"Winsor"

        This study is about novice engineer students on whether or not the students have learned how to write by model or mentoring. During her studies, she found that 53% of the students use models. Models are a standard, imitiation or comparison. Some of the students received advice/editing, or mentoring. Mentoring means to advise or train someone. 38% of the novice engineers were given advice/editing from a supervisor. 24% got advice from their co-workers, 14% were placed into a writing technical class that was required, high school training was 7%, classes at work were 5%, and work evaluations were 5%. Some of the descriptions written by the students were more like a sink-or-swim experience. Most students would agree that these methods used are not helpful compared to the other citing methods. In contrast, the students like the experience of models and mentoring because most learn from the interactions that come along with experts as most productive when they are receiving responses and practice.

        In Winsor's article, she receives comments from students that go into detail about the statistics. They have a specific learning pattern that is typical between most of the students; this is to use models by going to a co-worker and seeking advice on their drafts, submitting them to some type of supervisor and then reading and listening to the responses, from the supervisor, so that they can revise their work correctly. This model gives them the ability to choose a format and style for their work. They see formatting as a matter of local convention. There is always a better way to do something but they do not want to hear about it because that specific company has a set of guidelines that they go by. 

        Some students read models over and over again until they get to a better understanding, they take earlier reports and use that as a basis for their analysis, or they use models to know what is expected to be presented on the report format. Many students use the model in different ways, but they know one thing for sure. Communication skills and a students style of writing are learned by experience in the workplace. Overall, most students made the comment that they need to drive instead of watching someone drive. One student commented, "School can show us the reins but we won't really learn to control the horse until we ride it." 

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