Prioritizing Feedback Based on: Higher-Order vs. Lower-Order Concerns
Higher-order Concerns:
- According to the Purdue OWL, Higher Order Concerns (HOCs) are elements that make up the “bigger picture” of the paper.
- HOC examples: thesis statement, hypothesis, audience, purpose, focus, organization, development, etc.
- If not addressed, they can make the paper harder to read. HOCs should be addressed first and identified as early as possible.
- HOCs are “higher” order because they are more essential to the meaning of the writing.
Lower-order Concerns:
- According to the Purdue OWL, Lower Order Concerns (LOCs) are more minor elements that make up the paper.
- LOC examples: grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, citation style/formatting.
- Encourage students to read certain sections of the paper aloud to identify grammatical error patterns in their work.
- After HOCs are addressed, identify the LOCs in order to ensure the clarity and to polish the overall paper