a tutor when they are unable to be available for a typical live one-to-one session. An async
essay review allows the student to complete a pre-session survey, upload a writing assignment in a variety of
supported formats, and have it reviewed by a tutor within 12 hours. When essay reviews are completed, students
receive email reminders to visit their My Sessions page, where they may access their original document, a version
of the document with comments from the tutor who conducted the review, and a Summary Feedback Form
containing the tutor’s analysis of the document’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, as well as
recommended next steps.
The majority of Tutor.com’s async sessions are for our writing subjects; however, certain other subjects do have
async options available for students (see Async All Access). This Manual will focus specifically on how to identify
and provide effective writing feedback in async sessions. For information on how to conduct async sessions in
our Tutor.com Classroom, please also see the Async Technical Manual.
Differences Between Async and Live Writing

The following are the major differences between async and live sessions:
• The student is not present in the classroom during the async session.
• Async sessions have a Summary Feedback Form that the tutor completes during the session, which
includes the following:
o rubric and open fields to explain strengths and opportunities for growth in the student’s paper
o fields for attaching resources that may help the student
o summary and next steps the student should take
When providing async feedback, tutors should keep in mind the following important aspects of async approach:
• Async sessions use the Word comment feature to provide detailed feedback to the student, including
explanations, suggestions, questions to consider and examples/ models.
• Tutors should not use Track Changes and/or make direct changes to the students’ essays as this is
considered answer-giving. This is not acceptable in live or async sessions.
Coordinating Async and Live Sessions Feedback

When seeking help as they complete their essays, students often choose to participate in a combination of live and
async sessions. For example, a student might have worked through multiple live sessions prior to uploading the
essay for an async session.
At times, tutors may receive a “repeat” async session with the prior tutor’s comments still included. In this
circumstance, do not remove the other tutor’s comments; the student may still be working with these
recommendations. Also, in some instances the student will leave a comment for the tutor in the margin of the essay
indicating a question they have or a place in the essay where they are struggling. Respond to their query using the
in-line comments feature or the Summary Feedback Form.
3
Page

The Personal Information Policy

The Personal Information Policy (PIP) applies in async sessions to students who are not at the college level or
adults. If the session request is from the higher education market, then it is safe to assume the student is an adult
learner and therefore personal information does not need to be removed, but as always, should not be used.
(Students are instructed to remove personal information before submitting their papers.)
Before conducting async sessions, review the Personal Information Policy Quick Reference Guide and the Personal
Info Policy: Applying in Asyncs for instructions on how to handle async sessions with students’ personal information.
Tutors should ensure personal information is not displayed on their Word comments. Examples of personal
information that need to be adjusted are the tutor’s full name or email address. For information about adjusting
settings to remove this information, please see Revising the Username in Microsoft.
II. Identifying Concerns

The asynchronous session format provides the opportunity to respond more thoroughly to an essay, using a holistic
approach. Begin the session by reading the Pre-Session Details and any Custom Resource Pages (if applicable)
because the student will indicate where they are in the writing process, and the Custom Resource Page will indicate
if the institution has any additional information the tutor should use when reviewing the student’s work.
Pre-Session Details
Our Async Technical Manual provides more detail on what information students will provide in the Pre-Session
Details, so in this Manual we will focus on how to use the information effectively when reviewing a student’s work. It
is important to review the Pre-Session Details carefully and use them to guide your response; sometimes, students
will ask specific questions or make requests about what parts of their uploaded assignment they would like a tutor to
review. It is important that if a student has made requests, you do your best to address those requests and respond
to their questions in your feedback. Additionally, some students have the option to upload various drafts of an
assignment to the same tutor to receive continuous feedback throughout their writing process; this is called an
async Writing Project (see Async Writing Project for further details).
Student’s Level of Experience

Start by reviewing the information about the student’s grade level. If it is a K-12 student, the Pre-Session Details will
typically state a specific grade. If the student is from a higher-ed institution, the Pre-Session Details will generally
state whether the student needs help with undergraduate or graduate writing and/or a course code. Use this
information when providing feedback to guide your tone and depth of explanations.
Be aware that some students may have more or less knowledge than may be expected for someone of their grade
level, so regardless of the grade level mentioned, use a simple writing style when providing feedback to ensure a
wider audience can easily understand the explanations (for example, if the explanation sounds like it comes out of
an advanced college course textbook, a student may have trouble understanding it if they don’t have the necessary
background).
4
Page

Student’s Assignment Information
Next, look for any specific information the student has provided about the particular assignment they are working on.
The three parts of the Pre-Session Details where a student can provide additional information or copy and paste
assignment instructions are written as responses to the following questions:
• What is the topic of your paper?
• Please describe your assignment and any instructions you’ve received from your teacher or professor
(feel free to cut and paste)
• Our tutors will review your essay for higher-order concerns (thesis, organization, and paragraph
development) Where else would you like the tutor to focus? (If the student selects “Other” instead of one
of the pre-written categories, they can provide their own specific questions/comments.)
Pay attention to the citation style the student has noted and be aware that certain institutions do have specific
citation guidelines for their students to use, which will be addressed in the Custom Resource Page, if one is
available for the session.
Use the information the student shares about their assignment to determine if they have fully addressed the prompt
and any specific guidance from their instructions. When applicable, it can be useful to refer to portions of the
student’s prompt when sharing feedback. Some tutors find it helpful to paste the assignment instructions on a
separate Word document or in a Word Comment on the student’s paper to make it easy to reference while reviewing
the document (if using this method, be sure to delete the assignment instructions from the Word Comment before
sending the document back to the student).
If the student leaves little or no specific guidance about the assignment, proceed to evaluate it using the general
principles of strong writing. If the student submits a document/request for help with brainstorming, share general tips
about how to brainstorm and develop first drafts, share specific suggestions when applicable (ensure that the
suggestions do not do the work for the student), and also encourage them to sign in for a live session for more
assistance brainstorming in real-time with a tutor.
Student’s Self-Evaluation
Finally, consider where the student feels they are at in the writing process, as this is valuable information when
determining how to present feedback to them. The student can choose from the following categories:
• I think it needs a lot of work still
• I think I’m on track but ready for feedback
• I think it’s almost perfect, but I want an extra set of eyes
In conjunction with the self-evaluation of where they are at in the writing process, students also can choose two
specific categories they would like tutors to focus on (see the Async Technical Manual).
5
Page

Keep in mind that this is a student’s self-evaluation of their progress and what they need help with. A tutor may need
to adjust approach in providing feedback depending on the areas of focus apparent in the document itself, as these
areas may not always match with the student’s self-evaluation. Regardless of where the student is at in the writing
process, the document should be reviewed for higher-order priorities before moving on to final revision and polishing
feedback (more on this in the next two sections: Holistic Approach and Higher-order Versus Lower-Order
Concerns).
Should the student incorrectly assess how much they have left to complete, use an encouraging tone and explain
why the feedback is focused on slightly different areas, as this helps avoid potential student confusion or frustration.
Whenever possible, try to address a student’s specific questions or provide them resources to help, along with the
priorities for the session. See the following example from a Summary Feedback Form explanation for
Research/Citations:
Good start compiling all of your sources! Using sources correctly ensures that we support our points and
establish our credibility as writers. I noticed that you had a question about MLA in-text citations. As I
mentioned previously in this review, it is important to focus on strengthening your thesis and overall
organization of the essay first, but I do want to provide some tips on MLA to get you started. MLA in-text
citations include the author’s last name and page number, like this: (Smith 25)
When you are at the stage where you are polishing your citation formatting, how can adjust your in-text
citations to match this format? For additional examples and information, please see the resource I’ve
linked about MLA in-text citations to help.
Holistic Approach
The purpose of async sessions is not to cover every possible area for revision with a student. Instead, async essay
writing sessions should focus on a holistic approach with the intention of prioritizing the most important areas for a
student to understand and build on. A holistic approach encompasses an awareness of all levels of criteria for essay
development and evaluation, such as the following:
• content/prompt sufficiently answered
• thesis statement
• organization
• paragraph development
• topic sentences
• source material
• transitions
• stylistics
6
Page

Tutors follow these guidelines to ensure that the student’s needs are met while approaching the essay holistically:
1. Consider the desires of the student, where they are in the writing process, and the goals of good
writing.
2. Focus around 90% of effort on both the overall structure and organization of the writing (higher order
revisions) and around 10% of effort on the flow and sentence structure of the writing (lower order
revisions), including grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.
3. Recommend the student connect to an English or College English tutor in an on-demand session if
the student needs more support in lower-order concerns.
4. Provide sufficient detail to allow the student to understand and act upon the tutor’s feedback.
5. Utilize the SFF to evaluate the strengths and opportunities for improvement in the essay, summarize
previous suggestions, deliver next steps, and provide resources for students to review.
6. Indicate to the student where the tutor left off in the Next Steps of the Summary Feedback Form, if
they are unable to complete reviewing the entire essay within the allotted time.
Higher-Order versus Lower-Order Concerns

The focus for async writing sessions should generally be on higher-order concerns. Higher-order concerns consist
of principles such as thesis statements, sufficiently answered prompts, organization, paragraph development, topic
sentences, effective source material, transitions, and so on. Lower-order concerns consist of principles related to
grammar and style. Higher education students who need to focus solely on grammar, mechanics, and citations, will
have the option of choosing College English to connect to a tutor who will help them in on-demand sessions with
these lower order concerns. Other College Essay Writing sessions, both live and async sessions, should be mostly
focused on higher order concerns. Non-higher education students should be encouraged to reconnect with an
English Tutor if in-depth proofreading assistance is needed.
As you provide feedback to students in async writing sessions, use the following checklist as a guide for self-
evaluating your holistic and higher-order focus.
Higher-Order Focus Checklist:
Yes/No Self-evaluating your higher-order focus in sessions:
Have I ensured that the student has fully addressed their assignment guidelines/writing prompt?
Have I checked that the essay adheres to its purpose or style, such as argumentative, informative,
rhetorical analysis, narrative, discussion post, business letter, etc.?
Have I pointed out any needed revisions in the thesis statement and/or topic sentences?
Have I addressed the overall development of the essay in terms of content and organization?
7
Page

Have I addressed any missing support for key claims throughout the student’s essay?
Are there any needed revisions in paragraphing and/or transitions?
Has the student accurately presented their source materials?
Are there any major or recurring lower-order concerns, such as grammar, mechanics, and style, that the
student should be aware of as they edit?
If the student needs additional proofreading assistance, have I encouraged them to sign in for a live
English or College English session to go over lower-order concerns in more depth?
III. Providing Effective Feedback

Using a Growth Mindset
Tutor.com Tutors practice a “growth” mindset when providing feedback to students. Our "mindset" is a combination
of how we think about things and our personal beliefs. This mindset has a large impact on our attitudes and our
behaviors, not only towards others, but ourselves as well. A fixed mindset is one in which we believe our character,
intelligence and abilities are "fixed" and there is no room for improvement. A growth mindset is one in which we
believe that intelligence and talent can grow when we challenge and strive to improve our existing abilities.
Fostering a growth mindset in students will empower them to accept challenges and strive to succeed. They will not
see failures as setbacks, but rather learning opportunities, obstacles to be overcome. For more information, please
see the Growth Mindset QRG.
To foster a growth mindset in students, async tutors choose their words carefully to ensure students feel supported
and encouraged. The following techniques will help you use a growth mindset when providing feedback:
• Point out at least 1 positive element of every paper.
• Use words such as priorities and opportunities for growth rather than problems, errors, or issues.
• Once an issue has been addressed once, and the student has been encouraged to apply the
feedback throughout the rest of the document, it does not need to be repeatedly flagged by further
comments.
• On the Summary Feedback Form, select the 2-3 priority feedback sections, and address those areas
with detailed feedback (see Filling Out Summary Feedback Forms for more information and the
Annotated Async Sessions for examples).
• For non-priority Summary Feedback Form sections in the current session, include at least 1-2
8
sentences either of praise, feedback, or encouragement to revisit this topic in a future session.
Page

• When completing the Summary Feedback Form, aim for a good balance of both praise and
constructive criticism.
• Provide no more than three (3) in-line comments on each page of a paper (so as to not overwhelm
and frustrate students).
• Encourage students to come back for more help rather than trying to address every single
opportunity for growth in a single session.
Tone
A professional, positive tone is essential when fostering a growth mindset with students. In an online environment, it
is easy for a student to misconstrue the tone of a tutor’s feedback due to the lack of additional audible or visual
context clues that come from an in-person conversation. The following are ways to help with using a professional,
positive tone in written feedback:
• Address the student directly by using the first or second person when providing feedback: You did a
great job structuring your thesis statement, and I was able to quickly understand the organization of
your paper.
• Avoid using a tone that could be perceived as condescending or commanding. For instance, a
student may interpret the following example comment as dismissive or rude: What environment? Be
specific. If you mean the workplace environment, say so.
• Use a helpful, friendly tone. See the following example: You have some great subtopics listed in your
thesis! I also suggest double checking it against your 4th body paragraph. Have you included the
topic of this paragraph in your thesis? To help our readers follow along, it is useful to “preview” your
main subtopics in your thesis. Checking that our body paragraphs match our thesis helps with
organization and ensuring we’ve fully addressed and supported our argument.
• Phrase comments as recommendations: I recommend adding a phrase here to clarify your point.
What types of changes are you suggesting?
9
Page

Ensuring Student Understanding
Along with using a growth mindset to support and encourage students, it is essential to ensure feedback is clear and
detailed enough that students can continue working on their own. Async sessions provide a unique challenge in
ensuring student understanding, as the student is not working with the tutor in real-time, so they cannot ask
clarifying questions. Thus, tutors should anticipate potential questions and provide feedback that will address those
areas. The following are techniques that assist with ensuring understanding in async sessions:
Try the What, Why, and How Method

The "What, Why, and How" method is a tool for self-evaluating the effectiveness of our feedback. We can pose
questions to ourselves that students potentially could ask us in a session. For instance, try asking yourself the
following questions during the session:
WHAT does the student need to focus on? Be kind, clear, and specific about what areas are a priority to focus on or
have opportunities for growth. A great way to provide the WHAT feedback is to tie it to the positive strengths of the
document, which encourages the student to implement the constructive suggestions. See the following example:
You are off to a strong start with your organization because most paragraphs have their own clear
topic. Now, one of your next priorities is to build on your paragraph structure.
WHY will revisions in this area strengthen the document? Some students implement feedback without question, but
a wonderful way to learn and grow is to understand the reasoning behind feedback and WHY it is important. We can
provide students the opportunity to understand this by supplying a bit of context for the feedback. Understanding the
context and reasoning for revisions can then help students avoid similar concerns in future assignments.
Building on your paragraph structure will ensure each point flows together and your claims are well-
supported. Using a consistent body paragraph structure also helps your reader be prepared for
what comes next and understand your claims more easily.
HOW can the student strengthen these areas? What principles do they need to understand to build on the identified
areas? This may be the most important question to the student. While we do not give students answers or do the
work for them, we can and should provide detailed information on which principles the student needs to implement
in order to be successful. As tutors who also conduct live sessions are aware, it is frustrating for students to know
10
what is wrong without having the tools to fix the concerns, so async sessions should provide the tools necessary to
Page
avoid potential questions and frustration.

Often, addressing the HOW (the principles and guidelines for strong writing) is consistent for many students, so
consider pre-scripting explanations, examples, and questions that could apply to various situations (see more on
Cheat Sheets in “Managing Time”). Having a base for the feedback will save time and allows tutors to tailor this
feedback to the specific document. Notice how the following pre-scripted explanation has opportunities for the tutor
to tailor it to the individual student. It uses leading questions to encourage the student to think critically about how to
implement the feedback we have provided, which can help with understanding and avoid doing the work for the
student.
[Add transition specific to student] Use strong body paragraph structure to organize your
information. A body paragraph has the following elements: topic sentence, evidence, and
explanation. The topic sentence lets the reader know what that paragraph will be about (remember,
one topic per paragraph). Then, use some evidence to support that claim. [Add an example specific
to the student's document.] Finally, wrap up by explaining why it matters. For instance, why does
[specific example] potentially matter to your audience? How does this relate to the overall purpose
of your paper?
Together, the above examples for the WHAT, WHY, and HOW all work together to create one explanation. The
example showcased here was appropriate for the Summary Feedback Form to assist the student in understanding
and implementing the overall principle of strong body paragraphs both in the current and future writing assignments.
Use Examples
Capture a learning moment and take the opportunity to teach a concept through an example. Look for opportunities
to create “mini” lessons about principles the student needs to understand when revising. See how the tutor provides
similar sentences to illustrate concepts in the following example feedback (the tutor’s examples in their feedback are
highlighted in blue):
Student Sentence Tutor Example
Nice paraphrase! Since this is the first sentence of your

paragraph, I recommend adding a clearer topic
sentence to ensure the reader understands the
purpose of this particular paragraph.
Try to avoid using paraphrased or quoted material as a

topic sentence because you want to have your own
Harm Minimisation Framework consists of different
point. Instead, use the quoted or paraphrased material
strategies and recognises the economic, social, and
as evidence to support your topic sentence. Here is an
health consequences of drug use and that drug users
example of a clear topic sentence followed by some
should be provided with a wide range of supports and
evidence from a source to illustrate:
interventions to reduce those consequences (National
Drug Strategy 2017–2026).
Ex. One of the biggest concerns for this Save the
Lagoon referendum is the lack of definitions for how the
county will proceed. Section FSD-4 of the referendum
simply states, “Develop and implement best
11
management practices (BMPs) for the management of

stormwater, agricultural and fresh water discharges”
Page
(“Natural Resources,” 2016).


Serial comma – APA requires the serial comma, which
is the last comma before the conjunction in lists. Here
are some examples:
Ex. I ate apples, bananas, and oranges.

The individual would be referred to a testing location, Ex. I went to school, came home, and started
emergency department or other community resource homework.
depending on their symptoms and need.
Unless your teacher has specified that you shouldn’t
use the serial comma (also known as the Oxford
comma rule), then you will need to add these ending
commas to all of your lists since you are using APA.
Ask Leading Questions

It is crucial that we prompt students to complete the work. It can be tempting to simply tell the student what/how they
should revise, but this takes away the student’s learning opportunity; the person doing the work is the one learning.
Asking leading questions to prompt the student into considering and implementing a revision can foster
understanding without doing too much work for the student. Combining effective leading questions with examples
can be particularly effective for ensuring understanding. See the leading questions (highlighted in blue) in the
following examples:
Topic Sentences - To create strong body paragraphs, we start with a specific topic sentence to help
orient the reader. The best topic sentences are our own words; they state the main purpose of our
paragraph (like a mini-thesis). We want to avoid paraphrased or quoted material in topic sentences
because then we aren’t making our own point (it is someone else’s). Instead, use paraphrased or
quoted material to support the topic sentence.
For example, if the following is our thesis statement, a strong topic sentence could be the example
below:
Sample Thesis: Fall is the best season of the year because the weather is perfect, the colors of the
changing leaves are beautiful, and there are some great holidays to celebrate with family.
Sample Topic Sentence: In fall, the heat and humidity of summer is replaced by more comfortable
and enjoyable temperatures.
In your own words, what is the main purpose of this paragraph? How does it tie back to your thesis?
Try to keep these questions in mind as you brainstorm one. Are there other opportunities to build on
your topic sentences throughout your paper?
12
Page

Introductory element – whenever we have extra information at the beginning of a sentence that isn’t
essential, we set it off with a comma. Here are some examples:
Ex. A long time ago, my mother was born.
Ex. Once upon a time, Snow White bit an apple.

Ex. Quickly, I finished the laundry.
How do you think you can revise your sentence? Are there other opportunities to add introductory
element commas in your sentences?
Writing In-Line Comments

The previous sections have focused on how to generally use a growth mindset and ensure understanding when
providing feedback. For “Providing In-Line Comments” and “Filling Out Summary Feedback Forms,” we will focus on
the specific approaches used to balance providing thorough feedback without overwhelming the student.
The purpose of the in-line comments is to provide specific tips directly on the document the student has submitted.
Please see the Async Technical Manual for information on how to use the Word Commenting feature. Using in-line
comments on the document allows the student to see which areas of their document to focus on when revising, and
in-line comments are easy for the student to track and address. In-line comments should consist of explanations,
examples, and questions, as applicable.
In-line comments should not consist of direct edits or revisions, and they should be substantial enough that the
student can get started on the recommendations. To avoid overwhelming the student and to keep them focused on
the most important priorities, we provide 2-3 comments per page (of the pages that were reviewed in the session).
Note how tutors ensure understanding in the following effective in-line comment examples compared to ineffective
comments which did not ensure understanding:
Ineffective In-line Comment Effective In-Line Comment Examples

Examples
Nice start on your thesis! As I read through, I noticed you discussed several
Rewrite your thesis to include
subtopics in support of this stance: unity, anti-discrimination, and safety.
your final subtopic like so,
“School uniforms promote
Take a look at your current thesis (which I’ve highlighted with this comment). Are
unity, avoid discrimination,
all of these subtopics included? If not, how can you revise the sentence to
and increase safety.”
include your subtopics to adequately prepare your reader?
Body paragraphs begin with a strong topic sentence, which states the main
purpose of the paragraph and ties back to the overall claim in the thesis. Try to
13
Clarify your topic sentences

avoid paraphrased or quoted material in the topic sentence because you can use
it in the following sentences to support the main claim you are making in the
Page
topic sentence.

If you had to state the purpose of this paragraph in one sentence, what would it
be? How can you add that as a strong topic sentence to your paragraph? Are
there opportunities to strengthen your topic sentences in your other paragraphs?
We use apostrophes to indicate possession (showing that something belongs to

someone else)
Ex. the farmer’s chickens – This example is singular possession (one farmer
owns several chickens)
Ex. the farmers’ chickens – This example is plural possession (multiple farmers
all own several chickens)
Apostrophe
How should we revise the punctuation here in your sentence?
In the ineffective in-line comment examples, the tutor has stated revisions for the student, which is giving
answers/doing the work for the student. The person doing the work is the one learning, which is why it is imperative
we do not edit for the student or give them direct suggestions. Further, if the in-line comment does not provide an
explanation of the concept, such as the “Clarify your topic sentences” example, the student may be unable to
implement that feedback.
The effective in-line comment examples use a mix of explanation, examples, and/or leading questions to ensure the
student has enough information to begin working, without the work being done for them. When providing in-line
comments, use the following checklist to evaluate their effectiveness.
In-Line Commenting Checklist:
Yes/No Self-evaluating your in-line comments:
Have I provided around 2-3 comments per page (of the pages I was able to review)?
• For regular async sessions*, 2-3 comments per page is a recommendation. While occasionally
providing fewer than 2 or more than 3 comments per page is acceptable, avoid not providing
enough feedback or addressing too many concerns at once. (Too many comments can
overwhelm the student, and it makes it harder to manage time effectively.)
*We have a few specific async subjects with different guidelines for commenting. Tutors will be aware if
they are approved for those subjects and receive the appropriate guidance.
Have I provided sufficient explanations, suggestions, examples, and leading questions to ensure
student understanding? (See examples in the Async Annotated Sessions)
Have I prioritized higher-order concerns when identifying priorities for the student to focus on next?
• While it is appropriate to comment on major or recurring lower-order concerns when applicable,

the primary focus of the majority of in-line comments should be on higher-order concerns.
Have I avoided providing answers and simply correcting the student’s essay using the in-line
14
comments?
Page
• Tutors should NEVER use Track Changes or edit the student’s document directly.

• In-line comment explanations should not give answers, specific edits, or revisions but instead
provide guidance, similar examples, and/or leading questions to prompt the student in the
correct direction.
Does the overall focus of the in-line comments correspond to the general priorities in my Summary
Feedback Form explanations?
• While not every topic that is addressed in the in-line comments needs a detailed corresponding
SFF explanation, the general themes should be related. For example, if a priority in the SFF is
strengthening the thesis, the in-line comments should address the thesis as well and not just
provide grammar feedback.
• While the general topics should correspond and complement one another, tutors should not
simply copy and paste verbatim explanations between the SFF and in-line comments because
this is a lost opportunity to ensure the student’s understanding.
Do I occasionally note in the in-line comments some positive strengths in the essay?
Have I used a professional, positive tone throughout?
Are my explanations appropriate for the age/grade level of the student?
Is my feedback easy to understand and free from major or recurring spelling and grammar errors?
Filling Out Summary Feedback Forms

The purpose of the Summary Feedback Form (SFF) is to provide the student with a solid understanding of the
opportunities for improvement in the essay and of the work (next steps) that the student needs to undertake to
improve the quality of their essay. The student should be able to read the summary and understand what they need
to do to revise their essay for the next draft or for submission.
While the in-line comments provide the student specific tips on the document, SFF explanations should correspond
and complement the feedback provided on the document, going into more depth about the underlying principles the
student needs to understand to effectively revise.
Ask yourself: Would the student be able to make revisions based on the Summary Feedback Form explanations if
the document with in-line comments were lost?
To assist with prioritizing higher-order concerns, the sections of the SFF are in the general order of priority:
• thesis statement
• developing ideas
• essay structure
• research/citations
• grammar/mechanics
• next steps
15
Page

Tutors should identify the 2-3 overall priority sections for that particular session, based on the document the student
has provided, Pre-Session Details, and, if applicable, the session’s Custom Resource Page. While all sections of the
SFF need to be filled out by the tutor, only the 2-3 priority sections for the session need substantive explanations in
the corresponding text boxes. See the following information about what should generally be addressed in the
various SFF sections:
Thesis Statement: In this section, consider if the thesis is clear, concise, and specific. Is it a "road map" for the
paper's contents? This section is also the place to start bringing in the perspective of the writing prompt (if the
student has provided those details): what is the student being asked to do? Is the thesis statement appropriate for
the assignment? For example, if the essay is supposed to be argumentative but the thesis is informational, this
section is where we can help the student understand what "argumentative" means. If the assignment doesn't seem
to need a thesis, mark N/A and put a short note in the text box explaining why a thesis isn’t necessary for this
particular assignment. Keep in mind that most assignments will benefit from sort of thesis statement, so be
thoughtful before selecting N/A. For more tips see, “When is a Thesis Really Not Applicable? A Little Guidance for
Async Sessions.”
Developing Ideas: This section is meant for feedback on the degree of original thought and support in the writing.
For essays, we can examine thesis support. Regardless of the document type, we can look at the level of
development. For instance, does the student include examples and details rather than relying on vague wording?
Are claims supported? Are ideas clearly explained and specific? Are quotations and paraphrases integrated and
analyzed (rather than sort of dropped into paragraphs)? Compare the assignment information (if available) to
the document: has the student covered everything required? If something is missing, rewording or explaining that
part of the prompt may help the student understand what they need to add.
Essay Structure: For this section, focus on the overall structure of the paper. Does each paragraph have a clear
topic sentence and develop that one topic? Are transitions present? Does the essay have an introduction and
conclusion? If the contents of the introduction or conclusion need work regarding the information included in them,
the Developing Ideas box may be a better fit, but in certain sessions, the introduction and conclusion can be
addressed in this section (primarily when it is matter of polishing the structure). For non-essay assignments, if the
document has multiple paragraphs, address paragraph structure, topic sentences, transitions, and organization in
this box. If it's a worksheet or individual questions, mark "Exemplary" for structure (since N/A isn't an option) and
write something like, "This assignment doesn't require a formal essay structure."
Research/Citations: This section focuses on the student’s ability to use and credit outside sources effectively. Are
the necessary in-text citations included? Are they formatted properly? Is the References or Works Cited page
formatted correctly? Avoid marking “Exemplary” for this section if citations/formatting have not been carefully
reviewed (which may be the case if the session needs to focus on higher-order priority concerns). Instead, choose
“Beginning,” “Developing,” or “Accomplished” based on the general impression of the citations in the document, and
clarify that this area needs to be focused on in subsequent drafts. Share a helpful citation resource so the student
can get started in the meantime. If research/citations are not necessary for the assignment, mark "Not Applicable"
and put a short note in this box like, "This assignment doesn't seem to require research or citations."
Grammar/Mechanics: This section is used to address grammar, punctuation, and style. For example, is the
student's writing understandable? Are there repeated grammar/punctuation/mechanics issues to highlight? Cover
other sentence-level issues such as wordiness, tone, and word choice in this box, too. Async sessions should focus
on major or recurring opportunities for growth in these areas, not address every opportunity to revise. For in-depth
proofreading or more extensive assistance with grammar, punctuation, and style, direct students to live English or
College English sessions.
16
Page

Next Steps: This final section functions as a conclusion for the feedback. Wrap-up and reiterate the main priorities
the student should focus on in their next draft, and encourage them to resubmit or sign in for a live session should
they have additional questions. While we do not ask students for specific session ratings, this is a good place to
encourage the student to take the post-session survey.
Summary Feedback Form Resources and Examples

Please see our Annotated Async Sessions for examples of strong SFF explanations, as well as the example shared
in Try the What, Why, and How Method. Use the following checklist to self-evaluate the effectiveness of your
feedback:
Summary Feedback Form Checklist:
Yes/No Self-evaluating your Summary Feedback Form explanations:
Have I welcomed the student to the session and used a friendly, first/second person point of view?
• Since the “Thesis Statement” section of the SFF is the first thing the student sees when opening
their feedback, including a welcome here is generally most effective.
Have I provided a detailed response in 2-3 priority sections of the SFF for this session?
• For the 2-3 priority sections, have I provided at minimum a strong paragraph of
explanation/examples, longer when applicable?
• Have I specified to the student what the priority is, why it is important to consider when
revising, and how to effectively revise in my explanations?
If categories are marked Beginning or Developing, have I used “mini” lessons to develop the feedback
(if it is one of the priority sections)?
• While a mini-lesson is not required for every priority explanation, it can be helpful when students
are in early stages of the writing process to ensure understanding since we cannot clarify a
student’s prior knowledge in an async session.
If categories are marked Accomplished, have I explained how the student can continue progressing
towards Exemplary?
If categories are marked Exemplary, have I shared with the student the specific reasons they are doing
well in this area?
Are my explanations appropriate for the age/grade level of the student?
Have I balanced praise and constructive criticism in my responses?

17
Have I linked educationally sound websites?

Page

• We recommend prioritizing Tutor.com resources, like from the Writing Center, but other
resources are acceptable if they are educational and credible. Do NOT share websites from
competitors or sites that require payment.
• For Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) sessions, which have a comprehensive
Custom Resource Page, ONLY the resources in their Custom Resource Page can be provided.
• Always check if a session has a Custom Resource Page, as they may indicate which types of
resources are allowed to be shared with that institution’s students.
Have I avoided simply stating “N/A” in non-applicable categories and instead included a brief sentence
or two explaining why a section is not applicable for the session?
Is my feedback easy to understand and free from major or recurring spelling and grammar errors?
IV. Managing Time

Time management is essential since it is expected that the Tutor will provide a thorough response to the essay
within the maximum session length allotted for the session. Effective pacing is extremely important in asynchronous
sessions since responding to the students’ essays and completing the Summary Feedback Forms occur within
allotted session times: 20, 35, 50, or 80 minutes. The time guidelines for sessions are set by our clients, the
institutions that offer our services to their students, which is why it is important sessions stay within these times.
Keep in mind the following regarding time in an async session:
• Do not use the session time to research the topic of the paper. If the paper’s topic is out of scope and may
need more specific content knowledge, make a note of it so the student knows content was not reviewed.
Spend the time in session focusing on higher order revisions.
• In some instances (such as a lengthy essay with many errors), it is not possible to thoroughly respond to the
entire essay in one session. If you were unable to complete an essay within the allotted time, indicate to the
student where review was left off in the Next Steps of the Summary Feedback Form and recommend an
additional session. Here is an example:
o For this session, I focused on your first 4 pages to ensure I had time to provide you thorough
feedback on your thesis and overall organization. After you’ve had the opportunity to implement my
suggestions, please resubmit your document so the rest can be reviewed as well. I’ve noted on the
document which page I left off on, and please note this in your pre-session survey so the next tutor
can start where we left off in this session.
• Check the bottom-left session clock regularly throughout the session to stay on track completing feedback in
a timely manner.
18
Page

• The amount and depth of the feedback shared with the student should correspond with how much time was
used in the session.
• The chat box will include automatic reminders regarding time (see Automatic Chat Reminders)
• A separate pop-up prompt will appear when two minutes are remaining in async sessions.
• Do not stay logged in to the session even if there is time left before the max time cap if the review has been
completed. The student whose work you are reviewing may have a bank of time for the semester, and by
concluding promptly once you’ve completed the session, the student can use those unused session minutes
towards another session. Additionally, other students are likely waiting for assistance.
Use the following checklist to self-evaluate time management in async sessions:

Yes/No Self-evaluating your time management:
Am I regularly going right up to or over the max time cap? (This may indicate opportunities to adjust
time management strategies.)
• To see your async session times, go to your Settings and select Billing Info. Click the
hyperlinked amount listed under Session Earnings to view a line-by-line detail of sessions,
which includes the total minutes for each session.
Does the amount and depth of my feedback in the in-line comments and the Summary Feedback Form
correspond to how much time I used in the session?
Have I effectively balanced my feedback within the in-line comments (2-3 per page) and Summary
Feedback Form (2-3 sections with the most detailed, prioritized feedback)?
Automatic Chat Reminders

To assist with time management, there are automated prompts in the chat throughout the session help the Tutor
make the most effective use of session time. These reminders populate in the chat box, but they do not have a
corresponding notification sound. While these prompts are a good starting point, many tutors may need more or less
time on either the document or SFF, and some tutors instead choose to work on the in-line comments and SFF
simultaneously. Either approach is acceptable if thorough feedback is being provided within the session length. The
following table lists the initial chat prompts for each different session length, but keep in mind these are simply
suggestions, and tutors should make any necessary adjustments based on their own approach:
Please take no more than 15 minutes to read the document and make in-line comments, and save
20-Minute
at least 5 minutes to complete the summary feedback form. You'll receive more prompts throughout
Session
your review to help keep you on track.
19
35-Minute
at least 8 minutes to complete the summary feedback form. You'll receive more prompts throughout
Session
Page
your review to help keep you on track.

50-Minute
at least 12 minutes to complete the summary feedback form. You'll receive more prompts
Session
throughout your review to help keep you on track.
80-Minute
at least 20 minutes to complete the summary feedback form. You'll receive more prompts
Session
throughout your review to help keep you on track.
Time-Saving Tips
Balancing providing thorough feedback within the maximum session lengths is easier with practice. Here are some
time-saving tips to increase efficiency while still providing effective feedback:
Preparing for an Async Session

Async sessions take focus, so taking a few steps prior to conducting an async session and as the session starts can
help streamline your approach. Consider the following techniques:
1. Create a folder dedicated to essay reviews where you can easily save student documents.
2. Open up your “cheat sheet” (see next section for more details) and any common resources you like to use in
sessions (for College-level Essay Writing tutors, bookmarking and having the SNHU Custom Resource
Page already open can save a lot of time).
3. Try opening the Pre-Session Details from the session request before accepting the session (just be sure to
go back and accept the request before the 60-seconds elapses). This will open the Pre-Session Details on a
web browser, making it easier to refer to throughout the session.
4. Save the student’s file to your computer immediately upon opening it (see tip #2).
5. Set personal timers to give you audible notifications when it is time to wrap up (see more tips on effectively
using timers below). The Classroom clock starts running as soon as the session opens, so be sure to
account for that when setting timers.
6. Consider using key commands for optimum efficiency. Some great ones are Alt-Tab (toggle between the last
two used windows), Ctrl+C/V (copy/paste), and Ctrl+A (highlight all).
Using Prescripts and Cheat Sheets

Consider creating customized prescripts that can be copied and pasted directly into the Word in-line comments or
Summary Feedback Form during async sessions. Creating a document with these custom prescripts, often referred
to as a “Cheat Sheet,” can be extremely helpful and time-saving for common recommendations and errors. See the
Async Cheat Sheet Tutorial Video for some tips and suggestions. Even if Tutors choose to use prescripts, it is
important for the feedback to be specific to the student’s essay. The Tutor Newsletter article “Async Cheat Sheet
Development & Customization” has some examples and recommendations for how to tailor prescripts to individual
20
students and their assignments.

Page

Utilizing the Tutor.com Writing Center
Unless a Summary Feedback Form category is marked N/A or Exemplary, tutors are required to include a resource
link (see our Async Technical Manual for more details). Websites and resources are an additional means of
providing a more thorough explanation to the student, and they should supplement, not replace, a tutor’s feedback.
Having a list of resources to share with students can help save time filling out the Summary Feedback Form (a full
URL is required, so it is helpful to have those saved) instead of additional time being needed to search for
resources.
Tutors can share educational resources of their choice, but keep in mind resources should not require any payment
from the student to use, nor should they be from a competitor. Use good judgment when sharing resources with
students. We encourage prioritizing sharing resources from our Tutor.com Writing Center: https://tutor.com/writing-
center. Our Writing Center has a wide variety of writing handouts to share with students, and more resources are
regularly being added. All Tutor.com Writing Center resources are student-facing, so they are excellent to share with
students in both live and async sessions. However, be sure to check if a session has a Custom Resource Page (see
the Async Technical Manual), as some institutions have resources specifically for their students that they would like
tutors to share instead.
Setting Personal Timers

The async chat log will automatically populate with reminders throughout the session, but there is not an
accompanying notification sound. Thus, many tutors find it helpful to set additional timers to have another audible
reminder. Some tutors like to use a mobile device, while others will use a timer on their computer itself. Consider
setting a few timers to keep on track throughout the session. For example, an experienced tutor may set the
following reminder timers for a 50-minute session:
1. 30-minutes into the session – wrap up on the student’s document and transition into providing feedback on
the Summary Feedback Form
2. 45-minutes into the session – proofread and finalize SFF comments and upload the student’s document (if it
hasn’t been uploaded already)
3. 47-minutes into the session – “submit now” reminder—by submitting the SFF a few minutes before the max
time cap, it allows for any lag time as it uploads, keeping the session still within the max session length
before the tutor ends it.
Balancing Time for the In-Line Comments and SFF

Each session and every tutor’s approach to moving between the in-line comments and Summary Feedback Form
will be different. As long as thorough feedback is provided in both and the session stays within the maximum
session length, this type of variation is fine and expected. Here are a few different techniques tutors use to balance
their time between the in-line comments and SFFs:
1. Focus on the document and providing comments for a set period of time before transitioning to the Summary
Feedback Form (see the example for setting timers). How long to focus simply on the in-line comments
before transitioning to the SFF will vary on the session length, student’s needs, and tutor’s preferences.
21
Page

2. Work on the document and SFF simultaneously. Tutors who prefer this technique will go back and forth
throughout the session (using the key command Alt-Tab to toggle between the last two open windows can
help with this). For instance, a tutor will note a priority regarding the thesis, make a comment on the
document, and then immediately go to the Summary Feedback Form to elaborate before going back to the
student’s document. The tutor repeats this process throughout the session.
3. Focus on the document but add notes or prescripts to the SFF while providing in-line comments. This
technique is a hybrid of the first two. Instead of fully switching focus back and forth, the tutor will simply note
priorities to expand upon in the SFF until after they have finished reviewing the document. For instance, if
the tutor utilizes prescripts, they may paste relevant prescripts into the SFF with the intention of expanding
on and tailoring them when they finish reviewing the document.
V. Additional Resources
This Async Writing Manual provides an overview of how to effectively provide feedback for async sessions, and our
Async page of the Tutor.com Resource Center provides additional resources, examples, and sample sessions we
recommend reviewing for assistance providing our students excellent async sessions. Here are specific resources
we encourage tutors to review:
Async Technical Manual

The Async Technical Manual provides a comprehensive overview of how to use the async Classroom when
conducting sessions. See this manual for screenshots illustrating each step of accepting, beginning, conducting, and
submitting async sessions. Also available in this manual is additional information regarding the student view and
troubleshooting tips for technical concerns.
Async Writing Project

The Async Writing Project guide shares in-depth information regarding how students can share multiple drafts of a
project with the same tutor. See this guide for instructions on how to successfully accept and conduct these
sessions, as well as guidelines regarding the acceptance rate policy for these types of sessions. Information about
how to conduct these sessions as a subsequent tutor is available as well.
Annotated Async Sessions

For detailed examples of strong async sessions, please see our annotated async sessions:
• 35-Minute Async Annotated Session

These sessions are annotated by a Quality Specialist, with explanations regarding the approach used and
22
suggestions for how to effectively provide async feedback. Additional annotated async sessions will be added to our
Async Resource Center periodically.
Page

Tutorial Videos
For a real-time example of a 20-minute async session, see our Async Tutorial Video. This was an actual session
conducted in real-time, with certain areas of the video sped up simply so the viewers do not need to watch the tutor
typing slowly. This video includes both approach and time management tips.
For some tips on how to create a document to save prescripts for async sessions, see our Async Cheat Sheet
Tutorial Video. The Quality Specialist provides some examples of how to organize a cheat sheet for easy use.
Async Session Newsletter Articles

Our monthly Tutor Newsletter regularly includes articles with best practice tips for async sessions. Generally, these
articles are eventually archived in the Humanities section of our Newsletter Archive. We encourage tutors to read
the newsletter regularly for helpful information and articles. While this is not a comprehensive list, as the Newsletter
Archive gets updated periodically, here are several excellent newsletter articles for async tutors:
• SFFs: Maintaining a Higher-Order Focus
• Tutoring vs. Editing
• How to Ensure Understanding in Async Sessions
• Ensuring Understanding in Async Summary Feedback Forms - The "What, Why, How" Method
• Async In-Line Commenting Checklist
• Creating an Interactive Experience in Async Sessions
• Async Cheat Sheet Development & Customization
• When is a Thesis Really Not Applicable? A Little Guidance for Async Sessions
• Think of the SFF as an Overnight Bag
• Feeling the Time Squeeze on Async Sessions?
• Shave Time Without Cutting Explanations: An Essay Writing Cheat Sheet
23
Page

Async Writing Manual

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Async Writing Manual

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Async Writing Manual

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Differences Between Async and Live Writing

Coordinating Async and Live Sessions Feedback

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

The Personal Information Policy

II. Identifying Concerns

Student’s Level of Experience

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

• What is the topic of your paper?

• I think it needs a lot of work still

• I think I’m on track but ready for feedback

• I think it’s almost perfect, but I want an extra set of eyes

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

• content/prompt sufficiently answered

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Higher-Order versus Lower-Order Concerns

Higher-Order Focus Checklist:

Yes/No Self-evaluating your higher-order focus in sessions:

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Are there any needed revisions in paragraphing and/or transitions?

Has the student accurately presented their source materials?

III. Providing Effective Feedback

• Point out at least 1 positive element of every paper.

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Try the What, Why, and How Method

avoid potential questions and frustration.

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Student Sentence Tutor Example

Nice paraphrase! Since this is the first sentence of your

Try to avoid using paraphrased or quoted material as a

management practices (BMPs) for the management of

(“Natural Resources,” 2016).

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Ex. I ate apples, bananas, and oranges.

Ask Leading Questions

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Ex. Once upon a time, Snow White bit an apple.

Writing In-Line Comments

Ineffective In-line Comment Effective In-Line Comment Examples

Clarify your topic sentences

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

We use apostrophes to indicate possession (showing that something belongs to

In-Line Commenting Checklist:

Yes/No Self-evaluating your in-line comments:

• While it is appropriate to comment on major or recurring lower-order concerns when applicable,

www.tutor.com  110 E 42nd St, Suite 700, New York, NY 10017

Have I used a professional, positive tone throughout?

Are my explanations appropriate for the age/grade level of the student?